Why a Site or Server Deletion Hangs, and How to Finish It Safely

This guide is for xCloud users who need to delete a site or server, understand a deletion in progress, or recover from a failed deletion. It explains what each confirmation option removes, what the failure messages mean, when it is safe to retry, what billing does in the meantime, and when to contact support. Deletion is destructive. Confirm that you have a usable backup and that you selected the correct resource before you continue.

Prerequisites

Before you start, confirm that:

• You can manage or delete the target site or server in the current xCloud team.
• You have confirmed the exact site domain or server name.
• You have a current, independently verified backup of any data you may need later.
• No clone or migration is running for the site or server.
• You understand that dashboard deletion does not provide an undo action.
• For a server deletion, you have checked whether the cloud instance must also be removed from its provider.

Before you delete

A site deletion and a server deletion have different scopes. A site deletion targets one site and its selected resources. A server deletion removes the server, every site on it, and the server’s full backups.

Operation	Permanent scope	Important boundary
Delete a site	The site, its files and configuration, and any additional options selected in the confirmation dialog	Deleting a production site also deletes its related staging environments. Deleting a staging environment does not delete its production site or sibling staging environments.
Delete a server	The server, all sites on it, all stored data, and full server backups	If the server comes from your own provider account, you choose separately whether to remove it from the provider. If xCloud provides your server, it is removed from the provider automatically, so you won’t see that switch.

Do not use deletion as a substitute for troubleshooting a temporary site problem. If you only need to stop traffic, preserve evidence, or investigate an incident, resolve that need before deleting the resource.

Delete a site safely

1. Open the site deletion dialog

Open the site, go to Site Settings (Settings on non-WordPress sites), find Delete Site, and select Delete Site.

Expected result: xCloud opens a confirmation dialog that names the site and warns that the site and its data will be permanently deleted.

2. Review the affected environments

Read the warning before changing any options. When the target is a production site with staging environments, the dialog lists the staging environments that will also be deleted. When the target is a staging environment, related staging environments are shown for context but are not affected.

Expected result: You can identify every environment that the deletion will remove before submitting it.

3. Review the site deletion options

The options shown depend on the site’s resources and integrations.

Option	What it does
Delete All Files and Configurations	On and locked for a site that finished setup, so you can’t turn it off. Site files and xCloud-managed configuration are part of the deletion.
Delete Database	Shown when the site has a database. This starts on unless the database is locked. Turn it off to keep the database. xCloud can lock this option when the database is shared or otherwise unsafe to remove. Read the message shown in the dialog rather than forcing deletion outside xCloud.
Delete Site User	Removes the site’s system or database user. This starts on. Before you delete, check that nothing else uses this user’s login. Turn it off to keep the user.
Delete Local Backups	Shown when local backups exist. This option starts enabled when it is shown. Turn it off only if you intentionally want the local backup folder to remain on the server.
Delete DNS record from your Cloudflare account	Shown only when your team has connected Cloudflare and the site’s SSL certificate comes from Cloudflare. This starts off. Select it only when xCloud should remove the site’s DNS record from that connected Cloudflare account.
Site.pro cancellation confirmation	Shown for Site.pro sites. Cancel the Site.pro subscription separately, then acknowledge the confirmation in xCloud.

Expected result: Every visible option matches your intended deletion scope.

4. Confirm the exact site name and pick a reason

Type the site name exactly as shown in the dialog. Then choose an answer under Why are you deleting it?.

• Production site: the reason is required. Once the name matches, the dialog shows Pick a reason to enable Delete. until you choose one.
• Staging site: the question is marked (optional) and does not block Delete.

Expected result: The Delete button becomes available once the name matches and, on a production site, a reason is selected.

5. Start deletion once

Select Delete once. Do not submit repeated deletion requests while xCloud is already processing the first request.

Expected result: The dialog closes and xCloud shows Site delete initiated successfully. The progress page does not open at this step. You usually land on the server’s overview page, or back on the site list if you deleted from there. To follow the deletion, open the site: while the deletion runs, it opens the Deleting Your Site page with a percentage. A successful deletion eventually removes the site from the server’s site list.

