Title: Batch remove shortcodes
Last modified: May 24, 2017

---

# Batch remove shortcodes

 *  [Gooly](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gooly/)
 * (@gooly)
 * [8 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/batch-remove-shortcodes/)
 * I have migrated an old WP website to a new server and into a new theme.
    The 
   old site was build with a page builder, and now in the new setup, this pagebuilder(
   Visual Composer) is not present anymore, so the entire site content is filled
   with VC shortcodes and the all need to be removed.
 * Simply deleting them is a hell of a job, since the website has 1000+ pages(!)
   and at least six shortcodes on every page.
    Does someone have an idea if there
   is a faster way then doing this manually?

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [8 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/batch-remove-shortcodes/#post-9164092)
 * Your best bet will probably be to use a [search & replace plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/search+and+replace/).
   Just remember to backup the database before you actually make any replacements.
 *  Moderator [Steven Stern (sterndata)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sterndata/)
 * (@sterndata)
 * Volunteer Forum Moderator
 * [8 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/batch-remove-shortcodes/#post-9164416)
 * One option is to write a simple plugin that effectively “no ops” the shortcodes…
 *     ```
       function vc_noop( $atts, $content) {
          return $content;
       }
       ```
   
 * Then do an add_shortcode for each shortcode you find. That might be easier than
   trying to get the regex right to find and remove all shortcodes. This just requires
   making a list of the shortcodes. HOWEVER, as an awful lot of stuff probably got
   put on pages via those arguments, the cleanest thing to do is actually edit the
   pages. Sorry… such are the bad paths one finds when using visual builders. (That
   last is my opinion and may not be widely shared. 🙂 )

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Batch remove shortcodes’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [pagebuilder](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/pagebuilder/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Steven Stern (sterndata)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sterndata/)
 * Last activity: [8 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/batch-remove-shortcodes/#post-9164416)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics