Delete a backup

You delete a single backup by hand: at every target where it is stored, and from the list. Before that, the plugin asks for confirmation and warns if it is the last good backup at a target.

Step 1: Choose Delete

Open the Backup page. In the Backups list, click More … in the row of the backup, then Delete backup. The Recent backups tile on the Overview page has the same menu.

1. Restore leads to the page where you restore the backup.
2. Check backup checks whether the backup is readable and complete.
3. Lock backup protects the backup from deletion.
4. Download only appears for a backup that is stored at a local target.
5. Log opens the log of the backup.
6. Delete backup is in red at the end of the menu and opens the confirmation prompt.

Step 2: Read the confirmation prompt

1. The text names the date of the backup and the targets where it is deleted.
2. Cancel closes the confirmation prompt without deleting anything.
3. Delete starts the deletion.

The confirmation prompt has the title Delete backup? and says: The backup from … is deleted at … and disappears from the list.

The last good backup at a target

If no other good backup would remain at a target of the backup, the confirmation prompt warns in red. You may delete anyway.

1. Attention! This is the last good backup of this website at this target. After it there is none.
2. Delete remains possible.

If this applies to several targets, the warning names them: Attention! This is the last good backup of this website at these targets: …. After it there is none there.

A locked backup

A locked backup cannot be deleted. The confirmation prompt says so and offers only Cancel.

1. This backup is locked. Unlock it first; then it can be deleted.
2. Cancel

In the menu of the backup, choose Unlock backup first, then Delete backup.

Step 3: Follow the progress

The deletion runs as a job in steps, like a backup. While it runs, the Backup tile shows the progress.

1. The progress begins with Deleting backup. Then follow the completed entries, one entry per target of the backup, and the remaining time.
2. Abort backup here aborts the deletion.

Step 4: Read the result

At the end, a message appears.

1. Backup deleted.

The backup is no longer in the list.

Deleting only an entry

A failed or aborted backup has no copy at any target. Instead of Delete backup, its menu offers the entry Delete entry.

1. Log opens the log of the backup.
2. Delete entry opens the confirmation prompt.

1. Delete entry? is the title of the confirmation prompt.
2. The text says that there is no backup behind the entry. Only the row disappears from the list.
3. Delete removes the entry immediately, without a job.

Afterwards the page reports Entry removed.

If something does not work

If the deletion fails at a target, the red message names the target and the cause.

1. The backup could not be deleted. See the log.
2. The line names the target where the deletion failed, and the cause.
3. Below it is the original message; for an SFTP target, the message from cURL.
4. Log opens the log of the deletion.

Message	What you can do
A job is already running.	Wait until the running job has finished, then delete again.
The backup could not be deleted. See the log.	The deletion was aborted or failed at at least one target, for example because the target could not be reached. Log in the message names the target and the reason: Read the log. The backup stays there; delete it again later.

Good to know

• Deleting in the browser always means: at all targets of the backup. You delete at only one target on the command line.
• The log of the backup stays for as long as logs are kept. You then find it in the download of all logs.
• You do not have to delete old backups by hand: after every good backup, the plugin itself removes what goes beyond Max. backups.

See also

• Define how many backups are kept
• Protect a backup from deletion
• Remove a target
• The “Backup” page
• Create and manage backups with WP-CLI

On the command line

WP-CLI not set up yet? How to install WP-CLI.

WP-CLI also asks before deleting; --yes skips the question. With --targets you delete the backup only at the named targets. The command refuses a locked backup.

# Show backups with job name, status and targets
wp cloneworx-backup backup list

# Delete a backup at all its targets
wp cloneworx-backup backup delete <Job>

# Delete only the copy at one target, without confirmation prompt
wp cloneworx-backup backup delete <Job> --targets=local-1 --yes