WordPress Plugin Recovery: A Perplexing Journey

WordPress is an undeniable titan in the world of website and blog creation. With its user-friendly interface and vast array of plugins and themes, it’s no wonder it’s a popular choice for many. However, what happens when you, by accident or otherwise, delete an integral plugin? Don’t worry – in this article, we’ll show you how to recover a deleted plugin in WordPress. Get ready for a burst of information!

The Deletion Dilemma: Why It Happens

Before diving headfirst into recovery methods for deleted plugins, it’s essential to understand why it happens. Several reasons could be behind why you may have deleted a plugin, such as a system malfunction during a software installation, an update gone awry, or even security concerns. If a plugin is causing vulnerability issues or slowing down your website’s speed, it’s understandable if you’d want to delete it.

Backup – The Website Commandment

Rule number one in maintaining any website or blog is backing it up regularly. Suppose you’re doing just that. In that case, you can easily recover the deleted plugin by restoring it from the backup. You can check with your hosting provider (or use backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or Jetpack, etc.) to ensure regular backups are taking place for your website.

FTP: Accessing Your Files Like a Pro

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) tools like FileZilla are incredibly helpful when it comes to recovering a deleted plugin. These tools allow you to access your website’s files from your computer, making retrieving a plugin a breeze. Follow these steps:

1. Connect your WordPress website with the FTP tool FileZilla.
2. Locate the “wp-content” folder in your WordPress files.
3. In the “plugins” folder, find the deleted plugin’s folder, right-click, and choose the “Restore” option.
4. After restoring the deleted plugin folder, it will reappear on your WordPress dashboard.

Trash to the Rescue

All hope isn’t lost when you delete a plugin in WordPress – it goes to the Trash. Deleted plugins remain there for 30 days, providing an ample window for retrieval. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to the “Plugins” section.
2. Click on the “Trash” tab to see all the deleted plugins.
3. Find the deleted plugin you want to restore and click on the “Restore” option.
4. The plugin will move from the Trash to the plugins folder.
5. Activate the plugin again.

WordPress Backup Plugins – An Easy Way Out

WordPress backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and Jetpack have a fantastic feature of backup and restore, making recovery from deleted plugins a painless process. Follow these simple steps:

1. Download and install your preferred backup plugin (if you haven’t already).
2. Back up your WordPress website.
3. Delete the desired plugin.
4. Open the recovery option on the backup plugin and choose the backup from the list.
5. Select the plugin you want to recover and click “Restore.”
6. The deleted plugin should reappear on your WordPress dashboard.

When All Else Fails: Contact Your Hosting Provider

If all avenues for recovering a deleted plugin in WordPress fail, it’s time to turn to your hosting provider. They might have a backup of your website that you can use for recovery purposes, and they provide solid support services if you encounter any problems with your website.

The Bottom Line

Relax – recovering deleted plugins in WordPress may have seemed daunting initially, but as it turns out, it’s a simple process with many solutions. Regular backups, FTP tools, recovery from trash, and WordPress backup plugins are among the many ways to recover deleted plugins in WordPress. Remember, one of the best things you can do for your website is ensuring regular backups take place. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore your website to its earlier state.