Auto-Delete WordPress Form Entries: GDPR Compliance Guide

When was the last time you reviewed your older WordPress form submissions? 🤔

Forms offer a fantastic method for engaging with your audience. They can be used for various purposes such as inquiries, purchases, surveys, and even accepting contributions. But what ultimately happens to the data once you’ve responded to or processed the submissions?

If you’re neglecting the management of your submissions, considerable amounts of personal information accumulate within your database, potentially leading to various complications.

For instance, numerous privacy regulations, including the GDPR, stipulate that personal information should only be retained for the duration it remains necessary. Consequently, retaining it indefinitely could expose your website to potential vulnerabilities. Automatically deleting entries also streamlines your form inbox, ensuring that only pertinent information is visible.

Fortunately, WPForms incorporates a function that facilitates the automatic removal of outdated entries. I’ve implemented this feature across my own websites, and it has demonstrably reduced cleanup time while promoting efficiency and compliance.

Within this tutorial, I will furnish explicit instructions on how to configure this functionality.

Why Should You Auto Delete Form Entries in WordPress?

Automatically deleting outdated form entries in WordPress contributes to the speed and security of your site, while also mitigating the risks associated with retaining superfluous personal data. It also offers a straightforward avenue for upholding compliance with data privacy legislation.

Data privacy mandates, like the GDPR and CCPA, compel you to retain personal information only for as long as there is a defined purpose. Once a visitor’s query is addressed or an order is completed, it is generally expected that you will not continue to store that information indefinitely.

Below are additional key advantages associated with automatically deleting entries:

• Lower security risks:Deleting old entries minimizes the amount of accessible personal data.
• Improve performance: Keep your WordPress database lean and your site fast.
• Smaller backups: Save storage space and make backups quicker to run.
• Clarity & organization: Auto-deleting keeps your records clean and manageable.

I’ve seen this firsthand on small business sites I’ve helped set up. For example, freelancers or coaches often get daily inquiries through a contact form. Once those messages are answered, there’s no reason to store them indefinitely.

👉 In short: auto-deleting old form submissions protects user data, speeds up your site, and helps you focus only on the entries that matter.

In the next section, I’ll show you how to set up auto deletion step by step. You can use the quick links below to jump straight to different parts of the tutorial:

How to Auto Delete Form Entries in WordPress

The easiest way to delete form entries automatically is by using WPForms, the best drag-and-drop form builder plugin for WordPress.

WPForms provides an Entry Automation addon to manage form entry deletion. This lets you automate tasks, such as deleting or exporting entries from forms.

You can define the task schedule—daily, weekly, monthly, or a custom interval. Rules allow you to delete entries based on specific data or status.

At CanadaCreate, we use WPForms for various purposes, from simple contact forms to complex surveys. We’ve extensively tested the Entry Automation addon and found it reliable for GDPR compliance.

If you want to learn more, see our complete WPForms review for a feature evaluation.

Now, let’s go through the steps to set up automated form entry deletion.

✅ Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms

To get started, you’ll need to install and activate the WPForms plugin on your WordPress site.

If you’re unfamiliar with the process, we offer a guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After you activate the plugin, go to the WPForms » Settings page from your WordPress dashboard to add your license key. Make sure you are in the ‘General’ tab.

☝Note: You can find your license key number in your WPForms account profile in the Downloads tab.

Once you enter your license number, click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

Now, all the premium features available in your plan, including access to addons like Entry Automation, will be unlocked.

Next, go to the WPForms » Addons page in your WordPress admin sidebar and look for the ‘Entry Automation’ addon.

When you find it, simply click the ‘Install Addon’ button to activate it on your website.

✏️ Step 2: Choose or Create the Form You Want to Auto Delete Entries From

Now that WPForms is set up, the next step is to choose or create the form you want to auto delete entries from.

If you’re working with an existing form, just go to the WPForms » All Forms page in your WordPress dashboard.

Find the form you want to use and click the ‘Edit’ link under its name.

This will open the form in the visual builder.

If you don’t have a form yet, then you can create a new one by going to the WPForms » Add New page.

Start by giving your form a name, like ‘Contact Form’ or ‘Support Request.’ I recommend choosing a title that clearly defines the purpose of the form.

Then choose a template that fits your needs. WPForms offers many beginner-friendly templates, like a simple contact form, a quote request form, a feedback form, and more.

