Accidentally deleted your WordPress site from Hostinger? You can still get it back. This guide covers the exact steps to recover a deleted website using Hostinger’s Trash feature, automatic backups, and support requests.
It works for most Hostinger plans, takes between 10 minutes and a few hours depending on the method, and does not require any technical experience.
We’ll walk through checking the Trash, restoring from a backup, and contacting support if nothing appears. You’ll also learn what to do if the site is gone for good, and how to prevent this from happening again.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Time required | 10–30 minutes (Trash restore) / 1–4 hours (backup restore or support ticket) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| What you need | Hostinger login credentials, email access, the domain name of the deleted site, and a rough idea of when it was deleted |
| What you will achieve | A fully restored WordPress site with no data loss, or a clear answer on whether recovery is possible |
Before you start
Before you begin the recovery process, check these three things. Missing one can slow you down or block the restore entirely.
- Your Hostinger plan type. Automatic backups are included on Business, Cloud, and some higher-tier shared hosting plans. Single shared hosting plans do not include free backups, you must have enabled them manually or used a plugin.
- The date the site was deleted. Hostinger keeps deleted websites in the Trash for 30 days. After that, the site is permanently removed from the system. If it has been more than 30 days, you will need to rely on a backup or contact support.
- Whether you have a local backup. If you saved a copy of your WordPress files and database on your computer (via a plugin like UpdraftPlus or a manual export), you can restore the site even if Hostinger has no record of it. This is your fallback option.
How to recover a WordPress site deleted from Hostinger by mistake
Step 1: Log in to your Hostinger account
Go to hostinger.com and click Sign in in the top‑right corner. Enter your email address and password. You will land on the hPanel dashboard, this is the main control panel where you manage your websites, domains, and billing.
If you have multiple accounts, make sure you are using the one that originally hosted the deleted site. You can check this by looking at the email address displayed in the top‑right corner.
Step 2: Open the Websites section
In the left sidebar of hPanel, find and click Websites. This page lists every site you have set up on Hostinger, including any that are currently active, suspended, or in the trash.
Step 3: Look for the Trash tab
At the top of the Websites page, you will see a row of tabs: Active, Suspended, and Trash. Click Trash. Any website you deleted within the last 30 days will appear here.
Important: If you do not see the Trash tab, your plan may not support it. This feature is available on Business Cloud and higher plans. Single shared hosting users may not have a Trash, in that case, skip to Step 7.
Step 4: Restore the site from Trash
Find the name of your deleted WordPress site in the list. Click the three‑dot menu icon (⋮) on the right side of that row, then select Restore. A confirmation pop‑up will appear, read the note about overwriting current files if you have a new site on the same domain, then click Confirm.
Wait time: The restore process takes 1, 3 minutes. During this time, Hostinger rebuilds the website files and database from the Trash data. You do not need to stay on the page.
Once it finishes, the site will appear in the Active tab.
Step 5: Check the site is working
After the restore, visit your site’s URL in a browser. It should load normally. If you see a blank page or an error, try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito window.
If the problem continues, you may need to restore the database separately, see the FAQ section below.
Step 6: If the site is not in Trash, look for a backup
If the Trash tab is empty or the site was deleted more than 30 days ago, click the Backups button in the left sidebar of hPanel. (On some plans, this is located under Files → Backups.) Hostinger keeps automatic backups for the past 7 days (on Business plans) or up to 30 days (on Cloud plans). You can restore the entire site from a backup with one click.
Wait time: Restoring from a backup can take 5, 15 minutes, depending on the size of your site. Hostinger will display a progress bar. Do not refresh the page or close the browser during the restore.
Step 7: Contact Hostinger support
If neither the Trash nor the Backups section shows your site, your next step is to open a support ticket. Go to the Support icon in the top‑right corner of hPanel (the question mark or speech bubble) and choose Contact Support. Explain that you accidentally deleted a WordPress site, and provide the domain name, the approximate deletion date, and your plan type.
Wait time: Hostinger’s support team typically responds within 30 minutes to 2 hours on live chat, and within 24 hours on tickets. They can check their internal systems for a backup that may not be visible in your panel. In some cases, they can restore a site from a server‑level snapshot that goes back further than 30 days.
Important: Do not create a new site with the same domain name while waiting for support. Doing so can overwrite the old data and make recovery impossible.
Step 8: Restore from a local backup (if you have one)
If you have a backup file stored on your computer (a .zip of your WordPress files and an SQL database export), you can restore the site manually. This is the most reliable fallback method.
- Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org.
- Upload your backup files to the site’s root directory via FTP or the File Manager in hPanel.
- Create a new database in hPanel under Databases → MySQL Databases.
- Import your old database using phpMyAdmin (found under Databases → phpMyAdmin).
- Update the
wp-config.phpfile with the new database credentials.
This method requires a bit more technical skill, but it works on any plan. If you have never done this before, follow Hostinger’s official tutorial on manual WordPress restoration.
What to do if something goes wrong
Problem: The site is in Trash but the restore button is grayed out
Fix: A grayed‑out restore button usually means the domain name is still active on another website or service. Remove the domain from the current site (if it exists) or wait for the domain to be freed. You can also contact support to force the restore.
Problem: The backup restore did not work — the site still shows a blank page
Fix: A blank page often indicates a database connection error. Go to Backups in hPanel and restore the database separately (if the option is available). If not, you can manually re‑run the WordPress installation wizard by visiting /wp-admin/install.php, this will recreate the database tables.
Then restore your database from a backup file using phpMyAdmin.
Problem: Support says no backup exists
Fix: If Hostinger has no backup and you have no local copy, the site is permanently lost. This is rare, but it can happen if the deletion occurred more than 30 days ago and your plan did not include automatic backups. Your only option is to rebuild the site from scratch.
Use a cached version from the Wayback Machine or Google Cache to recover content. Then create a new site on Hostinger and copy the content manually.
What happens next
Once your site is restored, take a few minutes to verify everything works. Check your front page, a few internal pages, and the WordPress admin dashboard. Test any forms, comments, or e‑commerce functionality.
If you restored from a backup that was a few days old, you may have lost some recent posts or changes, you can re‑upload them if you have drafts or local copies.
Now that your site is back, it is a good time to set up a reliable backup strategy. Hostinger offers automatic backups on Business and Cloud plans, but you can also use a free plugin like UpdraftPlus to send backups to Google Drive or Dropbox. That way, you never have to worry about a mistaken deletion again.
If you are considering upgrading your plan for better backup options, check out our Hostinger coupon page for current discounts. Many users find that the extra cost of a Business plan is worth the peace of mind of daily backups and a 30‑day Trash.
For a full comparison of Hostinger’s hosting types including backup policies, read our detailed breakdown of shared versus cloud hosting.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Hostinger keep deleted websites in the Trash?
Hostinger keeps deleted websites in the Trash for 30 days from the day of deletion. After that, the site is permanently removed from the system and cannot be restored through the Trash. If you are within 30 days, you can restore it with one click.
Can I recover a WordPress site that was deleted more than 30 days ago?
Possibly, but not through the Trash. If your plan includes automatic backups, you may have a backup from before the 30‑day mark. Check the Backups section in hPanel.
If no backup is visible, contact Hostinger support, they may have a server‑level snapshot. If you have a local backup, you can restore manually.
Will restoring from Trash overwrite my current website?
Yes, if you have a new site on the same domain, the restore will replace it. Hostinger shows a warning before you confirm the restore. If you want to keep the new site, first back it up elsewhere, then restore the old site, and then merge the two manually.
I deleted the website but the Trash tab is empty. What now?
This can happen if your plan does not support the Trash feature, or if the site was deleted more than 30 days ago. Go to the Backups section instead. If no backup is available, contact support.
As a last resort, use a local backup if you have one.
How do I prevent accidentally deleting my WordPress site in the future?
Enable two‑factor authentication on your Hostinger account to prevent unauthorized access. Also, consider using a staging site for testing changes, so you never need to delete your live site. Finally, set up automatic daily backups, Hostinger’s Business plan does this automatically, or you can use a plugin.
Does Hostinger charge for restoring a deleted website?
No. Restoring from the Trash or from an automatic backup is free. If you ask support to restore from a server‑level snapshot, there is usually no charge, but it depends on the complexity.
Some plans include a “priority support” feature that speeds up this process.
Get your site back and protect it going forward
Accidentally deleting a WordPress site is stressful, but in most cases the data is recoverable. The fastest method is checking the Trash, if you acted within 30 days, you can restore it in under five minutes. If not, automatic backups or support tickets can often save the day.
Once you have your site back, consider upgrading to a plan that includes automatic backups and a 30‑day Trash. It’s a small investment that saves hours of heartache.
Claim your Hostinger discount with 85% off + a free domain to get started on a plan that includes daily backups and priority support.
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