To completely remove the LiteSpeed Cache Plugin from your WordPress site, you need to follow a series of steps, both from within the WordPress dashboard and by manually clearing files and database entries. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Deactivate the Plugin
- Login to your WordPress Admin Dashboard: This is usually located at
yoursite.com/wp-admin. - Go to Plugins Section: From the left-hand menu, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Find LiteSpeed Cache Plugin: Scroll through the list of installed plugins until you find LiteSpeed Cache.
- Deactivate the Plugin: Click the Deactivate button to stop the plugin from running. Deactivating is important to prevent errors or conflicts during the removal process.
Step 2: Delete the Plugin
- After deactivating, the option to Delete the LiteSpeed Cache plugin will appear.
- Click Delete: Once clicked, WordPress will remove the plugin files from your server. However, this will not delete cache files, settings, or any database entries that the plugin created, which is why the following steps are necessary.
Step 3: Clear Cache Files via FTP or File Manager
LiteSpeed Cache stores a lot of cache files on your server, which do not get removed automatically when you delete the plugin. To ensure they are completely gone:
- Access Your Site’s Files: Use an FTP client (such as FileZilla) or your web hosting’s File Manager (usually in cPanel).
- Navigate to wp-content/cache/: Inside the wp-content folder, you’ll find a folder named cache.
- Delete the LiteSpeed Cache Folder: Inside the cache folder, there will be a subfolder named litespeed. Delete this folder to clear all cache data that was stored by the LiteSpeed Cache plugin.
Step 4: Remove LiteSpeed Database Entries
Even after deleting the plugin and cache files, LiteSpeed Cache might leave behind database tables or entries. These won’t cause any immediate harm, but they can unnecessarily clutter your database.
- Access Your Database: Use a database management tool like phpMyAdmin (usually accessible via your hosting control panel, such as cPanel).
- Find and Delete LiteSpeed Tables: The LiteSpeed Cache plugin might have created specific tables in your database with names like litespeed_img_optm or litespeed_url. Locate these tables and drop (delete) them.
- Search for Options in wp_options Table: Within the wp_options table, search for any rows containing litespeed in their names (these could be plugin settings). Delete these entries to remove residual settings.
Step 5: Edit .htaccess File to Remove LiteSpeed Rules
The .htaccess file in your WordPress root directory might have additional rules related to LiteSpeed Cache. These rules help the plugin function efficiently but will no longer be necessary once the plugin is removed.
- Access .htaccess File: This can be done via FTP or File Manager (located at the root of your WordPress installation).
- Edit the File: Open the .htaccess file and look for any code blocks related to LiteSpeed Cache. These sections are usually commented on and look like this:
# BEGIN LITESPEED CACHE <IfModule LiteSpeed> ... </IfModule> # END LITESPEED CACHE
- Remove LiteSpeed Code: Delete this block of code, save the file, and close it.
Step 6: Check wp-content Directory for Leftover Files
- LiteSpeed Cache may have added other files or folders inside the wp-content directory, particularly related to image optimization and CDN integration.
- Search for LiteSpeed-Related Files: Browse through the wp-content folder for any remaining LiteSpeed-related files (such as litespeed_advanced or litespeed_cdn) and delete them.
Step 7: Clear Browser Cache
After the removal process, your browser may still store cached pages generated by the LiteSpeed plugin. To fully remove any residual caching:
- Clear Browser Cache: Go to your browser’s settings and clear the cache. Alternatively, you can force a hard reload by pressing Ctrl + F5 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) when visiting your site.
Optional Step 8: Check for CDN Integration
If you have set up LiteSpeed Cache to work with a Content Delivery Network (CDN), ensure that you disable or remove any CDN-related settings or integrations. This might involve reverting your DNS settings or CDN configurations (like Cloudflare or QUIC.cloud) to work without LiteSpeed.
By following these detailed steps, you will completely remove the LiteSpeed Cache plugin, along with all related files, database entries, and settings, ensuring that there are no leftover components that could cause issues on your website.