I’ve got a chance to take on a client’s site, but it’s a complete mess. They’re running 65 plugins, and every time I try to touch something, the site breaks. Some plugins haven’t been updated in over two years.
I’ve already created a duplicate site to test changes, but it’s still a nightmare. The site is built on Elementor, and I’m trying to figure out if maintaining this is even worth the trouble. If it is, how would you go about managing such a risky setup? Would rebuilding the site be the smarter option?
Also, is there any way to identify plugins that are installed but not being used? I’m looking for tips on how to clean this up effectively.
Updates so far:
Installed WPLocally on my Mac for a safe testing environment.
You might want to follow the 12-month rule for plugins. If a plugin hasn’t been updated in 12 months, it’s probably time to replace it. Glad to see you’re working in a safe testing environment. That’s always a smart move.
@Vanya
Sometimes plugins don’t get updated because they’re already stable and feature-complete. I wouldn’t dismiss them outright without checking first.
If it were me, I’d update all plugins at once on the duplicate site to identify what’s breaking. Check the error logs and see which plugins are causing the issues. You might find that some plugins are outdated or conflicting with others. Keep a list and go plugin by plugin to fix things.
Also, look at which plugins are absolutely necessary and get rid of the ones that aren’t being used. With 65 plugins, I’m sure a lot of them are just redundant.
If rebuilding the site is an option, I’d strongly recommend it. With so many plugins, the site’s bound to be bloated and risky to maintain. Start fresh with only the features you actually need, and you’ll have a much easier time keeping it stable in the future.
@Vanya
With 65 plugins, you’re asking for trouble, especially if some haven’t been updated in years. It’s likely faster and safer to rebuild the site from scratch. You can keep the core features and avoid carrying over the clutter.
@Teo
I’m starting to feel like rebuilding is the only way forward. I’ve already managed to delete 35 unused plugins, but what’s left still feels like a minefield. Thanks for confirming my thoughts.
After removing 35 plugins, the next step is to figure out what’s left and see if some plugins can be combined or replaced with simpler solutions. The client needs to understand that running this many plugins is risky and that some changes might make the site look a little different but will improve its performance and reliability.
It might be worth doing a full audit of the plugins to see what they actually do. You’d be surprised how often plugins are added for simple tasks that could’ve been done directly in the theme or with a bit of custom code. This could also be an opportunity to clean up the codebase and remove unnecessary risks.