Fortunately, there\u2019s a way to reduce your page loading times without sacrificing the number of plugins you use. You can disable plugins from running on certain pages, so they\u2019ll only load when necessary. This way, you can reap the benefits of using powerful WordPress plugins<\/a> to increase your site\u2019s functionality, while also optimizing your pages\u2019 speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that you can disable plugins from loading on certain pages by using Plugin Organizer<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a free, open-source plugin that comes with a wide range of features. It enables you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a best practice to remove any plugins<\/a> that you\u2019re not using from your site entirely. However, if there are some plugins that you need only for specific tasks, you can use Plugin Organizer to ensure that they only load when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you use an affiliate plugin, you can choose to enable it only for logged-in members with an affiliate user role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best thing about Plugin Organizer is that it\u2019s easy to set up and start using. Let\u2019s walk through how the process works, from start to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plugin Organizer is a powerful tool, which can change how plugins interact with your website. This has the potential to break parts of your site if you\u2019re not careful. Therefore, we recommend performing a full backup<\/a> of your site before using this plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, if you\u2019re a WP Engine Customer, you\u2019ll have access to backups of your website whenever you need them. This is because we provide automatic daily backups<\/a> on all of our hosting plans for WordPress<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to perform a backup of your website in another way, you can do that as well. You\u2019ll have several options to choose from<\/a>, as you can do a manual backup using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) application or through your cPanel (if your hosting provider offers that feature).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your backup is in place, you\u2019re ready to install Plugin Organizer. You can do this through WordPress<\/a> by visiting Plugins > Add New<\/em> in your admin dashboard, searching for the plugin, and selecting Install Now<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When that\u2019s finished, hit Activate<\/em>. Then the plugin will be ready to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After setting up the plugin, navigate to Plugin Organizer > Settings<\/em>. This opens up the settings menu where you\u2019ll be able to configure some key options for your site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll want to go through the choices under General Settings<\/em>, and configure them to match your specific needs. Let\u2019s look at what each of these options does:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re done tweaking these settings, don\u2019t forget to save your changes to the page. Then you can move on to the next task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you\u2019ll want to check and see if Plugin Organizer\u2019s Must-Use (MU) plugin<\/a> was installed correctly. The plugin should have created this file by default upon installation, but it fails to do so on occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can visit Plugins > Installed Plugins<\/em> to see whether the installation process successfully added an MU plugin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it did, you should have a new tab of plugins labeled Must-Use<\/em>, which includes an item called Plugin Organizer MU. If not, you will need to add one yourself. You\u2019ll need to access your site using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client<\/a>, download the PluginOrganizerMU.class.php<\/em> file from \/wp-content\/plugins\/plugin_organizer\/lib<\/em>, and then upload it to \/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you can visit Plugin Organizer > Global Plugins<\/em> to choose your \u201cglobal plugins.\u201d These are plugins that are activated on your site, but disabled from loading on the user\u2019s end:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you use a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus<\/a>, you may not need it to load for your visitors. Drag any plugins that you want to disable by default into the Disabled Standard \u2013 All Users<\/em> column, and save your changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To choose which plugins will be disabled only for specific custom post types, you can go to Plugin Organizer > Post Type Plugins<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can select the post type you\u2019d like to edit from the drop-down menu here. Then, drag any plugins you\u2019d like to disable for that post type into the column on the right. You can choose to disable a certain plugin for logged-in users, logged-out users, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you can customize your plugins\u2019 load order by visiting Plugin Organizer > Group and Order Plugins<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This page gives you control over what order your plugins load in. WordPress normally loads plugins in alphabetical order, but that isn\u2019t necessarily the optimal method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, plugins should load based on their hierarchy. For example, if you have a WooCommerce extension, it should load after the main WooCommerce plugin, as it will need to reference WooCommerce files in order to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also group plugins together, so that they load at the same time. To do that, first choose Create New Group<\/em> from the drop-down menu at the top of the page, and enter a name for your group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, you may want to group together a plugin and its extensions. Select any plugins you want to add to the group, and hit Submit<\/em>. Then, you can continue to customize your plugin load order as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Plugin Organizer is not what you\u2019re looking for, there are some alternative tools you can try. Not all of them have the same features, so the following options should give you a good variety to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asset Cleanup<\/a> is focused on speeding up your website. The plugin achieves that by handling Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) and JavaScript files in a couple of different ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Files can be \u201cminified\u201d and preloaded, for example. This helps to lighten your website and keeps it loading faster. Additionally, it can make it easier to eliminate potential conflicts between specific plugins and themes. While the free, \u201clite\u201d version of the plugin enables you to do quite a bit, the Pro version<\/a> offers features that open the door for a more customized approach to your plugin management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plugin Load Filter<\/a> is free, and has a very straightforward interface. This tool helps you manage where your plugins have permission to function and how they integrate with your content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The included features support a number of different kinds of posts and pages, including custom post types and Jetpack modules<\/a>. You\u2019ll be able to see a list of all your plugins in a matrix, along with your site\u2019s content types. You can then check boxes to disable each plugin as needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even as a free solution, you\u2019ll get all the features you need with Plugin Load Filter. Just keep in mind that support may be limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every extra plugin you use can slow down<\/a> your WordPress site. However, managing your WordPress plugins carefully can help your site run faster, without sacrificing functionality. You can do that by ensuring that plugins only load when they are needed, using the free Plugin Organizer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here at WP Engine, we offer the best resources for developers<\/a> and can help you create an incredible digital experience for your customers. Plus, WP Engine’s fully managed hosting<\/a> platform is specifically optimized for WordPress<\/a>, enabling faster loading times. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Plugins are individual packets of code that add on to your WordPress website and enhance its functionality. With that being said, you might have situations where plugins you need for one portion of your site conflict with another feature, or cause unwanted issues. In that scenario, you\u2019ll need to know how to strategically disable your…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148713,"template":"","resource-topic":[912,901],"resource-role":[896,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-85831","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWordPress Plugin Organizer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Use WordPress Plugin Organizer to Manage Active Plugins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Back Up Your Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/plugin-organizer.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 2: Download the Plugin Organizer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Configure the Plugin Organizer Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 4: Create a Must-Use (MU) Plugin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Configure the Global Plugin Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 6: Disable Plugins for Custom Post Types<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 7: Change Your Plugins\u2019 Load Order<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plugin Organizer Alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Asset Cleanup<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Plugin Load Filter<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Improve Your Site\u2019s Speed With WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n