How to Disable WordPress Plugins When Locked out Of Admin

Being locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard can be a frustrating experience, especially if you need to disable or troubleshoot plugins. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of disabling plugins manually using FTP or cPanel.

Access Your Website Files

To disable plugins when locked out of your admin area, you’ll need to access your website files. You can do this by using an FTP client like FileZilla or a hosting control panel like cPanel.

• Download and install an FTP client on your computer.
• Connect to your web host using your FTP credentials (username, password, and hostname).
• Navigate to the ‘wp-content’ folder within your WordPress installation.

Locate Your Plugins Directory

Within the ‘wp-content’ folder, find and open the ‘plugins’ directory. This is where all your installed plugins are stored.

Disable Plugins Manually

To disable a plugin, rename its folder within the ‘plugins’ directory. For example, if you want to disable a plugin named ‘my-plugin’, rename it to ‘my-plugin_disabled’. This will effectively deactivate the plugin without deleting it.

• Right-click on the plugin folder you wish to disable and select ‘Rename’.
• Add ‘_disabled’ to the end of the folder name and save your changes.

Verify Plugin Deactivation

To verify that the plugin has been deactivated, log in to your WordPress admin area using a different browser or an incognito/private browsing window. If you cannot access the admin area due to a permissions issue, follow the steps above to access your website files again and continue renaming plugins until you can access the admin area.

Reactivate Plugins

Once you’ve resolved the issue causing the lockout, you can reactivate your plugins. To do this, go back to the ‘plugins’ directory via FTP or cPanel and rename the plugin folder back to its original name (e.g., ‘my-plugin’).

Secure Your Website

Always ensure your website is secure by keeping WordPress, themes, and plugins up to date. Use strong passwords, limit login attempts, and consider implementing two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.

With these steps, you should now be able to disable WordPress plugins when locked out of the admin area, troubleshoot issues, and keep your website secure.