Interpret an active site deletion

While a deletion runs, go by what the progress page says. A percentage that has not changed for a short period does not, by itself, prove that deletion failed. If a site deletion makes no progress for 30 minutes and is no longer running, xCloud stops it and shows Site Deletion Failed, so you are not left waiting on a frozen percentage. That check runs every 10 minutes, so this takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

The page can show stages such as deleting the site files, deleting the database, deleting the site user, removing cron jobs, and disabling monitoring. The exact stages depend on the site’s configuration and the options selected.

While the page still reports an active deletion:

1. Keep the progress page available and let the current step finish.
2. Do not start another delete request.
3. Do not start a clone, migration, restore, backup, or deployment against the same site.
4. Refresh only when needed to see the latest status.
5. Treat the deletion as failed only when xCloud explicitly displays Site Deletion Failed.

Recover from Site Deletion Failed

1. Read the error shown on the progress page

When xCloud cannot finish the workflow, the page changes from an active progress state to Site Deletion Failed and displays the available recovery action.

Expected result: You see a failure state rather than an active deletion percentage alone.

2. Remove known blockers

Check these conditions before retrying:

• A clone or migration is still active. xCloud rejects site deletion while one of these operations is in progress.
• The database is shared or its removal is locked. Follow the database message in the deletion dialog.
• The site runs an AI agent platform such as OpenClaw, Paperclip or Hermes Agent, and was created together with its server. You can only remove it by deleting the server. Delete the server only if you no longer need the server or the site.
• A Site.pro subscription has not been cancelled when that confirmation is required.
• The server is unavailable, disconnected, or unable to complete one of the deletion stages.

Expected result: The clone or migration has finished, and xCloud can connect to your server again.

3. Choose Retry or Try Again

The Site Deletion Failed page offers two buttons. Both start a new deletion attempt. Use them only after the failure is explicit, and use only one.

Button	What it does	Use it when
Retry	Starts the new attempt immediately, with no dialog. It repeats the deletion with the options you chose the first time.	You fixed the blocker and still want to delete exactly the same things.
Try Again	Opens the delete dialog. You review the options, type the exact site name and, on a production site, pick a reason.	You want to change what gets deleted, or check the options first.

Two details protect your data:

• Try Again does not remember your first choices. The dialog opens with its normal defaults, so Delete Database and Delete Site User can be on even if you turned them off the first time. Check each switch before you confirm.
• Retry never removes more than it knows you asked for. If xCloud has no record of your first choices, Retry removes the site files but keeps the database and the site user.

Expected result: xCloud returns you to the site deletion progress page so you can follow the new attempt.

4. Verify the site result

After the retry completes, open the server’s site list and confirm that the site is no longer present. If you kept local backups, they still take up disk space on the server until you remove them.

Expected result: The deleted site is absent from xCloud. If the site remains in a failed state, stop retrying and gather the support details listed below.

Delete a server safely

1. Open the server deletion dialog

Open the server and select Actions → Delete Server. The same control is available under Management → Settings (Settings → Server Settings on some server types), in the Delete your Server section.

Expected result: xCloud opens a dialog naming the server and warning that the server, all sites, all stored data, and full server backups will be permanently deleted.

2. Decide how provider removal should work

If xCloud provides your server, it is also removed from the provider automatically, so you won’t see a switch for this. If the server comes from your own provider account, the dialog shows a switch that reads Enable this to delete this server from the provider also. It starts off. When you turn it on, it reads Delete From Provider.

If a previous provider deletion failed, the dialog warns that the instance may still be running. Turn the switch on, so it reads Delete From Provider, to try removing the server from the provider again. Leave it off only when you have independently confirmed that the provider instance is already gone or you intentionally want to remove only the xCloud record.

If your team has connected Cloudflare, the dialog also shows Delete DNS records from your Cloudflare account for the sites on the server. This starts off. Decide on it separately from the provider switch.

Expected result: Your choices match what really exists at your provider and in Cloudflare.

3. Pick a reason and confirm the exact server name

Choose an answer under Why are you deleting it?. When you delete a server from Actions or the settings page, the reason is required. Then type the server name exactly as shown. Delete stays disabled until you have done both, and the dialog shows Pick a reason to enable Delete. once the name matches. Select Delete once.

Expected result: xCloud returns you to your server list and shows your server’s name followed by Server Delete Initiated, or by Deleted Successfully if nothing has to be removed from a provider.

