How to Force WordPress to Empty the Trash

I think we can all agree, when working with WordPress there may be times when you want to force it to empty the trash.

This is handy if you’ve deleted a post or page in the past but want to use the same slug for a new version of that page. That slug won’t become available until you empty the trash.

Also, previously we posted a tutorial about how to set your site to automatically empty the trash every few days.

If you want to force it to empty immediately, go to: Dashboard >> Posts and you’ll see “Trash” at the top:

Emptying the trash and bulk deleting couldn't be easier with WordPress

Then, select everything in the trash and click delete permanently.

Got any other easy WordPress hacks? Let us know in the comments!

Sarah Gooding Sarah is a designer and developer who specializes in WordPress. She and her husband operate Untame, where they build business websites, online stores, and social networks using open-source technologies. She is a former author for WPMU DEV on all things WordPress, Multisite, and BuddyPress.