If you’re not sure which template to use or want help getting started, then you can click ‘Generate with AI’ to try the AI Form Builder.

In the field that says ‘What would you like to create?’ just describe the type of form you want.

For example, you could write “a basic contact form with name, email, and message,” and it will generate the layout for you.

Once you have opened your new or pre-existing form in the drag-and-drop builder, you can add fields like name, email, phone, message, dropdowns, checkboxes, and more.

You can easily move them around to customize the layout however you want — no coding needed.

If it’s your first time creating a form, you might find these tutorials helpful:

• How to Create a Contact Form in WordPress
• How to Make a Request a Quote Form in WordPress
• How to Create an Online Order Form in WordPress
• Ultimate Guide to Building a WordPress Form With Payment Options

Once you’re happy with your form, you’re ready for the next step.

💡 Step 3: Back Up Your Data by Exporting Entries First (Optional but Recommended)

Before setting up the automatic deletion, I strongly recommend that you back up your form data first.

While auto-deleting entries helps keep your website clean and compliant, the insights you get from that data can be very valuable for your business.

This is where you can create a smart workflow: first, automatically save the data you need for business analysis in a secure, off-site location.

Then, have the old personal data removed from your WordPress site. This is the best way to balance data analysis with GDPR compliance.

For example, I know business owners who send new lead forms straight to their CRM so they can track sales without worrying about old entries piling up.

Nonprofits I’ve worked with have downloaded donor surveys into a CSV file at the end of a campaign so they can review the results, then clear the original entries to protect privacy.

The good news is that the same Entry Automation addon makes exporting or downloading entries just as easy as deleting them.

For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our tutorial on how to auto-export form entries in WordPress.

🔁 Step 4: Create a Deletion Task for the Form

Once you’ve set up your exporting workflow, you’re ready to set up the deletion automation.

To do this, go to the Settings » Entry Automation tab in the left-hand menu of the WPForms builder. Here, you can create tasks that automatically export or delete form entries based on your schedule and rules.

Once you’re in the ‘Entry Automation’ tab, simply click the ‘Add New Task’ button.

A pop-up will appear asking you to name your task. I recommend choosing something simple and clear, like ‘Auto Delete Contact Entries‘ or ‘Cleanup Task for Survey.’

Naming your tasks helps you quickly recognize them later if you ever want to make edits or check your automation settings.

This task will work like a mini workflow that runs behind the scenes.

☝ Keep in mind that if you want to auto-delete entries for other forms, you’ll need to repeat this process for each one.

It’s possible to establish several automated actions for a single form. You could, for instance, export entries to Google Drive, and then set up another task to automatically erase older data, as demonstrated here.

After assigning a title, simply select the ‘OK’ button.

On the next screen, choose ‘Delete Entries’ as the task type.

This action reveals additional settings for configuration.

🧹 Step 5: Configure Filters to Specify Deletion Parameters

Upon selecting the delete entries option, the Filters section appears, providing granular control to ensure the removal of only unneeded data.

First, you can filter entries based on what users type into your form fields. This is perfect for automatically cleaning out low-priority submissions.

For example, a frequently visited blog might receive numerous guest post submissions and inquiries, many being irrelevant solicitations or spam.

In this case, setting up a filter to delete entries where the ‘Inquiry Type’ field is marked as ‘Guest Post Pitch’ or ‘Spam’ helps keep the inbox focused on genuine reader questions and high-quality submissions.

Subsequently, entries can be filtered by their status, which is quite beneficial for removing unwanted submissions and incomplete entries.

The available statuses are:

• Published – Complete submissions.
• Partial – Submissions initiated but not finalized.
• Abandoned – Incomplete submissions due to timeouts.
• Spam – Submissions identified as spam via CAPTCHA or similar tools.
• Trash – Entries you have already moved to the trash.

I typically advise choosing ‘Partial’ and ‘Spam’ in this section, as it provides a straightforward method for automatically decluttering your database.

For increased automation, you have the option to combine these filters.

For example, you might configure a rule that exclusively deletes ‘Published’ entries associated with a past event or a closed job application.

🗓️ Step 6: Schedule Automatic Deletion of WordPress Form Entries

After configuring your deletion settings and filters, the final step involves scheduling the automatic cleanup process in WPForms.

