Have you been experimenting with plugins, testing out themes, or importing demo content, and now your WordPress site feels cluttered or broken? It’s frustrating, especially when all you really want is a clean slate.
The good news? You don’t have to start from scratch. Resetting your WordPress database can quickly bring your site back to its default state, giving you a fresh foundation to work from.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the safest and easiest way to reset your WordPress database—whether you’re troubleshooting, rebuilding, or simply ready for a fresh start.
Why Reset WordPress Database to Default Settings?
When you reset your WordPress database, you’re essentially clearing out all the content and settings while keeping your core WordPress files untouched.
Resetting the database removes all your content, such as posts, pages, and custom post types, as well as the categories and tags you use to organize them.
Besides that, you will also lose all comments and comment settings, all user accounts (except the admin), plus all your plugin settings and theme customizations.
Think of it like restoring a computer to factory settings. Your operating system stays intact, but all your personal data and settings get cleared.
I’ve found that a database reset is ideal in several situations:
- Testing New Features: When I’m trying out new plugins or themes, I like to start with a clean database. This helps prevent any conflicts with existing settings or data.
- Development to Production: Last month, I needed to convert a development site filled with dummy content into a live website. A database reset gave me the perfect clean slate.
- Fixing Site Issues: Sometimes WordPress sites start showing strange behaviors due to corrupted or conflicting data in the database. In these cases, a reset can often solve problems that other WordPress troubleshooting methods can’t fix.
With that said, let’s take a step-by-step look at how to reset your WordPress database. Here are the steps we will cover in this tutorial:
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Step 1: Preparing a WordPress Backup Before Reset
I’ve learned that the most critical step before any database reset is creating a proper backup. Your WordPress database holds everything from your posts and pages to plugin settings. Once it’s reset, there’s no going back.
I’ve tested dozens of backup plugins over the years, and Duplicator remains my go-to choice for reliable backups. We use it here at WPBeginner and on all our client sites because it’s both powerful and user-friendly.
You can read our full review to learn more about what it offers.
You can use the free Duplicator plugin to easily create a backup of your WordPress database. For detailed instructions, please refer to our guide on how to make a WordPress database backup.
This guide also covers alternative ways of backing up your database, such as manually using the phpMyAdmin tool found in your hosting provider’s dashboard.
✏️ Note: While Duplicator’s free version works great for basic backups, I recommend the Pro version if you’re working with larger sites or need scheduled backups. It’s saved me countless hours on client projects.
Step 2: Resetting Your WordPress Database to Default Settings
Now that you have a backup in place, it’s time to reset your WordPress website. There are a few different options, but I’m going to show you how to use the free DB Reset Pro plugin.
WP Reset Pro stands out because it lets you reset your site instantly while keeping your core files intact, and it also includes advanced features like database snapshots and selective resets. It’s a beginner-friendly way to test, rebuild, or clean up your site without starting from scratch.
First, you need to install and activate the DB Reset Pro plugin on your WordPress site. For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
After activation, you’ll find a new DB Reset Pro entry under Tools » DB Reset Pro in your WordPress dashboard.
✏️ Important Note: Before proceeding, make sure you’re logged in as an administrator.
Access and Confirm Reset
When you open DB Reset Pro, you’ll see a simple interface with a confirmation box.
To proceed with the reset, you’ll need to type the word ‘reset’ into the confirmation box. This extra security step makes sure that you’re intentionally resetting your database.
When you click the Reset Database button, DB Reset Pro will:
- Remove all posts
- Clear all pages
- Delete all comments
- Remove custom post types
- Clear out categories and tags
- Remove plugin data from the database
- Keep your admin account active
✏️ Note: Your WordPress files, themes, and plugins will remain installed. Only the database contents are affected.
After clicking the button, your database will be reset to its default state. The process typically takes just a few seconds.
Verify the Reset
After the reset completes, you’ll be automatically logged out of your WordPress site. Just log back in using your admin credentials.
Once you’re logged in, here’s my post-reset checklist that I follow on every site:
- Check Your Homepage: Visit your site’s front page. You should see a fresh WordPress installation with a sample ‘Hello World’ post, no custom posts or pages, the default theme activated, and empty menu areas.
- Review WordPress Settings: Head to Settings » General to reconfigure your site title, tagline, timezone, and date format.
- Confirm Admin Access: Check that you can still access the WordPress dashboard, create new posts and pages, install and activate plugins, and customize your theme.
