Can you undelete a WordPress category? Did you ever find yourself in a place where you accidently delete post category? Are you wondering how to get it back now? I have the answer to this question.
No, you cannot undelete a WordPress category once it’s been permanently deleted from the admin dashboard — WordPress doesn’t have a “trash” or “undo” for categories like it does for posts or pages.
But there are always alternatives to achieve whatever you want to achieve. So here are your options:
Recreate Deleted Category
Just go to: Posts > Categories > Add New Category
Use the same name and slug if you remember them. But note:
- If the original category ID was used in theme or plugin settings, it will be different now.
- You may need to reassign posts to the new category manually.
Restore Deleted Category from Backup
If you have a backup (via your hosting or plugin):
- Restore the database or category table
- Or export/import only the wp_terms, wp_term_taxonomy, and wp_term_relationships tables
Check if a Plugin Was Used for Categories
If a plugin (e.g., CPT UI, TaxoPress) created/manages categories, sometimes they have trash/restore options.
But seriously, a single deleted category can be recreated again easily. No big deal. Just create new category.