Are data stored in the database deleted when a field is removed in the admin ?

• Longwalk_acf

• June 8, 2020 at 11:55 pm

Hello !

I’m trying to understand how ACF (PRO) behave when you remove a field from the back-office : are the corresponding data still in the database or are they deleted ?

I’m asking because I’ve created a field, and I used it on my pages. Then, i’ve decided this field wasn’t useful anymore and I deleted it. But, finally I decided to keep it and when I created it the same field with the same name, all my data where still there in my pages. Does it mean that the data I saved were still in the database ?

If so, how to erase them properly ? I mean : what is the process, when I dont want to use a field I was using during years, to delete it and deleting at the same time the data stored in the database ?

I’m asking because i’m going to remove a group field I was using in 500 pages, so I would like the database to be cleaned up at the same time.

Thanks in advance !

• John Huebner

• June 9, 2020 at 5:42 am

ACF cannot delete unused data when a field is deleted. The answer to your question is that the data will stay in the database. For more information please read this https://support.advancedcustomfields.com/forums/topic/flush-unused-custom-fields/

• Longwalk_acf

• June 10, 2020 at 6:02 pm

Thanks for your answer ! So I suppose I can remove the unused data manually at least from my database ?

• John Huebner

• June 10, 2020 at 9:27 pm

Yes