Best Practices and Tips
After the reset is complete and you want to start working on your website again, you’ll need to handle a few setup tasks.
First, go to Settings » Permalinks to set up your permalinks again. If you need help, you can see our guide on SEO-friendly URL structures in WordPress.
Next, you can rebuild your navigation menus by going to Appearance » Menus.
It’s also important to reconfigure your essential plugins and add your site’s basic pages (like About, Contact, and Privacy Policy).
✏️ Note: Don’t forget to check your site’s SSL settings after the reset. Sometimes, you’ll need to update the WordPress Address and Site Address by going to Settings » General to ensure HTTPS is working correctly.
Step 3: Restoring WordPress Database From Backup (Optional)
Sometimes, things don’t go as planned with database resets. Last week, I helped one of my friends restore their site after a reset removed critical plugin settings. Thankfully, they had a backup ready to go.
You can follow our step-by-step guide on how to restore a WordPress site with just a database backup. Just make sure you follow the method that matches the way you backed up your database earlier.
Essential Checks After the Restore
Once the restoration is complete, it’s a good idea to run through a few checks to make sure everything is working correctly.
Here is the checklist I use for every site to confirm the restore was successful:
- Verify Your Login: First, check that you can still log into your WordPress admin area. This confirms your user account was restored correctly.
- Check Your Content: Go to Posts » All Posts and Pages » All Pages in the WordPress dashboard. Look through the lists to make sure all your articles and pages are there.
- Test the Front End: Open your site in a new incognito browser window to check the front end. This lets you see the site as a new visitor would and helps you spot any obvious issues.
- Confirm Plugin Settings: Navigate to the settings page for your most important plugins. For example, I always check my contact form and SEO plugin to see if the previous configurations have been restored.
- Review Menus and Widgets: Head to Appearance » Menus to see if your navigation is correct. Then, go to Appearance » Widgets to check your sidebar and footer areas.
More Helpful Resources on WordPress Databases
I hope this article helped you learn how to reset your WordPress database to default settings. Using DB Reset Pro has saved me hours of work when I need to start fresh with a WordPress site.
If you’re looking to learn more about WordPress database management, then you might find these related articles helpful:
- Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Database Management With phpMyAdmin
- How to Optimize Your WordPress Database (One Click)
- Fixing the ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection’ in WordPress
- How to Make a WordPress Database Backup Manually (Step by Step)
- How to Restore a WordPress Site Using Only a Database Backup
- How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
- Find and Replace Text in Your WordPress Database (The Easy Way)
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A Owadud Bhuiyan
I have heard that our database will automatically take back up from our hosting.
How do I find out where is my database backup file?
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on your hosting provider for if they do that and where the backup would be located. If you reach out to your host they should be able to let you know!
Admin
Jiří Vaněk
It’s different for every provider. Backups are usually available in an FTP folder, which is embedded there as a symlink to the backup server. Another option is in the form of a control panel, which is available for the website (but does not have to be). Another possibility is that backups are available from the service administration of your web hosting provider. And the last option is on request. This means that backups are not available, but the provider will provide them to you upon request, or, if it is better and has excellent customer support, it can restore the database directly from the backup. It’s more of a web provider question.
Konrad
Thanks for simplyfing the process, it may come in handy someday. Also remember that backup is crucial!
WPBeginner Support
Creating a backup in case it is needed is very important.
Admin
THANKGOD JONATHAN
Please if I choose to use the ADVANCE WP RESET plugins to backup my database, can I still use it to restore the database? Because I didn’t hear you mention it.
And secondly please, if for instance I thing my wordpress site has been compromised can I use this method to remove the maliciouse codes?
Thank you for considering this question.
WPBeginner Support
The plugin has recently added a way to restore your backup created with the plugin.
For a hacked WordPress site, we would recommend taking a look at our article below
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-step-step-guide-fixing-hacked-wordpress-site/
Admin
Jiří Vaněk
Isn’t it easier to delete the database content through PHPmyAdmin? After calling the domain or localhost, a reinstallation will take place, and everything should be reset. The data on FTP will remain, including the folder with plugins, which can simply be activated if necessary.
Backup DB can be done also in PHPmyAdmin.
WPBeginner Support
If you are comfortable with using the editing interface then you can use phpmyadmin’s interface but for most beginner users we would recommend the route from our article to prevent accidental deletion of something that they would want to keep
Admin
Jiří Vaněk
I understand, sometimes I forget that you design your articles perfectly so that everyone can understand them. I found it easier to operate through the phpmyadmin interface, but you are right that not everyone has experience with it.
