Overview
This guide walks you through removing the Podium plugin from your WordPress site. It also shows how to remove any leftover embed code so the chat widget doesn’t return.
Before you start
You’ll need Administrator access to your WordPress site.
If your site is on WordPress.com, plugin access requires a Business plan or higher.
If someone added Podium via copy-paste code (not a plugin), follow Option B below.
Option A — Remove the Podium plugin (most sites)
Log in to WordPress Admin
Go to
yoursite.com/wp-admin.
Open Plugins
In the left menu, click Plugins → Installed Plugins.
Deactivate Podium
Find Podium. Click Deactivate.
Delete Podium
After it’s deactivated, click Delete.
Confirm the deletion.
Clear cache (if used)
Using a caching plugin or CDN (Cloudflare, etc.)? Clear/purge the cache.
Option B — Remove manual embed code (if the widget still appears)
If the chat bubble remains after deleting the plugin, it’s likely embedded code.
Check Widgets
Go to Appearance → Widgets.
Look for any Custom HTML/Text widgets with “podium” code.
Remove the widget and Save.
Check the Site Editor (Block Themes only)
Go to Appearance → Editor (Site Editor) → Patterns or Templates → Header/Footer.
Remove any Custom HTML blocks containing “podium”.
Check the Classic Theme File Editor (self-hosted only)
Go to Appearance → Theme File Editor.
Open footer.php and header.php.
Look for lines containing “podium” (e.g.,
<script ...podium...>).Back up the file, then delete just the Podium snippet and Update File.
Check any “header/footer scripts” tools
If you use plugins like Insert Headers and Footers, Code Snippets, or your theme’s Custom Scripts panel, open them and remove any Podium code.
Clear cache
Purge caching plugins/CDN as needed.
Verify removal
Open your site in a private/incognito browser window.
Visit a few pages.
Confirm the Podium chat bubble no longer appears.
If you still see it, your browser may be caching. Hard refresh the page (Windows: Ctrl+F5, Mac: Cmd+Shift+R) and re-check Option B locations.
FAQ
I don’t see Plugins in my menu.
You may be on WordPress.com without a Business plan, or you don’t have Administrator access. Contact your site owner.
I removed the plugin but the chat is still there.
There’s likely an old embed snippet. Follow Option B to remove code from Widgets, the Site/Theme Editor, or a header/footer scripts tool.
Could Podium be added by my theme or another plugin?
Yes. Check your theme’s custom code areas and any plugins labeled “header/footer scripts,” “custom HTML,” or “Code Snippets.”