WPML

Reset WPML

Reset WPML deletes all WPML data on the site. Languages, translations, translation memory associations, glossary, language assignments on every post and term – all gone. The original posts in the default language remain, but everything WPML added is wiped.

This is a last-resort recovery tool. Don’t use it to “start fresh” or to clean up a configuration you don’t like – those have lighter-weight answers in the Safe-tier troubleshooting tools (Fix language data, Fix translations, System check). Use Reset WPML only when:

  • WPML’s state is corrupted in a way no other tool can repair, and WPML Support has confirmed a reset is the right next step;
  • Or you’re permanently removing WPML from the site and want to delete everything it added.

Find Reset Under WPML > Support > Advanced

WPML > Support > Reset WPML (in the Advanced – only when WPML Support asks you to tier on the in-admin Support page).

The tool has one scope: Reset WPML entirely. It removes everything: languages, language assignments, translation jobs, configuration, and association with your WPML account on this site. There is no partial reset. If only the language assignments look wrong, use Fix language data instead.

The Safety Gate

The reset sits behind a two-part gate. Tick the “I understand this will permanently delete all of WPML’s language data” checkbox and type RESET WPML (in capital letters) into the confirmation field. Only when both are satisfied does the Reset WPML button enable.

No keyboard accelerator skips either step.

Before You Run It

  • Back up the database. A current backup is the only undo. There is no in-product undo for a reset.
  • Confirm with Support. If you’re resetting because something is broken, run Before asking for support first. There’s usually a lighter tool that fixes the actual symptom.
  • Make sure you mean everything. A reset has no narrower scope. For “rebuild the language configuration” cases, Fix language data usually repairs the assignments without deleting anything.

What Happens to Translations

Reset doesn’t touch the source-language posts. Translations stored as separate WordPress posts remain in the database but lose their language assignment and their link to the source. They become orphan posts with no language. They don’t disappear; they’re just untethered. If you re-set up WPML afterwards, you can re-assign them through WPML > Support > Fix language data, but it’s a manual process.

Translation memory and glossary stored on WPML’s servers are not deleted by a reset. They’re still on your account and re-attach automatically the next time you set up WPML on a site with the same site key. The reset only removes the local site’s link to them.