How to Uninstall WordPress in cPanel Completely
Uninstall WordPress in cPanel by downloading a full account backup, then removing the install in Softaculous with Remove Directory and Remove Database ticked. If it is not listed, delete the WordPress files in the document root and drop the database and user named in wp-config.php.
For cPanel users removing one WordPress install without touching other sites, mail or databases on the account.
knowledge
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 7
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 15 November 2026.
Back up WordPress and cPanel before uninstalling
Download a full account backup before you delete anything, because a removed MySQL database cannot be rebuilt from the files, and the files cannot rebuild the database. The backup takes minutes; the alternative is a site that cannot be restored if you change your mind.
- Take the backup: in cPanel open Backup and use Download a Full Account Backup — that archive holds the files, the MySQL databases and the mailboxes.
- Write down the database: open
wp-config.phpin the document root and copyDB_NAME,DB_USERandDB_HOSTbefore the file is deleted. - Pick one removal path: Softaculous when the install is listed there; File Manager plus MySQL Databases only when it is not.
- Verify: reload the domain in a private window — a cPanel default page or a 404 means WordPress is no longer serving that host.
Restore steps are in the cPanel backup and restore guide, and if you want a working copy rather than an archive, follow how to clone a WordPress site.
How to uninstall WordPress with Softaculous Remove
Softaculous removes the WordPress directory and its database together when both boxes are ticked — use it whenever the Installations list shows the domain you mean to erase. It is the cleaner path because the installer keeps its own record of what it created.
- Open Softaculous Apps Installer in cPanel, then the Installations tab.
- Match the row to the exact domain and folder — an addon domain and a staging subdomain are separate rows.
- Choose Remove and tick Remove Directory and Remove Database. Tick the database-user removal only when no other site on the account uses that user.
- Confirm, wait until the row disappears from All Installations, then reload the domain.
If the domain is not in that list, Softaculous did not create it or the record was already removed — switch to the manual path below rather than clicking Remove on a different row.
How to remove WordPress by hand: files, database and user
Manual removal deletes the WordPress files in File Manager, then the MySQL database and user you copied from wp-config.php — in that order, and only inside that site's document root. Do the database note first; after the files are gone, the name is no longer on disk.
- Open the document root for that domain in File Manager —
public_htmlfor the main site, or the folder shown on the addon-domain row. - Delete the WordPress files:
wp-admin,wp-content,wp-includes, plus the root fileswp-config.php,index.php, the otherwp-*.phpfiles,xmlrpc.phpand the WordPress.htaccess. - Leave everything else: mail folders, other sites' folders and any file that is not part of this install.
- Open MySQL Databases and delete the database matching
DB_NAME; then deleteDB_USERonly if it is not assigned to another database.
| What is removed | Softaculous Remove | File Manager + MySQL |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress files | Yes, when Remove Directory is ticked | You delete them in File Manager |
| MySQL database | Yes, when Remove Database is ticked | You delete the name from wp-config.php |
| Other sites on the account | Untouched if you pick the right row | Untouched if you stay in that document root |
Where is the WordPress database name in wp-config.php?
The database name is the value of DB_NAME inside wp-config.php, in the document root — read it before you delete that file. DB_USER is the MySQL user WordPress connects as, and DB_HOST is almost always localhost on shared cPanel hosting. These three constants are the whole link between the files and the database, which is why the uninstall order matters.
What about addon domains and staging subdomains?
Each domain, addon domain and staging subdomain can hold its own WordPress install, and removing the main site does not remove any of them. Softaculous lists one row per install, and a second install one folder deeper — public_html/blog, for example — is a separate site.
Check the document root on the addon-domain screen before deleting files, and delete only the folder that matches the site you mean to erase. After removal, open Softaculous All Installations once more: one remaining row means one remaining site, often the staging subdomain.
How to reinstall WordPress after a clean removal
A clean reinstall is just a new WordPress in the same document root once the old files and database are gone: open Softaculous, choose WordPress, and point it at the root you emptied. Do not install into a subfolder unless you want the site at a path such as /blog/. The full click path is in how to install WordPress in cPanel — and if you only needed the files gone so a new site can be uploaded, the empty public_html is ready for exactly that.
Cron jobs and forwarders left behind after uninstalling
WordPress can leave scheduled jobs that still run after the files are gone, so open Cron Jobs in cPanel and delete entries calling wp-cron.php or a plugin script for the removed install. Email forwarders that pointed at an old form plugin are harmless but confuse the next mailbox test — clear the ones you no longer want under Forwarders.
One scope note: these steps describe cPanel itself, whatever host you use it on. At WebJi®, cPanel comes with the cPanel hosting product (₹297 a month for 20 GB disk, 200 GB bandwidth, 10 email IDs and 1 domain, before 18% GST) — the Linux and WordPress plans use other panels, so check which product your account runs before following the click path. If the database name is unclear, email support@webji.services before you delete anything.
Frequently asked questions
How do I uninstall WordPress from cPanel?
Back up the account, then remove the install in Softaculous with Remove Directory and Remove Database ticked. If it is not listed, delete the WordPress files in the document root and delete the MySQL database named in wp-config.php. Reload the domain to confirm it no longer serves WordPress.
Can I delete WordPress files without breaking cPanel?
Yes. Deleting wp-admin, wp-content and wp-includes removes that site only. cPanel, mail and other domains survive, provided you stay inside that site's document root and do not delete another site's database.
How do I delete the WordPress database too?
Copy DB_NAME and DB_USER from wp-config.php first. In cPanel open MySQL Databases and delete that database, then the user if nothing else uses it. Softaculous does the same step when Remove Database is ticked.
Will uninstalling WordPress delete my other sites?
No, if you pick the right row or stay in the right folder. Addon domains and staging subdomains are separate installs with separate rows in Softaculous, and their files live in their own document roots. One remaining row in All Installations means one remaining site.
How do I start over with a fresh WordPress install?
After the files and database are gone, install WordPress again through Softaculous into the emptied document root. The install steps are in the cPanel WordPress install guide, and the result is a clean site with no leftover themes or tables.
Last editorial update: 15 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
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