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Plugin Reactivator

Adds a "Reactivate" link to active plugins for quick deactivate-then-activate troubleshooting.

What It Does

Plugin Reactivator adds a "Reactivate" action link to every active plugin on the Plugins list page. Clicking it deactivates and immediately reactivates the plugin in a single AJAX request. This is a simple convenience for troubleshooting — it re-runs the plugin's activation hooks, clears any cached state, and can resolve issues caused by stale plugin state without manually clicking Deactivate then Activate.

Features

  • "Reactivate" link added to the action row of every active plugin
  • Single AJAX request — deactivates then immediately reactivates the plugin
  • Re-triggers the plugin's activation hooks (useful for plugins that run setup on activation)
  • Visual feedback: shows "Reactivating..." status and success/error notice
  • Only appears for active plugins — inactive plugins do not show the link
  • Nonce-protected AJAX handler with capability check

How to Use

  1. Go to the Plugins page

    Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

  2. Click "Reactivate"

    Find the active plugin you want to reactivate and click the "Reactivate" link in its action row. The plugin is deactivated and reactivated within a second.

FAQ

When would I use this?

Common scenarios: a plugin's activation routine sets up database tables or cron jobs that got out of sync, a plugin caches something on activation that needs refreshing, or you want to quickly test if deactivating/reactivating resolves a specific issue.

Will this cause downtime?

The deactivation and reactivation happen in a single AJAX request and take less than a second. There is a brief moment where the plugin is inactive, but it is effectively instantaneous for site visitors.

Does it trigger deactivation and activation hooks?

Yes. It calls deactivate_plugins() followed by activate_plugin(), so all deactivation and activation hooks registered by the plugin will fire.

Can I reactivate WP Multitool itself?

Technically yes, but the AJAX request that reactivates it would deactivate the module handling the request. In practice this should work since the response is sent after reactivation completes, but it is an edge case.

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