1. Documentation /
  2. Managing Orders /
  3. Removing Personal Data from Orders

Removing Personal Data from Orders

WooCommerce has several settings that allow you to remove customer data from orders:

  • Via bulk editing, useful if you need to manually anonymize orders in bulk.
  • Via account erasure requests, a core function of WordPress.
  • Via personal data retention settings, automatically clearing personal data after a certain amount of time that you choose.

Remove Personal Data with Bulk Editing

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After this option is enabled, you can use bulk editing to manually anonymize many orders at once.

To enable this option:

  1. Go to: WooCommerce > Settings > Accounts & Privacy.
  2. Enable Allow personal data to be removed in bulk from orders.
  3. Save changes.

The option to remove personal data will then be available for orders:

  1. Go to: WooCommerce > Orders.
  2. Select the orders that need personal data removed.
  3. Select Bulk Actions > Remove personal data.
  4. Select Apply.

After personal data has been removed, orders will appear on the Orders screen like this, with removed information replaced with [deleted]:

On an individual order, personal data is removed like in the following screenshot:

  • The order is assigned to the “Guest” customer.
  • Billing details are replaced with [deleted].
  • The email address is changed to deleted@site.invalid.
  • The phone number is changed to 000 000 0000.
Anonymized WooCommerce Order Details. The order is assigned to the "Guest" customer, Billing details are replaced with "[deleted]", the email address is changed to "deleted@site.invalid" and the phone number is changed to "000 000 0000"

Orders are anonymized this way so sales stats are unaffected.

Account Erasure Requests

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WordPress allows deleting user details upon request via Tools > Erase Personal Data. This data removal can also be associated with the orders of this user. WooCommerce has a setting for whether personal data within orders should be retained or removed when processing account erasure requests. For details, refer to the Accounts and Privacy Settings.

Personal Data Retention Settings

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WooCommerce lets you decide how long to keep order data on your store. You should specify how long your site will retain data in your privacy policy; consider what makes sense for local laws.

For details on the scheduled personal data removal options in WooCommerce and how to use them refer to the Personal Data Retention section of Configuring WooCommerce Settings

Questions and Support

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Do you still have questions and need assistance? 

This documentation is about the free, core WooCommerce plugin for which support is provided in our community forums on WordPress.org. Searching there you’ll often find that your question has been asked and answered before.

If you haven’t created a WordPress.org account to use the forums, here’s how.

  • If you’re looking to extend the core functionality shown here, we recommend reviewing available extensions in the Woo Marketplace.
  • Need ongoing advanced support, or a customization built for WooCommerce? Hire a WooExpert agency.
  • Are you a developer building your own WooCommerce integration or extension? Check our Developer Resources.

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