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How to Shut Down a WordPress Website

April 4, 2023 By WP Helpline Off

Sometimes, we want to shut down a website simply because we no longer have the motivation to maintain it. This can be a major pain if you are unaware of the countless hours that go into creating a high-quality WordPress website, especially if you are not one hundred percent sure that you will be able to rebuild it. If you want to avoid this pain, then you should learn how to properly shut down a website. With this tutorial, you will learn exactly how to do that – from the minute you decide that it’s time to wrap things up, to the moment you delete all the website files. So, let’s get started.

The Cause Of The Problem

If you’re reading this, then you know that WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) around. It can be used to create completely responsive websites that look great no matter what device they are being opened on. This makes it a versatile option for anyone who is looking to create a new website. In fact, WordPress is so versatile that it can be used for almost any purpose a website could possibly have.

As great as WordPress is, it has one major drawback: it’s quite easy to set up and very easy to use, which makes it attractive to people who haven’t had much experience in website creation. This can lead to a potentially serious problem when you have people using your WordPress website to post harmful or illegal content. Even if you think that this won’t happen, you can never be sure that other people will act responsibly when given the opportunity to post on your site. For this reason, it’s imperative that you learn how to properly shut down a WordPress website. Once you do, you can rest assured knowing that no matter what happens with your site, it will not be able to cause any damage or harm to others.

What Will You Need To Start The Process

To properly shut down a WordPress website, you will need the following things:

  • A personal computer (laptop, desktop, or server)
  • A modem/router (with a broadband connection)
  • A Wi-Fi connection
  • Access to the internet
  • A place to download WordPress (This can be done via a place like cloud services)
  • A blank tape/disk/smart card/USB drive/zip drive (For backup purposes)
  • An FTP client (For uploading the website files to the server)
  • Server (For hosting the website)
  • CMS (Content Management System) (WordPress is recommended)
  • Spinster (if you’re running a multisite)
  • CAPTCHA (if using a premium theme)
  • Akismet (if using a premium theme)
  • The Domain (For your personal or business use)
  • Traffic (To install the CMS +1)
  • Pro-Forma Financials (For tax purposes)
  • Legal Documentation (For legal reasons)
  • Accounting Software (For tracking expenses)
  • Hosting (For physically keeping the website files)
  • Virtual Private Server (For running the website privately)
  • Graphic Designer (If you’re going to layout the website yourself)

Step One: Download And Install WordPress

To start the process of shutting down a WordPress website, simply follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and click on the Downloads icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  2. Select the Install WPLANG option
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions
  4. Once installed, open the WordPress settings page (Settings → Reading → WordPress Setting)
  5. Scroll down to the Language section
  6. and select English from the drop-down menu
  7. Click on the Save button
  8. To test how your WordPress installation is working, click on the Reading icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  9. and select the Blog option
  10. Then, click on the Edit button
  11. Locate the post you want to edit and click on the Go back button
  12. You should now be back at the dashboard (Reading → WordPress Setting)
  13. Click on the Users icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  14. and select Add New
  15. Fill out the form with your username, password, and email address
  16. Then, click on the Save button
  17. You should now be looking at your WordPress dashboard (Users → [your username])
  18. To create a backup of your WordPress installation, click on the Dashboard icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  19. and select Backup
  20. You will then be asked to enter a name for the backup and to choose a location. Simply enter something like “YOUR WORDPRESS SITE NAME” and click on Start Backup
  21. A dialog box will then appear asking you to choose a file to upload
  22. Click on the Choose File button
  23. Navigate to your hard drive and select the .zip file you want to upload (It’s best to use a file sharing website like Dropbox or Google Drive to store and share your WordPress backups)
  24. Click on the Choose File button
  25. The zip file will then be uploaded to your server (through a process called FTP (File Transfer Protocol))
  26. and the download will begin (please be patient)
  27. Once finished, click on the Continue to site setup button
  28. the site will then load in its default state
  29. you can now begin making changes to your website as needed (theme and colors etc.)
  30. At this point, you can close the dashboard (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  31. By clicking on the Dashboard icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  32. you will return to the WordPress dashboard (Users → [your username])
  33. You can click on the Reading icon (upper right-hand corner of the page)
  34. to switch to the blog and click on the Posts icon (bottom of the page)
  35. to begin making edits to the latest blog article

If you want to learn more, then we recommend checking out the following resources:

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