To delete a Wix site, log into your account, go to the Site Manager, select the site, click "Site Actions," then choose "Move to Trash." This moves the site to trash where it stays for 90 days before being permanently removed. You can also permanently delete it sooner from the trash folder.
Below, you'll find the full step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots, plus everything you need to know about what happens to your domain, content, premium plan, and how to recover a deleted site if you change your mind.
How to Delete a Wix Site (Step-by-Step)
Deleting a Wix site takes about two minutes. The process moves your site to the trash first, giving you a 90-day window to restore it. If you want it gone for good, you can permanently remove it from the trash afterward.
Here's how to delete your Wix website from your dashboard:
Step 1: Log Into Your Wix Account
Go to Wix and sign into your account using your email, Google, or Facebook login. If you have multiple Wix accounts, make sure you're logged into the one that owns the site you want to remove.
Step 2: Open the Site Manager
Click "Go to All Sites" at the top of your dashboard. This opens the Site Manager where every site on your account is listed. If you manage several Wix websites, you'll see them all here.
Step 3: Select the Site You Want to Delete
Find and click on the specific site you want to remove from your Wix dashboard. Double-check the site name and URL to make sure you're selecting the right one -- especially if you have multiple sites.
Step 4: Open Site Actions
In the left-hand menu of the Site Manager, click on "Site Actions." This menu contains options for managing, transferring, and deleting your site.
Step 5: Move the Site to Trash
Scroll to the bottom of the Site Actions menu and click "Move to Trash." This doesn't permanently delete your Wix site right away -- it moves it to a trash folder where it can be recovered for up to 90 days.
Step 6: Confirm the Deletion
A confirmation pop-up will appear. Read the warning carefully, then click "Move to Trash" to confirm. Your site is now unpublished and moved to the trash.
Step 7: Permanently Delete from Trash (Optional)
If you want to delete your Wix site permanently and skip the 90-day waiting period, go to your Trash folder in the Site Manager. Find the site, click the three-dot menu (or "Site Actions"), and select "Remove Site." Confirm the removal in the pop-up. Once you do this, all site data, content, and member information is erased and cannot be recovered.
Delete vs. Cancel vs. Unpublish -- What's the Difference?
These three actions sound similar but do very different things. Choosing the wrong one can lead to unexpected charges or lost content. Here's a quick breakdown:
- Delete a Wix site: Removes the site from your dashboard (to trash, then permanently). Your Wix account stays active. Your premium subscription is NOT canceled automatically.
- Cancel your Wix subscription: Stops future billing for your premium plan. Your site stays on your account but loses premium features (custom domain, ad removal, etc.) once the billing period ends. Learn how in our guide on how to cancel your Wix subscription.
- Unpublish your Wix site: Takes the site offline so visitors can't see it, but everything stays in your editor. This is the best option if you want to temporarily hide your site without losing anything. See our guide on how to unpublish a Wix site.
Important: If you only want to stop paying for Wix, canceling your subscription is enough. You don't need to delete the site. And if you delete the site without canceling your plan, you'll keep getting charged until the subscription runs out or you cancel it manually.
What Happens After You Delete a Wix Site?
Once your site is in the trash, several things change immediately. Understanding these changes helps you avoid surprises.
Your Domain
If you connected a custom domain to the deleted site, the domain stays in your Wix account but becomes unassigned. You can reassign it to another Wix site or transfer it to a different registrar. If you purchased the domain through Wix, it won't be lost when you delete the site -- but you do need to manage it separately. For more on domain management, see our guide on how to connect a domain to Wix.
Your Content and Data
All pages, blog posts, images, videos, form submissions, CMS collections, and member data associated with the deleted site become inaccessible. While the site is in trash (up to 90 days), restoring it brings everything back. After permanent deletion, all of this data is gone forever.
Your Premium Plan
Deleting a site does not cancel or refund your premium subscription. If you have a yearly plan with months remaining, you'll still be billed unless you cancel separately. Wix also won't let you move a site with an active premium plan to trash -- you must first cancel the plan or reassign it to another site on your account.
SEO and Search Engines
Your deleted site's pages will gradually disappear from Google and other search engines. This typically takes a few weeks, though it can take longer depending on how often the search engine re-crawls the URLs. If you want faster removal, you can use Google Search Console's URL removal tool before deleting the site.
