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How to Completely Remove All in One SEO Data from Your WordPress Database

28 threads Sep 17, 2025 Plugin → All in one seo

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Many users who try the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin and later decide to uninstall it encounter a frustrating issue: remnants of the plugin remain in their WordPress database. This often manifests as lingering fields in translation plugins like WPML, which can be confusing and potentially cause conflicts with other SEO plugins.

This guide explains why this happens and provides the definitive method for completely removing AIOSEO and all its associated data.

Why Does AIOSEO Data Remain After Uninstalling?

By design, the standard uninstall process for the All in One SEO plugin does not delete its data from your WordPress database. The AIOSEO team has stated this is an intentional feature to prevent users from accidentally losing their SEO settings and metadata if they deactivate or remove the plugin temporarily.

While this safeguards data, it means a simple deletion from the Plugins page is not a complete uninstall. The leftover data, often seen as fields like field-_aioseop_description in WPML, is stored in your site's wp_options and wp_postmeta database tables.

How to Perform a Complete Uninstall

To erase all traces of AIOSEO, you must first reinstall the plugin to access a specific setting that enables a full data wipe upon uninstallation. Follow these steps carefully:

  1. Reinstall All in One SEO: Navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for "All in One SEO," and install and activate it again.
  2. Enable the Data Removal Setting: Go to All in One SEO > General Settings. Click on the Advanced tab.
  3. Locate the Uninstall Option: Scroll down to the "Database Settings" section. Here, you will find an option labeled "Remove Data on Uninstall?".
  4. Change the Setting: Toggle this setting to "Yes". This tells the plugin to delete all of its data when it is uninstalled in the future.
  5. Save Changes: Click the "Save Changes" button at the top of the screen.
  6. Uninstall the Plugin: Return to your Plugins page, deactivate All in One SEO, and then delete it. This time, all of its data will be purged from your database.

After completing this process, the ghost fields in WPML or other areas should no longer appear. If they persist, it may be necessary to manually clean the database or use a dedicated database cleanup tool, though this is recommended for advanced users only.

Important Considerations

  • Backup Your Site: Always create a full backup of your WordPress site and database before making significant changes like uninstalling a plugin. This provides a safety net in case anything goes wrong.
  • No Going Back: Enabling the "Remove Data on Uninstall" option and then deleting the plugin is permanent. You will not be able to recover your old SEO settings if you reinstall AIOSEO later.
  • Plugin Conflicts: If you are switching to another SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, ensure you have set up your meta descriptions and titles in the new plugin before removing AIOSEO's data.

By following this procedure, you can ensure a clean break from the All in One SEO plugin and remove any leftover data from your database.

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