Resetting site content for a managed account

This article describes how to start over and reset an account's site content to a default state using cPanel. You may want to do this, for example, if you installed an application for testing purposes and no longer need it. Or maybe you made a configuration change that caused your website to be non-functional, and you are unable to fix the problem.

Whatever the reason, use the following procedure to reset your account's site content.

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Important

This procedure removes website content and various other settings, but does not remove e-mail accounts or messages.

Make sure you follow these steps in the order presented:

1. Delete any applications that you installed using Softaculous:

• Log in to cPanel.

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  Note

  If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.

• Open Softaculous:

  • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Softaculous Apps Installer section, click Softaculous Apps Installer (or any of the icons under Scripts or Categories ).

  • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the SOFTACULOUS APPS INSTALLER section of the cPanel home screen, click Softaculous Apps Installer (or any of the icons under Scripts or Categories ).

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Note

For additional information about how to delete applications in Softaculous, please see this article.

2. Delete all MySQL and PostgreSQL databases in cPanel:

• Log in to cPanel.

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  Note

  If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.

• In the Databases section of the cPanel home screen, click Manage My Databases for MySQL databases, or click PostgreSQL Databases:
  
  
  
  

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Note

• For additional information about how to delete MySQL databases, please see this article.

• For additional information about how to delete PostgreSQL databases, please see this article.

3. Delete all subdomains, addon domains, and parked domains in cPanel:

• Log in to cPanel.

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  Note

  If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.

• In the Domains section of the cPanel home screen, click Subdomains, click Addon Domains, or click Aliases:
  

  

  

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Note

• For additional information about how to delete a subdomain, please see this article.

• For additional information about how to delete addon domains and parked domains, please see this article.

4. Delete all files and directories under the /home/username/public_html directory, where username represents your hosting.com account username. To do this, you can use the cPanel File Manager:

• Log in to cPanel.

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  Note

  If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.

• Open the File Manager:
  - If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Files section, click File Manager:
  

  - If you are using the **Paper Lantern** theme, in the **FILES** section of the cPanel home page, click **File Manager**:
  

  

• In the File Manager Directory Selection dialog box, select Web Root, and then click Go.

• Click Select All, and then click Delete.

• In the Delete dialog box, click Delete File(s). cPanel removes everything in the public_html directory.

5. Delete any cron jobs that are configured in cPanel:

• Log in to cPanel.

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  Note

  If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.

• Open the Cron Jobs tool:
  - If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Advanced section, click Cron Jobs:
  

  - If you are using the **Paper Lantern** theme, in the **ADVANCED** section of the cPanel home page, click **Cron Jobs**:
  

  

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Note

For additional information about how to do this, please see this article.

6. Your account's web content is now back to a default state.

Related Articles

• cPanel File Manager

• How to manage your applications in Softaculous