If you cannot open WordPress admin, you can deactivate regular plugins by renaming the wp-content/plugins folder, clearing the active_plugins database option in phpMyAdmin, or running wp plugin deactivate --all with WP-CLI. If WordPress sent you a Recovery Mode email after a fatal error, use its link first. Choose the method that matches the access you still have, and make a database backup before editing production data.
Choose a method based on the access you have
| Access available | Method | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| FTP or hosting File Manager | Rename wp-content/plugins |
Reversible; plugin settings are preserved, but plugins must be reactivated manually. WordPress troubleshooting FAQ |
| phpMyAdmin | Set the active_plugins option to a:0:{} |
Confirm the correct WordPress database and table prefix before editing. WordPress troubleshooting FAQ |
| SSH or hosting terminal | Run wp plugin deactivate --all |
Use --network for network-activated plugins on multisite. WP-CLI command reference |
| Fatal-error Recovery Mode email | Open the emailed recovery link | WordPress pauses the faulty plugin or theme for your administrator session. WordPress troubleshooting FAQ |
Deactivate plugins by renaming the folder
Use this option if you can reach the site files but cannot use wp-admin or the database. WordPress treats the plugins as missing while the directory has a different name, effectively deactivating them.
- Open the site’s files using FTP or the hosting provider’s File Manager.
- Open the WordPress installation’s
wp-contentdirectory. - Rename the
pluginsdirectory to a temporary name, such asplugins.hold. - Try opening
/wp-admin/plugins.phpagain. WordPress should report that the plugins are missing. - Once you regain access and are ready to manage plugins, rename
plugins.holdback toplugins. Reactivate plugins individually from the dashboard.
This process preserves plugin settings, but does not automatically restore plugin activation. WordPress’s troubleshooting FAQ describes the folder rename as a way to disable plugins that requires manual reactivation.
Deactivate plugins in phpMyAdmin
Use this method when you can access the WordPress database but not its files or shell. Changing the wrong database or row can affect another site, so confirm the installation and take a current database backup before you save an edit.
- Open phpMyAdmin through your hosting control panel and select the database used by this WordPress installation.
- Find the options table. Its name usually includes the site’s configured table prefix; it is not necessarily
wp_. - In that table, find the row whose
option_nameisactive_plugins. - Edit that row’s
option_valueto the serialized empty arraya:0:{}, then save. - Try logging in again. After the site is stable, reactivate plugins individually.
The value a:0:{} deactivates all regular plugins listed in that option, according to the WordPress troubleshooting FAQ. If you are unsure how to identify the correct database or edit the row, ask your hosting provider for help.
Deactivate plugins with WP-CLI
If you have shell access or a hosting terminal, run the command from the WordPress installation directory:
wp plugin deactivate --allFor a multisite network, add --network to deactivate network-activated plugins. To leave specified plugins active, use --exclude with their plugin slugs:
wp plugin deactivate --all --network
wp plugin deactivate --all --exclude=wordpress-seo,helloThe WP-CLI deactivate command reference also documents --path=<path> and remote --ssh execution. The command requires shell or an equivalent terminal and appropriate permissions. It targets regular plugins; must-use plugins are loaded separately and are not skipped by the global --skip-plugins option. See the WP-CLI global parameters reference.
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Use WordPress Recovery Mode for a fatal error
WordPress Recovery Mode, introduced in WordPress 5.2, is intended for certain fatal PHP errors detected during a regular page load. WordPress emails the site administrator a recovery link; plugins or themes implicated in the error are paused for that administrator’s session, allowing diagnosis without pausing them for front-end visitors. WordPress troubleshooting FAQ
- Open the Recovery Mode email and follow its login link.
- Read the error notice to identify the plugin or theme involved.
- Deactivate or fix the identified component, then leave Recovery Mode after correcting the underlying problem.
If no email arrives, WordPress points administrators to file-based debugging methods. When those are not practical, contact a professional hosting provider.
What these methods do not deactivate
The folder, database, and basic WP-CLI procedures here address regular plugins. On multisite, network-activated plugins need network context in WP-CLI, such as --network. Must-use plugins load separately, so these regular-plugin steps do not disable them. Confirm the site path or database before changing a live installation, and do not delete plugin directories when your goal is diagnosis: renaming or deactivation is reversible, while deletion removes files.
Restore access and isolate the cause
Once you can reach the dashboard, return renamed plugin folders to their original name if needed, then activate plugins one at a time. Check the site after each activation; if the problem returns, the most recently activated plugin is a useful lead for diagnosis. If you lack FTP, database, and terminal access—and do not have a usable Recovery Mode link—ask your hosting provider or a qualified administrator to perform the change.
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