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To deactivate a WordPress plugin, sign in to your dashboard and open Plugins > Installed Plugins. Find the active plugin and click Deactivate. WordPress turns the plugin off but leaves its files and settings in place. If you cannot reach the dashboard, try Recovery Mode first, then use your host’s file manager or FTP to deactivate all plugins.
Deactivate one plugin from the WordPress dashboard
- Sign in to WordPress administration with an account that can manage plugins.
- Open Plugins > Installed Plugins. Menu wording can vary slightly by WordPress version or site configuration.
- Locate the active plugin you want to stop.
- Click Deactivate beneath its name.
- Confirm that the plugin now shows an Activate link or another inactive status.
The Plugins screen also offers bulk actions for active plugins. Use those only when you deliberately want to disable several plugins at once.
Deactivate versus delete: what changes?
| Action | Effect | Can you undo it? |
|---|---|---|
| Deactivate | Turns the plugin’s code off while keeping its files and settings on the server. | Yes. Click Activate when you are ready. |
| Delete | Removes the plugin’s files. WordPress makes this action available after the plugin is inactive. | Only by reinstalling or restoring a backup; plugin-specific data cleanup varies. |
Deactivation is the correct first step for troubleshooting. Do not describe it as uninstalling. Before deleting a plugin permanently, check the author’s cleanup instructions because some plugins retain database data or provide their own removal option.
Find which plugin is causing a problem
When the cause is unknown, WordPress recommends testing plugins one at a time. This narrows the suspect without changing the whole site at once.
- Write down the symptom and, if possible, reproduce it consistently.
- Pay special attention to a plugin installed or updated just before the problem started, and to any error message that names a plugin file.
- Deactivate one plugin.
- Repeat the action that was failing.
- If the problem disappears, leave the likely plugin inactive while you check its documentation, support forum, compatibility notes, or author guidance.
- If nothing changes, reactivate that plugin and test the next one.
Keep a simple list of each plugin’s status and the result of each test. Re-enabling a plugin without addressing an incompatibility or error can bring the same failure back.
What to do when you cannot access wp-admin
| Route | Use it when | Scope | Access or skill required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery Mode | WordPress detected a fatal PHP error and sent the administrator a recovery link. | Usually pauses the faulty plugin or theme for that administrator’s recovery session. | Access to the administrator email and the recovery link. |
| FTP or hosting file manager | The dashboard is unavailable and you need a dashboard-independent fallback. | Deactivates all normal plugins temporarily. | Access to the site files; basic file renaming. |
| phpMyAdmin | File access is unavailable or the database is the practical recovery route. | Deactivates all normal plugins. | Database access and familiarity with serialized WordPress options; ask your host or a developer if unsure. |
Use Recovery Mode after a fatal error
When WordPress detects a fatal PHP error during a page load, it may email the site administrator a Recovery Mode link. In that session, WordPress can pause a faulty plugin or theme and display notices identifying the problem. WordPress.org describes this as pausing the component “just for your admin session so you can log in safely.”
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- Open the recovery link from the administrator email.
- Read the error notice and note the plugin or theme named.
- Deactivate or repair the named component from the recovery session.
- Exit Recovery Mode after making the change, then test the public site and dashboard in a normal session.
Recovery Mode is a recovery aid, not a permanent repair. The underlying incompatibility, PHP error, or faulty update still needs attention.
Rename the plugins folder with FTP or a hosting file manager
Use this documented method when the administration screens cannot be reached and you need to disable every standard plugin.
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- Open your WordPress installation’s
wp-contentdirectory in FTP or your host’s file manager. - Rename the
pluginsfolder to a temporary name such asplugins.hold. - Try signing in to the WordPress dashboard. WordPress treats the original folder as missing and deactivates the plugins.
- Rename
plugins.holdback toplugins. - Return to Plugins > Installed Plugins and reactivate plugins individually, testing the site after each activation.
This preserves plugin files and settings; it does not delete them. Because it affects all normal plugins, expect plugin-powered features to be unavailable until you reactivate the required ones.
Edit the active_plugins option in phpMyAdmin
As an advanced fallback, WordPress documents editing the active_plugins option in the site’s options table and setting its value to a:0:{}. The table may not be named wp_options; hosts and installations can use a custom prefix.
Database edits can affect site configuration. If you are not comfortable identifying the correct database, options table, and serialized value, ask your hosting provider or a WordPress developer rather than guessing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Important exceptions and access issues
Must-use plugins
Must-use plugins are automatically enabled and normally stored in wp-content/mu-plugins. They do not appear in the default Installed Plugins list, so the regular Deactivate link cannot turn them off. Their files or hosting configuration must be handled separately by someone with server access.
Missing Plugins menu or controls
WordPress roles and capabilities determine who can manage plugins. On a multisite or a restricted hosting setup, a user may not see the Plugins menu or its controls even when logged in. Ask the site administrator to verify your permissions and the site’s configuration.
Bulk deactivation can remove visitor-facing features
Disabling all plugins may restore access or confirm that a plugin is involved, but it can also temporarily remove forms, caching, security checks, commerce functions, and other features. Record the starting state and reactivate plugins one at a time after access is restored.
Quick Recap
A safe recovery sequence
- Try the dashboard’s Deactivate link for a single suspected plugin.
- If the dashboard is blocked by a fatal error, use Recovery Mode from the administrator email.
- If no recovery link is available, rename
wp-content/pluginsthrough FTP or the host’s file manager. - Use phpMyAdmin only when necessary and only if you can safely edit the correct options table.
- After access returns, restore the folder name if needed, test the site, and reactivate plugins individually.
- Consult the plugin author’s documentation or support channel before reinstalling or re-enabling a plugin that triggered the error.
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