Plugin Settings (PRO)

The Plugin Settings section allows you to control how individual plugins behave inside Freesoul Deactivate Plugins, especially in relation to the automatic suggestion system, visibility, and update management.

You can find this section under:
Freesoul Deactivate Plugins → Settings (gear icon) → Plugin Settings

Exclude Plugins from Auto-Suggestion

You can choose which plugins should be disabled during the auto-suggestion scan.

This is essential for plugins that would cause the scan to fail or produce unreliable results, such as:

• Maintenance mode or “Coming Soon” plugins
• Plugins that always output the same page
• Plugins that generate highly dynamic content

If these plugins remain active during the scan, FDP may be unable to detect which plugins are actually needed.

Why This Matters

The auto-suggestion system works by:

• Simulating page loading
• Disabling one plugin at a time
• Detecting changes in page content and meta output

If a plugin forces the page to always look the same—or always look different—FDP cannot reliably detect unused plugins.

Hide Plugin Update Notifications

You can hide update notifications for specific plugins.

This is useful when:

• You want to prevent updates during a critical period
• A plugin update requires testing before deployment
• You are managing a client site with strict update policies

Only users who can access FDP settings will be able to see hidden plugins and updates.

Hide Plugins from the Plugins Page

You can also hide selected plugins from the WordPress Plugins page.

This helps:

• Reduce clutter in the plugins list
• Prevent accidental deactivation or updates
• Protect essential or sensitive plugins

Hidden plugins remain fully active and visible to users with permission to access FDP settings.

Real-World Examples

• Maintenance mode active
  Exclude the maintenance plugin from auto-suggestion so FDP can detect unused plugins correctly.
• Dynamic blog widgets
  Exclude plugins that load a random number of posts to avoid false positives.
• Client-managed website
  Hide critical plugins and their update notifications to prevent accidental changes.

Best Practices

• Exclude maintenance and coming-soon plugins from auto-suggestion
• Exclude plugins with highly variable output
• Hide critical plugins on client sites
• Review exclusions after major site changes

In Summary

The Plugin Settings (PRO) give you precise control over:

• Auto-suggestion reliability
• Plugin visibility
• Update management

Configured correctly, this section ensures accurate suggestions while keeping your plugin environment clean and protected.