How to Automatically Delete a WordPress Post When Another Post Is Created

Sometimes, creating a new WordPress post means that an older or temporary post is no longer needed.

For example, you may want to remove a temporary announcement, clean up an old placeholder post, or automatically remove a specific post after new content is created.

Instead of deleting the post manually, you can use Zapify to automate it.

With this automation:

When: A new WordPress post is created

Then: Zapify automatically deletes a selected WordPress post

What can you automate?

You can create an automation like this:

A post is created → Delete a post

For example:

A new post is created → Delete an old temporary post

Once the automation is active, Zapify automatically deletes the configured post whenever the trigger occurs.

Why use this automation?

Some websites use temporary posts or placeholder content that should be removed when a particular event happens.

This automation can help you:

Automatically remove temporary posts
Clean up outdated content
Remove placeholder content after a workflow is completed
Reduce repetitive WordPress administration
Keep your website content organized

Who can use this?

This automation can be useful for:

Blogs
News websites
Content teams
Websites using temporary announcements
Websites with automated content workflows
WordPress websites where certain posts need to be removed automatically

Before you start

Make sure:

Zapify is installed and activated.
You have permission to manage WordPress posts.
You know which post should be deleted.
You understand that the selected post will be removed when the automation runs.

For testing, it is recommended to use a test post rather than important website content.

You do not need to write any code.

Step 1: Create a new automation

Go to the Zapify section in your WordPress dashboard and create a new automation.

Give the automation a name that clearly explains what it does.

For example:

Delete Temporary Post When New Post Is Created

Create Automation Button

Automation Name

You can use any name that makes the automation easy to identify later.

Step 2: Choose the trigger

The trigger tells Zapify when the automation should start.

Choose:

Wordpress -> A post is created

Select Wordpress

Select A Post Published

This trigger runs whenever a new WordPress post is created.

Once the automation is active, Zapify waits for a new post and starts the automation automatically.

Step 3: Add the delete post action

Next, choose what should happen after the new post is created.

Click Add Action.

Select:

Wordpress -> Delete a post

Select Wordpress as Action

Then select Delete a post.

Delete a Post

Step 4: Select the post to delete

The action needs to know which post should be deleted.

Select the post that you want Zapify to remove.

Depending on the available fields in your Zapify action, provide the appropriate post information or use the {} token button to select information dynamically.

Post ID to be Deleted

Make sure you select the correct post.

The post selected here is the post that Zapify will delete when the automation runs.

Step 5: Review the automation carefully

Before setting the automation live, review the selected post carefully.

The Delete a post action is different from actions such as updating a post because its purpose is to remove the selected post.

For example:

Trigger:

A post is created

Action:

Delete a post

Post to delete:

Temporary Announcement

Make sure the selected post is a test or temporary post if you are trying the automation for the first time.

Step 6: Save and set the automation live

Once the trigger and action are configured, save the automation.

A newly created automation is initially a Draft.

A Draft automation will not run when a new post is created.

Click Set Live at the top to activate it.

Once the automation is live, Zapify will start watching for new WordPress posts.

Step 7: Test the automation

Before testing, make sure you are using a post that is safe to remove.

Create a new test post on your WordPress website.

After the post is created:

The new post triggers Zapify.
Zapify starts the automation.
The Delete a post action runs.
The selected post is deleted.

Open the WordPress Posts page and check that the selected test post is no longer available in the expected location.

You can also check Zapify's automation run information to confirm that the automation was executed.

Example automation

Your finished automation should look similar to:

A post is created

↓

Delete a post

For example:

New post created → Delete temporary announcement

From now on, Zapify will automatically remove the selected post whenever the trigger occurs.

Common questions

Will Zapify delete every post when a new post is created?

No.

The Delete a post action applies to the post selected in the action configuration.

Make sure the correct post is selected before setting the automation live.

Will the newly created post be deleted?

Not unless the Delete a post action is configured to target that newly created post.

The action deletes the post specified in its configuration.

Can I delete a specific existing post?

Yes.

Configure the Delete a post action to target the post you want to remove.

Can I use information from the trigger?

If the required post information is available through the trigger, you can use the {} token button to insert it into the action.

Can I test this safely?

Yes.

It is recommended to create a test post specifically for the automation and use that post while testing.

This helps you verify the workflow without affecting important website content.

What happens if the automation is disabled?

Zapify will not run the automation while it is disabled.

You need to set the automation live before a new post can trigger the delete action.

What if the post was not deleted?

First check that:

The automation is active.
The trigger was executed successfully.
The correct post was selected in the action.
The post still exists before the automation runs.

You can also check Zapify's automation run information to see whether the automation was executed.

A simple example

Imagine you use a temporary announcement post while preparing new website content.

Once the new post is created, you no longer need the temporary announcement.

Without Zapify:

New post created → Administrator manually finds and deletes temporary post

With Zapify:

New post created → Zapify → Temporary post is deleted

This removes the manual cleanup step.

Summary

Zapify can automatically delete a selected WordPress post when another post is created.

The automation is simple:

Trigger: A post is created

Action: Delete a post

Always review the selected post carefully before setting this automation live, especially when using it on a production website.