The Sign Customiser generates products so that customers can purchase their customised designs. This step is essential and cannot be skipped. However, we understand that having these auto-generated products in your product list can become overwhelming.
This guide will show you how to automatically delete these products using the WP Bulk Delete Pro plugin.
WP Bulk Delete is a third-party tool and is not affiliated with Sign Customiser. Use it with caution and at your own risk.
Important Notes:
You need both the free and the Pro versions of WP Bulk Delete. The free version alone is not enough.
WP Bulk Delete performs the actual deletion of your products. Use it with care, and make sure you review your configuration before running a delete task. We cannot take responsibility for any accidental deletion of important products.
Always create a backup of your site before performing a bulk delete. Misconfiguration may lead to the loss of other products.
While the WP Bulk Delete plugin deletes the products, it does not delete the product images.
How to Set Up Automatic Deletion
Step 1: Install the Required Plugins
Go to the WP Bulk Delete page here and purchase the WP Bulk Delete Pro plugin. Choose the appropriate license for the number of sites you will use.
Download and install the free version from the WordPress Plugin Directory, then activate it on your WordPress site. Follow this guide: Free Version Installation Guide
Download the Pro version from your WP Bulk Delete account, then install and activate it on your site. Follow this guide: Pro Version Installation Guide
Activate your Pro license key. Follow this guide: License Activation Guide
Step 2: Configure Your Deletion Settings
In your WordPress dashboard, go to WP Bulk Delete in the left-hand menu.
Click on Delete Posts.
Under the Basic Filter section:
In Select post type of items to delete, select Products.
Leave Post Status as Published.
Under the Advanced Category Filter section:
Choose Product Tags.
In the field that appears, select SignCustomiser.
This ensures only products created by Sign Customiser are deleted.
(Optional) If you have assigned any of the custom products to other tags, you can prevent the deletion of these products by ticking the Delete Post From Selected Category Only checkbox.
Skip the Author Filter section.
Under the Advanced Date Filter section:
Set a rule like Delete posts older than 20 days to prevent products from being deleted from recent and unfulfilled orders.
Learn more: Advanced Date Filter Guide
Skip the following sections (they are not required for this setup):
Delete Post Feature Image Filter
Custom Field Filter
Post IDs Filter
Duplicate Posts Filter
Advanced Filter
Custom Query Filter
Under the Action section:
Limit: Set how many products to delete in one run.
Avoid setting this too high, or it may overload your server.
Post Delete Type: Choose whether to move to trash or permanently delete.
Permanently deleted items cannot be recovered.
Delete Time: Choose Schedule delete so the plugin runs automatically at the time you set.
The time is based on your WordPress timezone settings.
Choose your starting date and time.
Under Repeat, choose how often to run the task.
We recommend a safe option like Once a Month, so you have time to fulfill orders before deletion.
(Optional) Give your schedule a name in the Save it as field. This is helpful if you plan to set up multiple schedules.
Learn more: Scheduled Delete Guide
Save your configurations and start the process by clicking on Delete Posts.
Once the posts are deleted, this action cannot be undone. Make sure you have taken a full backup of your site before proceeding.
How to View or Edit Scheduled Deletes
Go to Scheduled Delete in the WP Bulk Delete submenu.
Here, you can view or remove your existing scheduled tasks.
FAQ
Why Aren't the Product Images Being Deleted?
By default, WooCommerce does not delete product images when a product is deleted. This is standard behavior, and the WP Bulk Delete plugin cannot automatically remove the images. If you want to delete the product images, you will need to do so manually.
To remove the images:
Go to the Media Library in your WordPress dashboard.
Search for the image that was associated with the deleted product.
If the image is not being used elsewhere, you can delete it manually.
We recommend using a media cleanup plugin to help identify and remove any unused images in your library if you're dealing with many deleted products.