Disabling a Wordpress plugin when you can't login

Status: Resolved
Publication date: 2019-01-25
Last edited by: Garyf
Last updated: 2023 - 11 - 11

The problem

So, recently, I upgraded my Recaptcha to Version 3 from 2 on one of my WordPress sites. But stupidly I didn’t update the keys in the Recaptcha fields before logging off the site. But, I needed to check Recaptcha before I logged in.

So, I needed to disable the plugin without logging in.

The resolution

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Device: Server
Operating system: Ubuntu
Software: Wordpress, Recaptcha

Guidance for Server, Ubuntu, Wordpress, Recaptcha

To disable the plugin I logged into my cPanel, going into the file manager then navigating:

public_html/wp-content/plugins

Find the extension you want to remove, in this case just an example, I am going to deactivate loginpress:

Disable loginpress cPanel

Simply rename the directory to something like this:

Change the extensions folder name

You have disabled the plugin without logging in.