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WordPress automatically deletes items from Trash after 30 days by default. To change that retention period, set EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS in your site’s wp-config.php file. Each item’s timer is based on when it entered Trash, not a single monthly emptying date.
Choose how long WordPress keeps trashed items
The EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS constant controls how many days WordPress retains posts, pages, attachments, and comments in Trash before permanently deleting them. WordPress documents a default of 30 days. See the WordPress wp-config.php handbook.
To use a different retention period, add or update the constant in wp-config.php:
define( 'EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS', 7 );Here, 7 is an example: it sets the retention period to seven days. Choose a positive number that gives editors enough time to recover items deleted by mistake. Don’t define the constant more than once; if it is already in the file, change its existing value.
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Make the change safely
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Back up your site’s files and database, or confirm that you can restore them from a recent backup.
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Open the site’s
wp-config.phpfile using your host’s file manager or another method provided by your hosting service.Rank #2
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Find an existing
EMPTY_TRASH_DAYSdefinition and edit its number. If there isn’t one, add the example definition above before the line that says/* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */, if that line is present.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Save the file. If the site shows an error, restore the backup or undo the edit, checking for a missing semicolon, unmatched quote, or duplicate definition.
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Understand the zero setting
Setting EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS to 0 does not mean “empty Trash after zero days while keeping the Trash feature.” WordPress disables Trash at zero: deletion becomes immediate, and users are not shown a confirmation prompt when choosing permanent deletion. Use zero only if you deliberately want to remove this recovery buffer. WordPress documents this behavior in its configuration reference.
When does automatic deletion happen?
WordPress core uses wp_scheduled_delete() for scheduled cleanup. It permanently deletes comments and posts of any type that have remained in Trash longer than the configured number of days. Because eligibility is calculated separately for each item, there is no site-wide date on which everything in Trash is emptied. See the function reference.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
The retention value is a threshold for scheduled deletion, not a promise that every item will disappear at the exact moment its timer reaches that age. WordPress scheduled work must run for cleanup to occur.
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Check the value and file. Confirm that the saved
wp-config.phpcontains the intendedEMPTY_TRASH_DAYSvalue and that there is not another conflicting definition.Best Value
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Review scheduled-task configuration. WordPress documents
DISABLE_WP_CRONand an alternative Cron configuration in its advancedwp-config.phpguide. These settings can matter when scheduled work is not running; verify how your particular site is configured rather than assuming they are the cause. -
Investigate unexpected behavior on staging. If items are disappearing sooner than expected, a plugin or custom code may be involved. In a WooCommerce support discussion about unusually frequent product deletion, the suggested isolation approach is to test on staging with other plugins and the theme disabled. Treat that as a diagnostic step for a site-specific problem, not a general rule about WooCommerce. See the support discussion.
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