Help Guide: Removing Plugins from a Pantheon WordPress Site

This guide will walk you through the process of removing plugins from your Pantheon WordPress site, following Pantheon.io best practices. The steps include uninstalling plugins on your LIVE site, cloning the LIVE site to DEV, and then permanently deleting the plugins.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Uninstall Plugins on Your LIVE Site

1. Log in to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard:
   • Navigate to https://yoursite.com/wp-admin.
   • Enter your username and password to log in.
2. Go to the Plugins Page:
   • In the WordPress dashboard, click on Plugins in the left-hand menu.
3. Deactivate the Plugins:
   • Find the plugins you want to remove and click Deactivate for each one.
4. Uninstall the Plugins:
   • After deactivating, click Delete under each plugin to uninstall it.

2. Clone LIVE to DEV

1. Log in to Pantheon Dashboard:
   • Navigate to https://dashboard.pantheon.io.
   • Log in with your Pantheon account credentials.
2. Select Your Site:
   • Find and click on your site from the list of sites.
3. Clone the LIVE Environment to DEV:
   • Click on the Dev environment.
   • Click on Clone from Production.
   • Confirm the action to clone the LIVE environment to the DEV environment.
     

3. Switch to SFTP Mode and Log in to the DEV Site

1. Switch to SFTP Mode:
   • In the Pantheon dashboard, ensure the DEV environment is in SFTP mode by selecting the SFTP option from the connection mode dropdown.
2. Log in to the DEV Site:
   • Use your SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla) to log in to your DEV environment. Pantheon provides connection details in the dashboard.

4. Permanently Delete Uninstalled Plugins on DEV

1. Access the Plugins Directory:
   • Navigate to the wp-content/plugins directory on your DEV site.
2. Filter Uninstalled Plugins:
   • In your WordPress DEV site admin dashboard, go to Plugins.
   • Use the filter option to show Inactive plugins.
3. Bulk Select and Delete Plugins:
   • Check the box to select all uninstalled plugins.
   • Choose Delete from the bulk actions dropdown menu and apply.

5. Commit Changes on Pantheon

1. Create a Commit Message:
   • Go back to the Pantheon dashboard.
   • Create a descriptive commit message, e.g., "Removed uninstalled plugins from DEV environment."
     
2. Commit Changes:
   • Click Commit to save changes.
3. Wait for the Commit to Process:
   • Allow time for the commit to be processed on the DEV environment.

6. Deploy Changes to TEST and LIVE

1. Deploy to TEST:
   • Once the commit is processed on DEV, go to the TEST environment in Pantheon.
   • Click Deploy to apply the changes from DEV to TEST.
2. Verify the Changes:
   • Log in to the TEST environment and ensure the changes are applied correctly.
3. Deploy to LIVE:
   • After verifying, go to the LIVE environment in Pantheon.
   • Click Deploy to apply the changes from TEST to LIVE.
4. Verify on LIVE:
   • Log in to the LIVE environment and ensure the changes are reflected.

Best Practices

• Backup Your Site: Always take a backup before making any significant changes.
• Test Thoroughly: Ensure everything is working correctly on DEV and TEST before deploying to LIVE.
• Keep Plugins Updated: Regularly update your plugins to their latest versions to maintain security and functionality.
• Monitor Your Site: After deploying changes, monitor your site for any issues or errors.

By following these steps and best practices, you can safely and effectively remove plugins from your Pantheon WordPress site. If you encounter any issues, contact us by submitting a support ticket for assistance.