Clearing the Way: How to Remove WordPress Revision History

As a WordPress user, it is possible that you have made some revisions or edits to a published post that you are not entirely happy with. This can clutter up your page, but don’t worry – there is an easy solution. In this article, we will provide a guide on how to clear the revision history of your WordPress pages and posts, allowing you to create a more streamlined and organized website.

What is WordPress Revision History?

Each time you make a change to a post or page in WordPress, the platform saves the revision separately. This allows you to view and restore previous versions as necessary. However, it also contributes to the overall file size of your database.

The number of revisions saved per post or page is determined by the value defined in the wp-config.php file. By default, there is a limit of four revisions per page. After editing a post or page three times, the fourth edit will create the third revision post, and so on.

Why delete WordPress Revision History?

Although revision history has its benefits, it can also negatively impact the overall speed and functionality of your website. Here are a few reasons why you may want to consider clearing your revision history:

• Site speed
• Saving Space
• Security

How to Delete WordPress Revision History

There are two primary ways to remove revision history from WordPress: using plugins, or manually deleting revisions. Here is a step-by-step guide for each:

1. Using Plugins

Here are two top-rated plugins that can help you accomplish this:

A. WP Sweep

WP Sweep is a plugin designed to clean up your WordPress database by removing unnecessary records. Here’s how to use it:

1. Install and activate WP Sweep
2. Go to “Tools” in the WordPress dashboard
3. Click “Sweep” under WP Sweep
4. Choose “Sweep Revisions” and submit
5. Wait for the plugin to sweep your database

B. Advanced Database Cleaner

Advanced Database Cleaner offers several options for cleaning up your WordPress database, including the ability to delete post revisions in bulk:

1. Install and activate Advanced Database Cleaner
2. Go to “Settings” and click on “Advanced DB Cleaner”
3. Choose “Clean Up” from the navigation bar
4. Select “Revisions” from the list of records
5. Click “Clean Now”
6. Wait for the plugin to clean up your database

2. Manual Deletion

If you prefer a hands-on approach, you can manually delete revision history from your WordPress page or post:

1. Open the page or post with the revision history you want to clear
2. In the “Revisions” section on the right-hand side of the screen, click “Browse”
3. Select the revision you want to delete from the drop-down list
4. Click “Delete” for that revision
5. Repeat until your revision history is clear
6. Leave the page or post to save your changes

Conclusion

By following the simple steps outlined above, you can easily remove revision history from your WordPress pages and posts. This can help improve your website’s speed, reduce database clutter and potential security risks, and ensure a more organized and streamlined user experience.