Uninstalling and Deleting a WordPress Plugin Manually

Uninstalling a WordPress plugin manually using FileZilla (or any FTP client) or a file manager plugin involves accessing the plugin’s directory and deleting the corresponding plugin folder. Here’s how to do it:

1. Uninstalling a Plugin via FileZilla (FTP)

Step 1: Connect to Your Website via FTP

  • Download and install FileZilla if you don’t already have it.
  • Open FileZilla and connect to your WordPress site using the FTP credentials provided by your hosting provider (hostname, username, password, port).

Step 2: Navigate to the Plugin Directory

  • Once connected, go to your WordPress installation’s root directory. This is usually in the public_html folder or a similarly named folder.
  • From there, navigate to the plugin folder by following this path:bashCopy codewp-content/plugins/

Step 3: Delete the Plugin Folder

  • Inside the plugins folder, you will see a list of all installed plugins. Each plugin has its own folder named after the plugin (e.g., contact-form-7, woocommerce, etc.).
  • Find the folder of the plugin you want to uninstall, right-click on it, and choose Delete.

Step 4: Verify Plugin Removal

  • Go back to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. The plugin you deleted should no longer be listed there.

2. Uninstalling a Plugin via File Manager Plugin (cPanel or WordPress Plugin)

If you prefer to use a file manager within WordPress or through your hosting provider’s cPanel, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Access the File Manager

  • If using cPanel: Log in to your hosting account and go to File Manager (usually found under the “Files” section).
  • If using a WordPress file manager plugin: Install and activate a file manager plugin (like “WP File Manager”). Once installed, navigate to it from the WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to the Plugin Directory

  • In the file manager, navigate to the following path to find your plugins:

    wp-content/plugins/

Step 3: Delete the Plugin Folder

  • Find the plugin folder you wish to remove and delete it. This will immediately deactivate and uninstall the plugin. Example: For uninstalling and deleting WP Staging you would need to delete the folder /wp-content/plugins/wp-staging/

Step 4: Verify Removal

  • Go back to your WordPress dashboard to ensure the plugin has been successfully removed.

Important Notes:

  • Backup your site: Before deleting any plugin, it’s a good idea to create a backup of your website in case something goes wrong.
  • Residual Data: While deleting the plugin folder will remove the plugin, some plugins leave behind data in the database or other folders. To fully remove all traces of the plugin, you may need to clean up the database manually or use a plugin designed to handle database optimization.