The Impact of Deactivated WordPress Plugins on Website Speed
If you are a WordPress user, chances are you have installed various plugins on your website at some point, only to deactivate them later. But have you ever wondered if these deactivated plugins can actually slow down your WordPress site? And should you delete them completely? In this article, we will delve into this topic in detail to give you a clear understanding.
How WordPress Plugins Work
When you install a WordPress plugin, it gets downloaded to your web hosting server. To start using the plugin, you need to activate it. However, you can also choose to activate or deactivate a plugin whenever you want. In your WordPress admin area, you can find a list of all installed plugins, including both active and inactive ones.
Deactivated Plugins and Website Speed
Contrary to popular belief, deactivated or inactive plugins do not have any impact on the speed of your WordPress website. To understand why, let’s take a closer look at how WordPress functions.
Every time a user requests a page from your WordPress site, WordPress starts a loading process. During this process, only the active plugins installed on your website are loaded. Inactive plugins are completely ignored and do not affect your site’s performance or speed in any way.
Even when you visit the “Installed Plugins” page in your admin area, WordPress only checks the header file of inactive plugins without actually loading them. So, if you are experiencing slow speed issues with your WordPress site, inactive plugins are not the culprit. To address speed concerns, you can refer to our detailed guide on optimizing WordPress performance.
The Purpose of Deactivating Plugins
The reason why WordPress gives you the option to deactivate plugins instead of deleting them is that sometimes you may want to temporarily switch off a plugin. Deactivation allows you to keep the plugin’s settings intact in case you plan on using it again in the future. However, if you have no intention of using a plugin again, keeping it inactive on your website is unnecessary.
In fact, having inactive plugins can cause certain challenges. Even if you are not using a specific plugin, WordPress will still show updates for those plugins. This can be bothersome, especially if you have multiple plugins that require frequent updates.
Furthermore, even though inactive plugins may not be harmful, they are still executable files. In the event of a hacking attempt, these files can get infected or be used to install malware on your site. As a precautionary measure for WordPress security, it is advisable to delete any inactive plugins that you no longer intend to use. For detailed instructions on correctly uninstalling a WordPress plugin, you can check out our beginner’s guide.
In Conclusion
Inactive plugins do not have any impact on the speed or performance of your WordPress website. WordPress only loads active plugins and completely ignores inactive ones. However, it is recommended to delete inactive plugins as they can pose security risks and serve no purpose. By keeping your website streamlined and optimized, you can ensure an efficient and secure WordPress experience. If you found this article helpful, consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