Can You Recover a Deleted Wix Site?
Yes, but only within 90 days of moving it to trash. Here's how to restore a trashed Wix site:
- Go to your Site Manager in your Wix account
- Click the Trash folder icon
- Find the site you want to restore
- Click "Restore" from the site's action menu
The site will reappear on your dashboard with all its content, pages, and settings intact. You'll need to republish it to make it live again.
After 90 days, Wix permanently deletes trashed sites. There is no way to recover a site after this point -- not even by contacting Wix support. This is why backing up your content before deletion is so important.
How to Delete a Wix Site with a Premium Plan
Wix prevents you from trashing a site that has an active premium plan attached. You'll see an error message if you try. To get around this, you have two options:
- Cancel the premium plan first: Go to your Wix account settings, find the subscription, and cancel it. Once canceled, you can move the site to trash. The plan stays active until the end of the current billing cycle.
- Reassign the plan to another site: If you have another Wix site on the same account, you can transfer the premium plan to that site instead. This keeps your plan active without wasting the remaining time you've paid for.
If you want to fully close out everything -- site, plan, and account -- check our guide on how to delete a Wix account.
How to Delete a Wix Site from the Mobile App
You can also remove a Wix site using the Wix Owner app on your phone:
- Open the Wix Owner app and sign into your account
- Tap the site switcher at the top to see all your sites
- Long-press on the site you want to delete (or tap the three-dot menu)
- Select "Move to Trash"
- Confirm when prompted
The same 90-day recovery rules apply. To permanently delete it, you'll need to access the Trash folder from a desktop browser since the mobile app doesn't currently support permanent deletion.
What to Do Before Deleting Your Wix Site
Rushing into deletion without preparation can mean losing content you spent months building. Take these steps before you click that delete button:
Back Up Your Website Content
Wix doesn't offer a one-click full site backup, so you'll need to save things manually. Copy all your page text into a document. Download your images and videos from the Wix Media Manager. If you have a Wix blog, copy each post's content into a separate file. Save any custom code, tracking scripts, or third-party integrations you've added.
Export Your Data
If your site uses Wix's CMS (Content Manager), export your collections as CSV files before deleting. For Wix Stores, export your product catalog, order history, and customer list. For Wix Bookings, download your appointment records. Once the site is permanently deleted, none of this data can be retrieved.
Save Your SEO Settings
If you plan to rebuild on another platform, document your URL structure, meta titles, meta descriptions, and any 301 redirects you've set up. This lets you maintain your search engine rankings by matching the same URLs and metadata on your new site.
Notify Your Visitors
If your site gets regular traffic, post a notice or send an email letting visitors know the site is going away. If you're moving to a new URL, share that link so they can update their bookmarks. This is a small step that goes a long way toward keeping your audience.
Why You Might Want to Delete Your Wix Site
People delete their Wix sites for all kinds of reasons. Here are the most common ones:
- Switching to a different platform: Moving to WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, or another builder that better fits your needs
- Closing a business: The business no longer operates and the website is no longer needed
- Rebranding: Starting fresh with a new site rather than reworking the old one
- Cleaning up unused sites: Free Wix accounts can accumulate test sites that clutter your dashboard
- Reducing costs: Eliminating a premium plan you no longer need (though you should cancel the plan, not just delete the site)
- Performance or feature limitations: Wix doesn't meet your current requirements for speed, customization, or functionality
Before deleting, consider whether unpublishing your Wix site might be a better fit. Unpublishing takes the site offline without removing any content, giving you time to decide without the pressure of a 90-day deletion deadline.
Alternatives to Deleting Your Wix Site
Deletion isn't always the right choice. Depending on your situation, one of these alternatives might work better:
- Unpublish the site: Keeps everything intact but takes it offline. Good for temporary breaks or while you figure out next steps.
- Transfer ownership: Hand the site over to someone else. Useful if you're selling a business or passing a project to a partner.
- Downgrade to the free plan: Cancel your premium subscription and let the site revert to Wix's free plan. The site stays live but with Wix ads and without your custom domain.
- Duplicate the site first: If you want to keep a copy before deleting, duplicate it to preserve the design and content on your account.
Each option lets you step away from the site without the finality of deletion. If you're still learning how to use Wix, it may be worth trying these options before removing anything permanently.
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