Permanently deleted page, can't re-use its permalink

empty trash for pages – it sounds like the old one is still in there

No. I already permanently deleted the page from the trash.

If you have access to the database, you should dive in and see if you can find the post there. It shouldn’t happen, but sometimes “trashing” a post doesn’t delete it from the database, even “permanently trashing” one won’t necessarily do it. If you find it in the database, delete it from there and your problem should be fixed.

For future reference, I would just rework an existing page so that it fits the needs of your new page. Especially since it sounds like you just immediately trashed the original anyways – might as well avoid any potential issues like this ??

you should dive in and see if you can find the post there

But not before you have backed up your database….

TRUE TRUE TRUE. Forgive my bad advice, you need to always backup your database before you enter into it’s terrifying depths – you will kick yourself bloody if you lose everything!

You may need to delete post revisions, too. I’m not sure how WordPress handles post revisions for deleted posts, but for some reason, they may still be in the DB.

Bottom line: WordPress still thinks that there is a page with the slug “athletics”.

Had same issue with a home page. I created it and a comment box showed up on my static website home page. Went to help forums and found the only way I could get the comment box off a page was to delete the page and start over…created the replacement page and unclicked the allow comment box. The deleted “home” page is showing up on my website and gives an error message to anyone that goes to my site. Help! https://www.plantpurrfect.com

@bonniegk – per the forum guidelines, you should start a new thread if you need help rather than tacking on to an old one.

I’m having the same problem. How do I find my post revisions?

I have the same problem but with posts. I have permanently deleted a post from trash but now I’m trying to use the same permalink with a new post. If I press “View post” I get 404 page of my theme.

I looked into the database and here is listed all entries with the same post_title (the deleted and the new post has same title)

+---------------------------------+------+------------------------------------+-------------+
| post_title                      | id   | guid                               | post_status |
+---------------------------------+------+------------------------------------+-------------+
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1431 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-4/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1432 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-5/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1433 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-6/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1434 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-7/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1407 | https://www.mysite.com/?page_id=1407    | trash       |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1408 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision/   | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1409 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-autosave/   | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1410 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-2/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1415 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-7/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1411 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-3/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1412 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-4/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1413 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-5/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1414 | https://www.mysite.com/1407-revision-6/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1425 | https://www.mysite.com/?p=1425          | publish     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1426 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision/   | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1427 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-autosave/   | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1429 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-2/ | inherit     |
| Opettajille kiikarit ty?el?m??n | 1430 | https://www.mysite.com/1425-revision-3/ | inherit     |
+---------------------------------+------+------------------------------------+-------------+

As you can see, there is one post with post_status “trash”. I see no posts in my trashed posts in admin panel.

EDIT: I deleted the post with “trash” status and now the permalink works with the new post.

Hello @cmegown

“If you have access to the database, you should dive in and see if you can find the post there. It shouldn’t happen, but sometimes “trashing” a post doesn’t delete it from the database, even “permanently trashing” one won’t necessarily do it. If you find it in the database, delete it from there and your problem should be fixed.”

How would I go into the Db to delelte the page that may be in there still?