WordPress: The Most Popular Content Management System in the World

With more than 35% of websites on the internet powered by WordPress, it’s undeniably one of the most popular content management systems in the world. In fact, it’s the platform of choice for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners alike. It offers an easy-to-use interface that allows users to create beautiful and functional websites with ease.

Accidental Deletions and the Importance of Recovery

However, as much as we love WordPress, there are moments when we accidentally delete pages or posts from our website. This can happen due to several reasons, such as an incorrect action, a plugin conflict, or even a hacking attempt. It can be frustrating and stressful, but the good news is that just because a page or post is deleted, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone forever.

Step 1: Check the Trash or Bin Folder

Before jumping into complicated solutions, the first step is to check your Trash or Bin folder on WordPress. Whenever you delete a page or post, it doesn’t get removed entirely from your website. Instead, WordPress places it in the Trash or Bin folder, depending on your settings.

To restore a deleted page or post, click on the “All Pages” or “All Posts” link in the WordPress dashboard. Next, look at the top of the page and select the “Trash” option. You should see all the deleted pages or posts in your Trash folder. Simply hover over the page, and click on the “Restore” button. Similarly, for posts, hover over the post, and click on the “Restore” link.

Step 2: Use a Backup Plugin

If you can’t find your deleted page or post in the Trash folder or have already emptied the Trash folder, it’s time to use a backup plugin. Ideally, you should have a backup system in place for your website that regularly creates a backup of your website’s files and database.

There are many great WordPress backup plugins you can use, such as UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or VaultPress. Once you have installed and activated the plugin of your preference, you can use it to restore your website to a previous state, including deleted pages or posts. Follow the plugin’s instructions to create a new backup of your website. Then, go to the plugin’s restore section and select the backup file you want to restore. Finally, choose the pages or posts you want to recover and click the restore button.

Step 3: Use a Database Backup

If you don’t have a backup plugin installed on your website, you can also restore deleted pages or posts by accessing your website’s database. WordPress stores all your website’s content, including pages and posts, in a database.

To access your website’s database, log in to your hosting account’s cPanel, and navigate to the phpMyAdmin section. Once there, select your website’s database from the left-hand menu. Search for the wp_postmeta table, and look for the page or post you want to restore by its ID. Once you find the page or post, select the “Edit” option and then the “Submit” button. This will recover your deleted page or post.

Step 4: Contact Your Hosting Provider

If you have done everything above and still can’t find your deleted page or post, our last recommendation is to contact your hosting provider. Depending on your hosting plan, some providers offer a backup system or technical support to help you restore your website.

When contacting your hosting provider, please have a clear description of the problem, including when the page or post was deleted, and what steps you have taken to restore it. Most hosting providers can get your website back up and running within a short time.

In Conclusion

Restoring permanently deleted pages on WordPress is a straightforward process that requires a bit of knowledge and resourcefulness. By following the steps outlined above, you can recover your website’s content with confidence and continue growing your online presence. Remember to always back up your website and regularly check for any issues or errors to avoid data loss.