Auto Prune Posts
Auto deletes expires (prunes) posts after a certain amount of time. On a per category basis (single category, or all at once.
Consider an alternative
Auto Prune Posts shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 4.2/5 and was last updated 11 months ago, and scores 40/100 on our health check.
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Auto Prune Posts stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| clean | >100 |
| delete | >100 |
| expire | #45 |
| mass | #53 |
| prune | #1 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2 from 10 reviews
About Auto Prune Posts
From the official readme · v3.1.1Description
Auto deletes expires (prunes) posts or pages after a certain amount of time. On a per category basis (single category, or all at once).
Handy if you want to have posts with a limited timeframe such as offers, coupons etc..
Posts will auto delete on a per category basis: single category OR all categories at once.
All (custom)post types are supported. (CPT support)
Will also trash post attachments.
Sends notification to site admin (can be turned off).
No cronjob needed 🙂
- Coding by: MijnPress.nl Mastodon profile More plugins
- Idea by Nostromo.nl
Installation
- Upload directory
auto_prune_poststo the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Visit Plugins menu to configure the plugin.
Frequently asked questions
I have a lot of questions and I want support where can I go?
https://pluginsupport.mijnpress.nl/ or drop me a tweet to notify me of your support topic over here. I always check my toots, so mention my name with https://mastodon.social/deck/@ramonfincken and your problem.
Changelog
3.1.1
Bugfix: Re-added the framework
3.1.0
Change: Removed &prune=true GET option to force run prune using wp-admin as it is false-positively flagged ads CSS by pathstack. Now using a form post button.
3.0.0
Bugfix: XSS in POST types
2.0.0
Bugfix: Added nonces for admin forms (CSRF)
Bugfix: PHP 8 compatibility
1.8.0
Bugfix: PHP 8 compatibility
1.7.0
Bugfix: Menu conflict with bbpress due to permissions
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Auto Prune Posts alternatives
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FAQ
Auto Prune Posts: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 1, 2026
Is Auto Prune Posts free?
Yes. Auto Prune Posts is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Auto Prune Posts safe to use in 2026?
Auto Prune Posts shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 4.2/5 and was last updated 11 months ago, and scores 40/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Auto Prune Posts?
Auto Prune Posts is active on 1K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 53,849 times since it launched in October 2010. It was downloaded 601 times in the last 30 days.
Does Auto Prune Posts work with WordPress 7.1?
Auto Prune Posts is officially tested up to WordPress 6.8.10, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Auto Prune Posts last updated?
The latest version, 3.1.1, was released on November 11, 2025 (11 months ago).
Who makes Auto Prune Posts?
Auto Prune Posts is developed and maintained by ramon fincken.
What are the best alternatives to Auto Prune Posts?
The most popular alternatives to Auto Prune Posts are Advanced Database Cleaner (100K+ installs), Media Cleaner: Clean your W… (90K+ installs) and Advanced WordPress Reset (10K+ installs).
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