Deleting a theme takes a minute. Leaving nothing behind takes a few more steps, and one of them cannot be undone, so it is worth reading before clicking.
#The order to do it in
Deactivate the license
Do this first, while the dashboard still exists.
Run Reset Data, if you want a clean exit
Optional, irreversible, and explained below.
Switch to another theme
WordPress will not delete the theme that is currently active.
Delete the Pro plugin
From Plugins.
Delete the theme
From AppearanceThemes.
The order matters for one reason: the theme dashboard disappears with the theme. Both the deactivate button and the Reset Data button live there. If the theme is already gone, release the license from your jkdevstudio account instead.
#What deleting actually removes
Only the theme files.
Your content is untouched. Posts, pages, authors, categories and media belong to WordPress rather than to the theme, and they stay exactly where they are.
What stays in the database: the theme settings, the Pro plugin settings, the record of the license activation, and the framework's housekeeping data. That is deliberate. Come back to the theme later and everything is where you left it.
Deleting the theme does not free the licence slot.
The activation is released separately, ideally before the theme goes, because the record lives with the licence rather than with the files.
#Reset Data
In the theme dashboard, under Preferences, there is a Reset Data block.
This is not a checkbox that says "delete my data when the theme is removed". It is a button that erases data the moment you press it. That surprises people, so it is worth reading twice.
#What it erases
- theme settings and preferences
- integration and font settings
- downloaded data and background jobs
- the record of the license activation
#What it does not touch
Your site content. Posts, pages, media and menus are all still there afterwards.
This cannot be undone.
There is no trash, no rollback and no automatic backup. The browser asks for confirmation once, and that single dialog is the only safeguard between you and the configuration you spent an afternoon on.
#When you actually want it
Before deleting the theme for good, if you want to leave nothing behind. Before handing the site to a different owner. Or before reinstalling from scratch after an experiment went wrong.
#When you do not
"Something is not working, I will try resetting." That is the wrong tool. Work through the troubleshooting steps first; a reset destroys the configuration that would have told you what went wrong.
Take a database backup before pressing it, even when you are sure.
#Common questions
Will my posts disappear?
No, neither deleting the theme nor Reset Data touches content of any kind.
I deleted the theme and want it back. Are my settings gone?
If you did not run Reset Data then they are still in the database, so reinstalling the theme brings them back exactly as they were.
Do I have to delete the Pro plugin too?
Not strictly, though a Pro plugin with no theme to extend has nothing to do, so removing both is the tidier exit.
How do I release the license after deleting the theme?
From your jkdevstudio account, on the licence itself, since the button inside the theme went with the theme.
The delete button is missing
WordPress hides it for the active theme, so switch to a different theme first and the option appears, and if it is still missing then your host has most likely disabled file modifications from the admin, in which case the folder comes off over SFTP instead.
#Still stuck
Open a support ticket with what you are trying to remove and what the admin lets you do.
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