Background

Installing a plugin means placing its files in the plugins folder, which by default is at wp-content/plugins. An installed plugin only starts to work once you activate it.

If you are not using a plugin, the best choice is to deactivate and uninstall it. This way you make your WordPress installation faster and less vulnerable.

Deactivate

Follow these steps to deactivate a plugin in WordPress:

Step 1: Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

Step 2: Click Deactivate on the target plugin.

Uninstall

Follow these steps to uninstall a plugin in WordPress. Note that you can only uninstall deactivated plugins.

Step 1: Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

Step 2: Click Delete on the target plugin.

Step 3: A confirmation window is shown. Click OK.