Navigate to the ‘Schedule’ section by scrolling down.

Here, you can easily decide how often you want the deletion task to run — daily, weekly, or monthly — depending on how often you want to clear out old or unwanted entries.

Following that, select the specific day or days on which you want the task to be executed. For instance, you could opt to delete entries every Friday or on the first day of each month.

You can also include a start date and, if necessary, an end date if the cleanup is only temporary.

By default, the task is set to run at midnight (according to your website server’s time), but you have the flexibility to adjust the time to better align with your workflow, such as after business hours or before your team begins their workday.

Once you save the schedule, WPForms handles everything in the background — automatically deleting entries based on your settings without any manual effort.

To finalize, select the ‘Save’ button located at the top to save these configurations.

If you are modifying a form already in use, the deletion schedule will commence automatically without any additional actions.

However, for new forms where you’ve enabled this auto-delete setting, be sure to integrate the form into a page or post to initiate entry collection.

📌 Need help with that? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to embed a form in WordPress.

🔐 Bonus: Go Beyond Auto Deletion — Make Your Forms GDPR Compliant

After configuring automatic form entry deletion to minimize data storage and ensure GDPR adherence, you can enhance your forms with extra privacy features via WPForms.

It’s one of the best GDPR-friendly plugins available and offers several built-in tools to help you limit personal data collection, request user consent, and support compliance across your site.

Here’s how you can improve compliance with just a few clicks:

• ✅ Add a GDPR Agreement Field: Employ this to obtain explicit consent from users before gathering their information. It comes pre-set as mandatory and deselected to conform to GDPR regulations.
• 🔒 Turn Off User Tracking: Deactivate the gathering of IP addresses, user agent details, and cookies to proactively lessen data collection.
• 🧾 Allow Data Access and Deletion Requests: Create forms enabling users to request access to, or removal of, their personal data, as legally mandated.
• ⚙️ Adjust Settings Per Form: Specify which forms handle sensitive information and enforce stricter guidelines accordingly.

Collectively, these functionalities enhance the transparency, security, and compliance of your data acquisition practices.

Refer to our guide on building GDPR-compliant forms using WordPress for step-by-step directions.

Common Questions About Removing WordPress Form Data

Let’s address frequent inquiries from our audience regarding the automatic deletion of WordPress form submissions.

How does automatically deleting submissions aid GDPR compliance?

GDPR mandates retaining personal information only as long as it’s required. Automatically purging entries after a set duration reduces data retention risks and maintains compliance. It also signals to users your commitment to their privacy.

What is the ideal frequency for removing form data?

The optimal schedule is determined by your website’s requirements. High-traffic sites benefit from daily or weekly deletions to maintain cleanliness. Sites with less traffic might find monthly deletions sufficient.

WPForms enables you to select a schedule tailored to your needs. You can modify it at any time. Configure it, and WPForms manages it automatically.

Can I remove entries from every form simultaneously?

WPForms’ auto-delete function is form-specific. Activation is needed for each form where desired, with customizable rules. For instance, you could rapidly remove contact form data while retaining survey responses for a longer term.

What occurs when a submission is automatically removed?

When WPForms auto-deletes an entry, it’s permanently removed from your WordPress database. It won’t be sent to the Trash or stored in a backup inside WPForms. That’s why it’s a good idea to export important entries before the deletion runs, just in case you need them later.

Can I stop WPForms from storing entries at all?

Yes, you can! WPForms has a feature that lets you disable entry storage completely. This is useful if you just want to receive form submissions by email and don’t want to keep them in the database. It’s a great option for GDPR compliance and data minimization.

📚 More Tips to Stay GDPR-Compliant in WordPress

Want to go beyond auto deleting entries? We’ve put together some helpful guides to make your WordPress site even more privacy-friendly.

Whether you’re new to GDPR or just want to tighten things up, these resources will walk you through each step:

• How to Export and Erase Personal Data in WordPress
• How to Add a Privacy Policy in WordPress (The Easy Way)
• The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Privacy Compliance
• How to Add a Cookies Popup in WordPress for GDPR/CCPA
• How to Create a Secure Contact Form in WordPress
• The Ultimate Guide to Using WordPress Forms (All You Need to Know)
• How to Set, Get, and Delete WordPress Cookies (Like a Pro)

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