Remove Unused Themes and Plugins

Remove all inactive themes and plugins with a single click. Clean up your WordPress installation, free disk space, and reduce potential security vulnerabilities from unused code.

Use Cases#

• Clean up after testing multiple themes or plugins
• Reduce security attack surface by removing unused code
• Free up disk space on your hosting
• Simplify your WordPress admin for better focus

Why Remove Unused Themes and Plugins?#

Security#

Inactive plugins and themes can still be exploited:

• Vulnerabilities don’t require activation
• Attackers can directly access plugin files
• Outdated code is more likely to have known exploits

Performance#

While inactive items don’t run code, they:

• Take up disk space
• Clutter your admin interface
• May appear in backup files unnecessarily

Maintenance#

Fewer items means:

• Less to update
• Cleaner admin screens
• Easier troubleshooting

How It Works#

1. Enable the module in Switchboard
2. Open the module settings panel
3. Click “Scan for Inactive Items”
4. Review the lists of inactive themes and plugins
5. Click remove button(s) to delete

The Scanning Process#

When you click “Scan for Inactive Items”, the module:

1. Gets list of all installed plugins
2. Compares against active plugins
3. Gets list of all installed themes
4. Identifies current theme (and parent if child theme)
5. Displays inactive items with version and author info

What Gets Detected#

Inactive Plugins#

Any plugin that is:

• Installed in /wp-content/plugins/
• Not currently active
• Not network-active (if multisite)

Inactive Themes#

Any theme that is:

• Installed in /wp-content/themes/
• Not the current active theme
• Not the parent theme of the active child theme

Removal Options#

Remove All Inactive Items#

Deletes all inactive plugins AND themes at once.

Remove All Inactive Plugins#

Deletes only inactive plugins, keeps themes.

Remove All Inactive Themes#

Deletes only inactive themes, keeps plugins.

Confirmation Process#

Before any deletion:

1. ⚠️ Warning dialog appears
2. Shows exactly how many items will be deleted
3. Requires explicit confirmation click
4. Cannot be undone - make backups first!

What Deletion Does#

For each item:

1. Uses WordPress’s built-in delete_plugins() or delete_theme()
2. Removes all files and folders
3. Does NOT affect database settings (those remain orphaned)
4. Cannot be undone without reinstalling

Results Display#

After removal completes, you’ll see:

• Total items successfully deleted
• Any items that failed to delete
• Specific error messages for failures
• Updated scan to verify cleanup

Common Failure Reasons#

Best Practices#

Before Removing#

1. Create a full backup - You cannot undo deletions
2. Review the list - Make sure nothing important is inactive
3. Document what you remove - In case you need to reinstall

What to Keep Inactive#

Consider keeping these inactive:

• A default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) as fallback
• Plugins you use seasonally
• Premium plugins with licenses (easier to reactivate than reinstall)

Multisite Considerations#

On multisite networks:

• Network-active plugins are not shown as inactive
• Per-site active plugins are protected
• Only items inactive across ALL sites are flagged

After Cleanup#

Once you’ve removed unused items:

1. Verify your site still works correctly
2. Clear any caching plugins
3. Consider running a database cleanup too
4. Check your backup to ensure it captures new state

FAQ#