Jackson
Wow, thank you so much!
You saved the life of my fingernails and allot of frustration!
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide could help
Admin
dai
hi there.. i see i face same issue as many others here.
since i resat it all..i have and error while trying to get to my wordpress page : “Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page.”
how to fix it up ???
thanks.
maurice
hey I wonder if I have a subdomain such as test.example.com and i reset the whole db with this tool. Will the DB for example.com stay untouched or will this also be resetted?
Want to reset just the testpage so I can check a new theme but want to leave the live page untouched…
thx
WPBeginner Support
Hey Maurice,
They will remain untouched. But as a precaution you should always create complete database backups before performing any operations on your WordPress database. It is also recommended that you use different database for each WordPress website.
Admin
Villy
I used the database reset on my site , and now I can’t log in. I think it’s because I deleted the wP-users file. I tried to change passwords but didn’t receive an email. How do I fix this..
Latha
How to get rid of your problem.Bcoz still I’m facing that problem:(
Joe
My wordpress post didnt show date and time and cant change the site timezone, can it solve my problem?
WPBeginner Support
We can’t say that it would. First, you should try to find out why you are unable to change the site timezone. Time settings can be found on Settings » General page inside WordPress admin area. You may also want to try these WordPress troubleshooting tips first.
Admin
Nathan
I used this plugin-in and after I reset everything, my site no longer exist. How do I get it back? I can’t get into my admin permissions.
Gozie Prosper
What option can i select so as to reset my WordPress without loosing my users, my plugins and my pages. Even if I loose my themes, I have no issue with it.
Thanks a lot
WPBeginner Support
Your WordPress database contains all your data like posts, pages, comments, users, etc. Make sure you backup your WordPress database. You also need to backup your plugins folder.
Admin
Gozie Prosper
Please guide me on the tables I can select using this plugging and reset large part of my data base without loosing my pages and plugins only.
Thanks
Gozie Prosper
please guide me on which tables to select in the list of tables as the pluggin displays which when selected will reset large parts of my WordPress site without resetting my pages.
Jan
Will this delete original blog posts on Wordpress? I want to get rid of my duplicates but I do not want to lose my work
WPBeginner Support
It will delete all your blog posts. You will have an empty WordPress site with clean DB.
Admin
Louise
After reading reams of information which might as well have been written in a foreign language, I came across this and it solved my problem beautifully. Thank you.
Asim Khan
Hi i have a problem that when i go to add new post my HTML and Text buttons are hidden and i cannot type my text so plz help me
WPBeginner Support
Please see how to fix white text and missing buttons in WordPress visual editor.
Admin
Mohammed
I have reset the wordpress. But now i cant visit my site iam worried if i click on my site its coming white empty pls help
Special
Apparently I am a complete idot and I just wiped my clients entire website. Nope, apparently not smart enough to create a back and it is due next week. First big project…I need help….ASAP!!!
hass annac
Thank you for this tip, save me time and hassle.
Thank you
Gerrit Smit
I have users reset with the plugin, now I can not login to wordpress.
I get message
“” You do not have enough rights for this page ‘
Who can help me please
thanx
Gerrit Smit
for me is unable to login, what did i do wrong
Muhammad Amir
it worked .. but once signed out ..unable to login its nt accepting my current password or the 1st one
..
Villy
How did you resolve this
Joe
If this works you’re a lifesaver! Thanks.
Joe
Is there a plugin/way to delete all content on a site but keep themes and plugins intact?
Thanks.
WPBeginner Support
You can go to phpmyAdmin and empty your database tables. Keep a backup in case you want to revert back.
Admin
Luke
Thanks a lot. I was doing my head in over my messed up site. Time to start again!
Big help
stacy
Any chance this can be run from a cron job so it’s automated? I’m trying to setup a demo site and would like the content to be reset once an hour.
On that note, any ideas on how to get the wordpress site to also delete any new images that were uploaded during that time?
Thanks for your help!
Joseph
Hi, really cool post but I do have a question…will this affect my themes? I have some premium themes i don’t want to lose.
Editorial Staff
Yes it will.
Admin
jim
AMAZING, thank you so much, solved my problem when i pretty much ruined my wp.
Zaadu
Thanks for this! All the times before I used to make changes to the db and make anew install of wordpress…No more from now on
namaserajesh
Useful plugin for me, I’m using WordPress on localhost so It’ll help me to reset database to default settings.