How to Recover & Restore Deleted WordPress Pages and Posts

It’s a common feeling to panic when you accidentally delete a page or post on your WordPress site.

After all those words images and carefully crafted layouts took time and effort to create.

But before you succumb to despair remember there are ways to recover your lost content.

Yo, wanna know how to recover that deleted post? Don’t fret, I gotchu! Check out this guide to bring it back from the dead! 💀 ➡️ ✨

Understanding WordPress’s Trash Folder: A Safety Net

Yo, wanna know how to recover that deleted post? Don’t fret, I gotchu! Check out this guide to bring it back from the dead! 💀 ➡️ ✨

Think of the WordPress Trash folder like a temporary holding area.

When you delete a post page or even a comment it’s not gone forever; it’s merely placed in the trash.

This gives you a 30-day window to retrieve your content.

However if you’re not careful and empty the trash folder manually or let WordPress automatically empty it after 30 days your data will be permanently lost.

Recovering from the Trash Folder: A Quick Fix

If you just deleted a page or post the good news is that restoring it is a straightforward process.

1. Navigate to the Trash: Go to your WordPress dashboard and head to either “Posts → All Posts” or “Pages → All Pages.” You’ll see the four folders: “All” “Published” “Drafts” and “Trash.” Click on the “Trash” folder.

2. Locate Your Deleted Content: The Trash folder displays all the posts and pages that were sent to the trash. You can see their information including the author and last modified date.

3. Restore Your Deleted Content: To restore a single item simply hover over it and click the “Restore” button. You can also select multiple items by ticking the boxes next to them. Then use the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu and select “Restore.”

4. Confirm Your Action: Finally click the “Apply” button to confirm the restoration. Your page or post will reappear on your website ready for you to edit.

The Importance of Backups: Your Digital Life Preserver

If you’ve permanently deleted a page or post from the trash your first line of defense is a backup.

Think of backups as your website’s insurance policy.

They create a snapshot of your website at a specific point in time allowing you to restore your site to a previous state.

Utilizing VaultPress Backup: A One-Click Solution

A WordPress backup plugin like Jetpack VaultPress Backup is a lifesaver in such situations.

It automatically creates backups every time you make a change to your website ensuring you always have a recent version of your content.

1. Access Your Backup: Log into your WordPress.com account and choose the site you’re working on. Navigate to “Jetpack → Activity Log.”

2. Locate the Deleted Page or Post: You can easily find the deletion event in the Activity Log. It’s marked by a red icon and the text “Post Trashed” under the page name.

3. Initiate the Restore Process: Click the “Restore” button next to the deletion event. You’ll need to choose what to restore; in this case you only need to select “WP-Content Directory” and “Site Database.” This speeds up the restoration process. Click “Confirm Restore.”

4. Track the Progress: A progress bar will appear showing the status of your backup restoration. Once complete you’ll receive an email confirmation.

Your deleted page or post will be back on your site!

Alternative Backup Solutions: Your Hosting Provider

If you’re not using a WordPress backup plugin your hosting provider may offer backup services.

Check your hosting plan to see if they offer backups and how they handle them.

If your host uses cPanel here’s how to restore a backup:

1. Log into cPanel: Access your cPanel using your host’s credentials.

2. Locate Backup Manager: Find the “Files” section and click “Backup Manager.”

3. Use the Backup Wizard: Choose the “Backup Wizard” option which simplifies the restoration process.

4. Select the Restore Option: Click “Restore” and choose the types of files you want to restore. For this scenario select “Home Directory” and “MySQL Databases.”

5. Select Your Backup: Click “Choose File” and select the backup file you want to restore. Click “Upload” to restore your site.

Remember that restoring from your host’s backups will revert your site to the state it was in at the time of the backup.

Any changes you made since the last backup will be lost.

Beyond Backups: Google Cache and Archive.org

If you don’t have a backup there’s a chance that Google has a cached copy of your page or post.

Google takes snapshots of websites it indexes saving versions of those pages.

1. Find Your Page in Google Search: Search Google for your page or post.

2. Access the Cached Version: Next to the page URL you’ll see three dots. Click on them and then select “Cached.”

3. Review the Cached Page: You’ll see a cached version of your page including its content and images. The date and time of the snapshot are also displayed.

Alternatively you can directly access the Google Cache by typing “cache:” before the URL in your Google search.

For example: “cache:https://www.yourwebsite.com/your-deleted-page“

This method allows you to recreate the page using the text and images from the cache although it won’t automatically restore the entire page.

Archive.org: A Time Machine for the Internet

Another option is Archive.org a non-profit archive that stores snapshots of websites.

1. Search Archive.org: Go to https://archive.org/ and type the URL of the page or post into the search bar.

2. Select a Snapshot: You’ll see a calendar showing the dates when snapshots were taken of that URL. Click on a date to view the corresponding snapshot.

3. Review the Archived Page: You’ll see how the page looked at that specific date and time. You can use this archived version to recreate your page in WordPress.

Prevention is Key: Best Practices for Protecting Your Work

The best way to avoid the heartache of lost content is to proactively protect your website with backups.

Regular backups ensure that you always have a copy of your work and can restore your site to a previous state.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Embrace Real-Time Backups: Real-time backups like those offered by Jetpack VaultPress save every change you make to your website so you can always restore your site to a specific point in time.

• Choose a Reliable Backup Plugin: Explore different WordPress backup plugins and choose one that suits your needs and budget. Look for features like automated backups off-site storage and easy restoration options.

• Don’t Forget Your Hosting Provider’s Backups: Check if your hosting provider offers backup services and how they work. This can be an additional layer of protection for your website.

• Review Your Backup Strategy Regularly: It’s good practice to review your backup strategy periodically to ensure it’s still relevant and covers your website’s needs.

Beyond the Technicalities: A Reminder to Stay Calm

It’s understandable to feel frustrated and panicked when you lose content.

But remember the internet is a dynamic space.

Take a deep breath analyze the situation and use the tools and resources available to you.

Most importantly remember to take a step back and assess your backup strategy.

With a solid backup plan in place you can confidently create and manage your WordPress website knowing that your work is always safe and secure.

Yo, wanna know how to recover that deleted post? Don’t fret, I gotchu! Check out this guide to bring it back from the dead! 💀 ➡️ ✨