How to Get Suggestions About Unused Plugins (PRO)

The Automatic Suggestion of Unused Plugins feature helps you quickly identify which plugins may not be required on a specific page, making optimization faster.

How to Get Auto-Suggestions

To get auto-suggestions:

  • Click the plus (+) icon to open the actions panel
  • Click the plugin icon to start the analysis

Watch the following video to see how it works.

How the Auto-Suggestion Works

The analysis simulates how WordPress loads a page:

  1. Each plugin is temporarily deactivated, one at a time
  2. FDP checks whether the plugin affects:
    • Page content
    • Shortcodes
    • Meta tags
  3. Plugins that do not contribute to the page output are marked as potentially unused

Suggestions, Not Automatic Decisions

Plugins identified as unused are unchecked automatically, but this is only a suggestion.

You are always in control:

  • Nothing is saved automatically
  • You can preview the page before applying changes
  • You decide whether to keep or discard the suggestions

⚠️ Important Warning

  • Some plugins may not affect visible content but still perform critical tasks
  • Security, tracking, or behavior-based plugins may appear unused
  • Never save suggestions without previewing the page

Real-World Examples

  • Contact Form Plugins
    If a page does not contain a form, disabling the form plugin is usually safe.
  • WooCommerce
    On an About page with no products, WooCommerce may be safely disabled.
  • Behavior Plugins
    A plugin that disables right-click may not change content or meta tags. Always manually verify these cases.

Why Auto-Suggestions Are Not 100% Reliable

Detecting unused plugins with absolute certainty is impossible because:

  • Some plugins don’t change the content and may add hidden functionalities
  • Others act globally or conditionally
  • Less popular plugins may behave unpredictably

For this reason, FDP treats the result as a hint.

Continuous Improvement

The auto-suggestion system is constantly improved by:

  • User feedback
  • New logic for popular plugins
  • Better detection of plugin behavior

This makes suggestions increasingly accurate over time.

✅ Mini Checklist Before Saving

  • ☐ Preview the page
  • ☐ Check layouts, forms, and dynamic elements
  • ☐ Verify tracking, security, and global behaviors
  • ☐ Save only after confirming everything works

In Summary

The automatic suggestion feature is a powerful accelerator for optimization, especially on sites with many plugins. It helps you find optimization opportunities quickly, but it works best when combined with:

  • Preview tools
  • Manual validation
  • Common sense

Used thoughtfully, it can significantly improve performance while keeping your site safe.