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How to Deactivate All Plugins on WordPress: A Quick Guide
Irwan
Last update: November 25, 2024
Laptop, book, and coffee at desk

When your WordPress site faces errors or conflicts, deactivating all plugins is often the first troubleshooting step. This guide explains how to do it safely, whether you have access to your WordPress dashboard or not.

Why Deactivate All Plugins?

Understanding Plugin Conflicts

Plugins add functionality to your site, but sometimes they clash with each other or with your theme. Deactivating all plugins can help identify the root cause of issues.

Common Problems Fixed by Disabling Plugins

  • Site crashes or white screens.
  • Slow page loading times.
  • Errors after updates.

Methods to Deactivate All Plugins

1. Deactivating Plugins from the WordPress Dashboard

This is the easiest method if you have access to your admin panel.

Steps to Follow

  1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
  3. Select all plugins by checking the top box.
  4. Choose Deactivate from the bulk actions dropdown menu.
  5. Click Apply to deactivate all plugins at once.

2. Using FTP to Deactivate Plugins

If you’re locked out of your admin panel, you can use FTP to deactivate plugins.

Steps to Follow

  1. Install an FTP client like FileZilla and connect to your website.
  2. Navigate to the wp-content folder.
  3. Rename the plugins folder to something like plugins-deactivated.
  4. Check your site to see if the issue is resolved.

To reactivate plugins, rename the folder back to plugins.

3. Deactivating Plugins via cPanel

If FTP isn’t an option, cPanel can help.

Steps to Follow

  1. Log in to your hosting account and open cPanel.
  2. Navigate to File Manager.
  3. Go to the wp-content folder.
  4. Rename the plugins directory as mentioned above.

What to Do After Deactivating Plugins

Identifying the Problem Plugin

  1. Reactivate plugins one by one.
  2. Check your site after each activation to pinpoint the problematic plugin.

Need Help?

If you find this guide too complex or confusing, I can help! With my professional WordPress services, I’ll troubleshoot and resolve your issues efficiently. Contact me today to ensure your website runs smoothly.