Disable WordPress plugins without dashboard

Plugins can be disabled in two ways if you don’t have access to the backend:

1. Disable via SQL
2. Rename plugin folder

The fastest way to deactivate plugins is to rename the respective folder.

Where can I find the WordPress plugins? #

This is quite simple with WordPress. All plugins are placed in the wp-content/plugins folder.

How do I deactivate a plugin? #

You can access the plugin simply by renaming the plugin folder.

It’s best to look at the graphic above. There you will see a lot of folders on the right. Each folder represents a plugin.

By renaming e.g.:

enable-media-replace

To:

_enable-media-replace

If the plugin is deactivated.

You will then receive a message after logging into WordPress that the plugin could not be found. It will be removed from the list of active plugins.

Disable the plugin via SQL #

Important: Changes to the database can cause errors. You should therefore create a backup before each change.

In WordPress, all plugins that are active are stored in the database. You can find the entry in the wp_options table. Look there for the entry active_plugins in the column option_name.

If you are familiar with serialized texts, you can also deactivate the plugin here by removing the entry.

You can check if your string is still correct for example on functions-online . Enter your text there after you have edited it.

For example, with our text from above, the result would look like this:

If you have made a mistake, you will promptly receive an error message:

Then you should check your change before you store it in the database.

Conclusion #

Today we found out how to disable plugins if you don’t have access to the dashboard. This can happen when a plugin causes an error.

However, renaming the folder or adjusting the database can quickly solve the problem.

Have you ever had the problem with your WordPress website? Then leave us a comment and tell us about it.