How to turn off WordPress plugins when you cannot log in

Why would you need this?

A plugin is an add-on that gives WordPress a new feature. Sometimes a plugin breaks the site. You may see a white screen or an error. Then you cannot reach the wp-admin area (the dashboard) to turn the plugin off. You must do it from outside.

Method 1: File Manager

File Manager is a tool in your hosting control panel. It shows the files on your server like a folder on your computer.

1. Log in to your hosting control panel from the client area.
2. Open File Manager.
3. Go to your WordPress folder, then wp-content.

   

4. Right-click the plugins folder and choose Rename.

   

5. Rename it to plugins_off.
6. Reload your site and try the login page.

   

WordPress cannot find the plugins, so it turns them all off. If the site works, one plugin is the cause. Next:

1. Rename plugins_off back to plugins.

   

2. Log in to the dashboard. The plugins will show as inactive.
3. Go to Plugins and turn them on one by one. Reload the site after each one.
4. When the problem returns, you have found the bad plugin. Leave it off or delete it.

Method 2: Rename a single plugin

If you know which plugin is bad, open wp-content/plugins. Rename only that plugin's folder, for example from bad-plugin to bad-plugin_off. This turns off just that one.

Method 3: phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin lets you edit your database, the place where WordPress keeps its settings.

1. Open phpMyAdmin in your control panel.

   

2. Click your WordPress database.
3. Open the table ending in _options.

   

   

4. Search for the row where option_name is active_plugins.

   

5. Click Edit.
6. Clear the value in option_value and save. Or replace it with a:0:{}.

This tells WordPress that no plugins are active.

Method 4: WP-CLI

If you have SSH access, run this in your WordPress folder:

wp plugin deactivate --all

This turns off all plugins at once.

Quick recap

• Rename the plugins folder to turn off all plugins.

  

  

  

• Rename it back and turn plugins on one at a time.

  

  

• phpMyAdmin and WP-CLI also work.
• Always back up first.