How to Delete Problematic Plugins via FTP to Fix Website Issues?

When a WordPress plugin causes problems on your site (such as crashes, slow loading times, or conflicts with other plugins), you may not be able to access the WordPress admin dashboard to deactivate or delete the plugin. In such cases, using FTP is a direct method to remove the plugin files from your server and restore site functionality.

Steps involved:

1. Connect via FTP: You’ll need an FTP client (such as FileZilla) and your website’s FTP login credentials from your hosting provider to access your site files.
2. Navigate to Plugin Directory: Once connected via FTP, go to the WordPress installation directory (often located in /public_html/) and find the folder /wp-content/plugins/.
3. Delete the Problematic Plugin: Locate the specific plugin folder that’s causing issues. You can either delete the plugin folder completely or rename it (so that it’s deactivated but still available for troubleshooting).
4. Check the Website: After deleting or renaming the plugin folder, check your website to see if it’s functioning correctly again.

This approach is a manual way to remove problematic plugins when you don’t have access to the WordPress admin area.