If you’re interested in learning how to delete pages in WordPress, stay with us until the end and we’ll show you how it’s done.
WordPress is a user-friendly platform for building websites, which makes it easy to manage pages using the dashboard. Despite this, there may come a time when you need to delete a page, for various reasons.
This article will take you through the process of deleting a page in WordPress, as well as how to redirect it to prevent a 404 error. However, before we dive into the steps, let’s explore why you may need to delete pages in WordPress.
There are various reasons why you might want to delete pages in WordPress, including the following:
- If the page is no longer needed
- If the content on the page is outdated or irrelevant
- If there are multiple pages with similar content
- To reorganize the website’s layout
- To improve the website’s performance
- To simplify the user experience by merging content
- If a page contains sensitive information, it’s better to delete it for website security purposes.
These are some of the reasons why you might choose to delete a page in WordPress. Now, without further ado, let’s begin our guide on how to delete pages in WordPress.
Table of Contents
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete pages in WordPress:
- Deleting from the WordPress Dashboard:
One of the simplest ways to delete pages in WordPress is to delete them directly from the ‘Pages‘ menu on your WordPress dashboard.
To do this, follow these simple steps:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to ‘Pages‘ and select ‘All Pages‘.
- Hover your cursor over the page you want to delete, and click ‘Trash‘.
- You can also select multiple pages and delete them at once by using the bulk actions dropdown.
That’s it! The page has now been moved to the trash and is no longer visible on your website.
Now, to permanently delete the page, click on the “trash” link at the top. Next, click on “delete permanently” to delete it from your WordPress website and Trash folder.
To select multiple pages simultaneously, you can choose the pages you wish to delete and then click on “Apply.” Additionally, by checking the “Title” box, you can select all pages at once.
Again, you can use the method mentioned before to permanently delete multiple pages.
Deleting a Page from the WordPress Page Editor
If you want to delete a WordPress blog page, another option available to you is to use the WordPress page editor. To do so, navigate to “Pages,” select “All Pages,” and then edit the page that you wish to delete.
Once you access your WordPress editor, a large red “Move to Trash” button will appear under the “Page” tab on the right-hand side of your screen. Simply click on the button to delete the page.
Redirect Deleted URLs to Stop 404 Errors
To permanently delete the page you have just trashed, you can use the same method that was previously mentioned. So there you have it – two simple methods to delete your WordPress pages.
As mentioned earlier, even after permanently deleting pages from your website, there may still be links to those pages elsewhere on your site, which can result in 404 errors. To prevent this, it’s important to redirect deleted URLs.
There are several methods to redirect deleted URLs, and here are three of them:
1. Using Rank Math SEO
If you use Rank Math SEO to optimize your content, you’re in luck – you don’t need an additional redirection plugin. Rank Math offers a straightforward way to redirect your URLs.
To begin, log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the Rank Math Dashboard.
After logging into your WordPress dashboard and accessing the Rank Math Dashboard, you will see several modules displayed on your screen. Simply search for “Redirection” and enable it. Once you’ve enabled it, the “Redirections” option will appear in your Rank Math dashboard. Click on it to proceed.
Next, tap on “Add New Redirection” to create a new redirect. Next, tap on “Add “New Redirection” to create a new redirect.
In the “Redirections” section of Rank Math, you will see several fields listed below:
- Source URLs: Enter the URL that you want to redirect.
- Destination URL: Add the target URL to which you want to redirect.
- Redirection Type: Select the appropriate redirection type according to your needs, such as 301 Permanent Move, 302 Temporary Move, or 307 Temporary Redirect.
- Status: Choose between “Activate” and “Deactivate” as needed.
Finally, click on the “Add Redirection” button. The redirect will now be in effect, directing visitors from the source URL to the target URL.
2. Using Yoast SEO
You can also redirect your URL if you’re using Yoast SEO to optimize your content.
However, you must get the premium version of Yoast SEO to proceed with the process. We feel this documentation might be helpful for you.
Another method to redirect deleted URLs and prevent 404 errors is to use the Redirection plugin. To get started, install and activate the Redirection plugin on your WordPress dashboard.
Once you have successfully installed and activated the Redirection plugin, navigate to the “Tools” tab on your WordPress dashboard. Here, you will see various options, including “Redirection.” Simply click on “Redirection” to proceed.
Upon clicking on “Redirection,” you will be guided through a series of questions and instructions to set up the plugin. You can choose to either click on “Start Setup” or “Manual Setup” to proceed with the process.
It’s important to carefully read and follow the instructions provided to set up the plugin correctly. Once you have completed the setup process, the plugin will set up your database accordingly.
Once you have set up the Redirection plugin, you can add new redirections by clicking the “Add New” button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can directly add a new redirect by filling in the necessary fields, similar to the process in Rank Math SEO.
In the “Add New” section, you will see the following options:
- Source URL: Enter the URL that you want to redirect.
- Query Parameters: Set criteria for incoming URL requests to redirect them. Choose the appropriate option from the dropdown menu according to your needs.
- Target URL: Enter the URL to which you want to redirect.
- Group: Choose between “Redirections” and “Modified Posts” for grouping purposes.
To conclude, this is our guide on how to delete pages in WordPress without creating 404 errors. We have outlined several methods to delete and redirect your pages, so you can choose the one that works best for you. By following these methods, you can ensure that your website stays organized, easy to navigate, and free of 404 errors.