While the server is being removed from the provider, it stays in your server list and its name does not open a page. If it disappears from the list, the deletion finished. If the removal fails, the name works again, and Recover from Server Deletion Failed explains how to open the failure page.

Recover from Server Deletion Failed

A failed removal from the provider can leave two systems out of sync: xCloud may still have a server record while the provider instance is either running or already gone. Check the provider dashboard before submitting another destructive request.

The message Failed to delete server on the provider. means xCloud asked the cloud provider to remove the server and could not confirm that it was gone. The server may still be running there. Another provider error can appear in the same place.

A server deletion that makes no progress for an hour is also marked as failed. That check runs every three hours, so a stalled deletion can look like it is still running for up to about four hours before it shows as failed. In that case the message reads Server deletion failed. If you already have the page open, refresh it.

The failure page can still show the title Setting Up Your Server, followed by the server name, and the server’s setup checklist. Go by the Server Deletion Failed heading and the red message below it.

Do not plan to keep using the server after this failure. xCloud clears site backup records, cron jobs and snapshots for the server when the deletion starts, before it contacts the provider.

To open the Server Deletion Failed page, go to your server list and select the server name:

• The server never finished setup: the page opens straight away.
• The server finished setup: xCloud opens the server’s normal pages instead. Change the last part of the address in your browser so that it ends in /progress, then press Enter.

1. Confirm whether the instance still exists in the provider dashboard.
2. Open the Server Deletion Failed page and select Delete to reopen the confirmation dialog. Delete shows if the server finished setup, is your own server or comes from your own provider account, is on the Free plan, or has no bills or a failed payment. It does not show on a paid-plan server from xCloud that never finished setup, or on a server that is part of an unfinished rebuild. If you don’t see Delete, contact support with the server name.
3. If the instance still exists and you see Enable this to delete this server from the provider also., turn that switch on so it reads Delete From Provider. xCloud never turns it on for you.
4. If the instance is already gone, leave that switch off, so it still reads Enable this to delete this server from the provider also., and remove the remaining xCloud record.
5. Pick a reason, type the exact server name, and submit one deletion attempt.

Expected result: The server disappears from xCloud and, when selected or automatic, the instance is absent from the provider. If the state remains uncertain, contact support before retrying again.

What billing does while a deletion is pending

A server’s billing stops when xCloud removes the server, not when you click Delete. While a deletion is running, and while the page shows Server Deletion Failed, the server’s subscription stays active.

Situation	What it means for billing
The deletion is running or has failed, and the renewal date arrives	xCloud can still create the renewal invoice, because the server has not been removed yet.
The server is removed from xCloud	Its subscription is cancelled and it is not billed again. Any eligible unused balance is worked out at this point. See what happens to billing when you delete a server.
The server is from your own provider account	Your provider bills you separately for as long as the instance exists. Removing the server from xCloud only does not stop those charges. Confirm it is gone in the provider dashboard.

To stop billing, finish the deletion: follow Recover from Server Deletion Failed. If you don’t see Delete, or a retry fails again and a renewal date is close, contact support with the server name and the date. Mention any invoice created while the deletion was pending, so the team can review it with you.

Verification

Confirm the final state in every system affected by your selections:

