How to Erase Personal Data in WordPress

Due to the continued focus on improving privacy as well as the change in privacy laws in Europe, WordPress has added interfaces that allow an administrator erase data upon request. The new interface provides a tool for an administrator to send a confirmation request for the deletion of personal data within WordPress. Follow the directions below to learn how to use this tool for your users.

How to Erase Personal Data in WordPress

1. Log in to WordPress as an Administrator
2. Click on Tools
3. Click on Erase Personal Data
4. Click in the Username or email address field and type in the user or email address for the user requesting the removal of their personal data
5. Click on Send Request
6. Once the Username or email address is sent, an entry for that user will be added to the table at the bottom of the page. The Requester (username or email) will appear with a status of Pending. An email is automatically sent to the user and they must click on the link in the email to confirm the data erasure.
7. Once the User has confirmed the request by clicking on the link, the Status will be updated to Confirmed. The user will see a thank you message confirming the erasure request. There are two options to erase data. To erase data for a confirmed user, simply look in the Next Steps column for that user and click on Erase Personal Data.

   To FORCE the erasure of personal data for a user, you can hover over the user and then click on the button that appears below it.

You should now be able to erase personal data using the tool in WordPress. For more information on exporting data see our article on using the Export Data interface.