• The site or server no longer appears in the relevant xCloud list.
• A server deleted from a connected provider no longer appears in that provider’s dashboard.
• Cloudflare DNS records were removed only when that option was selected and applicable.
• If you kept local backups, they still take up disk space on the server until you remove them.
• No related production or staging environment was removed unintentionally.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Safe response
Delete is disabled	The confirmation value does not exactly match the site or server name, a required reason is missing, or xCloud is still checking database usage	Copy the displayed name exactly, choose an answer under Why are you deleting it?, and wait for the database check to finish.
xCloud says deletion is blocked by cloning	A clone or migration is active	Let the operation finish, then reopen the deletion dialog. Do not force removal on the server.
The site remains on a percentage	The deletion is still running or a stage has not completed	Wait for an explicit success or Site Deletion Failed state. Do not submit repeated requests.
Site Deletion Failed appears	A deletion stage returned an error, or the deletion stalled for about 30 to 40 minutes	Resolve the displayed cause, then use Retry to repeat the same deletion or Try Again to review the options.
Failed to delete server on the provider. appears	xCloud could not confirm the provider removed the server	Check the provider dashboard, then reopen deletion with Delete. If you don’t see Delete, contact support with the server name.
You are still billed for a server that shows a pending or failed deletion	The subscription stays active until xCloud removes the server	Finish the deletion. Contact support if a retry fails again or you don’t see Delete.
Server Deletion Failed appears	Removal from the provider or server cleanup did not finish	Check the provider first, then reopen deletion with Delete. Turn on Enable this to delete this server from the provider also. only if the instance still exists. If you don’t see Delete, contact support with the server name.
The provider instance is gone but the server remains in xCloud	xCloud and your provider show different results	Reopen deletion with Delete and leave Enable this to delete this server from the provider also. off, or contact support if the record remains.
A database option is locked	The database is shared or otherwise unsafe to delete automatically	Keep the database and read the lock message. If other sites use this database, move them to their own database before you delete it.
A site that runs an AI agent platform, such as OpenClaw, cannot be deleted	It was created together with its server and belongs to it.	Delete the server only if you no longer need the server or the site.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a slow percentage means failure. Retry only after xCloud displays an explicit failure state.
• Assuming local backups are kept. Delete Local Backups starts enabled when the option is shown.
• Deleting a production site without reviewing staging. Production deletion also removes its related staging environments.
• Deleting only the xCloud record while a provider instance still runs. Check the provider, and turn on Enable this to delete this server from the provider also. if the instance still exists.
• Assuming server deletion preserves full server backups. The current server warning states that full server backups are deleted with the server.
• Assuming billing stopped when you clicked Delete. A server is billed until xCloud removes it, so check that the deletion actually finished.
• Using Try Again without rechecking the switches. The dialog opens with its defaults, not the choices from your first attempt.
• Submitting the destructive action repeatedly. Repeated requests do not make a running deletion finish faster and can make it harder to see what went wrong.

When to contact xCloud Support

Contact xCloud Support when a retry returns to the same failure, the provider and xCloud disagree after you verify both systems, or you can’t tell whether a deletion is still running.

Include:

• The site domain or server name.
• The exact failure heading and error message.
• The last visible percentage and stage.
• Whether a clone or migration was active.
• The deletion options selected, especially local backup, DNS, and provider removal choices.
• Whether the instance still exists in the provider dashboard.
• The approximate time of the attempt and a screenshot with secrets removed.

Do not send passwords, API keys, SSH keys, or provider credentials.

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo a completed site or server deletion?

No dashboard undo is available. Treat the confirmation as permanent and verify a usable backup before deletion. Recovery is possible only from backups or copies that still exist independently of the deleted resource.

What is the difference between Retry and Try Again on a failed site deletion?

Retry starts a new attempt right away with the options from the first attempt. Try Again opens the delete dialog so you can review the options, type the site name and, on a production site, pick a reason. Use either one only after the page shows Site Deletion Failed.

Am I still billed while a server deletion is running or failed?

Yes, until xCloud removes the server. The server’s subscription stays active while the deletion runs and after it fails, so a renewal date in that time can still create an invoice. Once the server is gone, its subscription is cancelled and any eligible unused balance can be claimed.

Why does a failed server deletion show Delete instead of Try Again?

The server failure page uses Delete to reopen the confirmation dialog. This lets you choose again whether to remove the server from your provider before you retry. Delete does not show on a paid-plan server from xCloud that never finished setup, or on a server that is part of an unfinished rebuild. If you don’t see Delete, contact support with the server name.

Does deleting a production site delete staging sites?

Yes. The current dialog identifies related staging environments that will also be deleted. Deleting a staging environment does not delete production or sibling staging environments.

Are local backups kept automatically?

No. When Delete Local Backups shows, it starts on, so your local backups are deleted. Turn it off to keep them.

What happens if a cloud provider deletion failed?

The instance may still exist at the provider. Check the provider dashboard first. If the server comes from your own provider account, the retry dialog lets you choose whether to try removing it from the provider again or remove only the xCloud record.

Next steps

• Learn how to clone a site in xCloud before scheduling maintenance that could overlap deletion.
• Read what happens to billing when you delete a server to claim any unused balance after the server is gone.
• Use the built-in xCloud Support portal when xCloud and your provider show different results.

If you run into any issues with a deletion, feel free to reach out to our support team.