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MashShare record

Removing MashShare cleanly from a WordPress site

By Hannah Voss, Editor · Reviewed September 2026 · 3 min read

Quick answer

Before deactivating MashShare, search your posts for its shortcode and your theme for calls to its functions, because both break or print raw text once the plugin is gone. Export stored share counts if you want to keep them, install and test the replacement, then deactivate, delete, and clean leftover options and post meta with a backup in hand.

On this page
  1. Back up first
  2. The checklist
  3. Replacing shortcodes
  4. Check for security leftovers
  5. Questions

Back up first

Take a full database backup and a copy of your theme before changing anything. Several of the steps below touch post content and meta, and a backup makes every step reversible.

The checklist

  1. Find shortcodes in content

    Search posts for [mashshare. A search and replace tool, or WP-CLI, lists every post that uses it. Leftover shortcodes print as literal text once the plugin is inactive.

  2. Find theme calls

    Search your child theme and any custom plugin for mashshare and mashsb. Template calls to plugin functions cause fatal errors when the plugin is removed unless they are wrapped in function_exists() checks.

  3. Decide on stored counts

    The plugin cached share totals in post meta with keys beginning mashsb_. Export them if a replacement can import them or you want a record; otherwise they can go.

  4. Install the replacement

    Set it up and compare on staging. See choosing a replacement share plugin.

  5. Deactivate and delete

    Deactivate the add-ons first, then the core plugin, then delete them.

  6. Remove leftovers

    Plugins often leave options (names starting with mashsb) and post meta behind. Delete them with a database tool, after the backup.

  7. Purge caches and test

    Clear page and object caches, then check a sample of posts on desktop and mobile.

# list posts that still contain the old shortcode (WP-CLI)
wp post list --post_type=any --s='[mashshare' --fields=ID,post_title

# count leftover post meta rows (check the prefix in your database first)
wp db query "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key LIKE 'mashsb%'"

Replacing shortcodes

You have three choices: replace each shortcode with your new plugin's equivalent, remove them all so automatic placement takes over, or register a tiny shortcode of your own with the same name that outputs your new buttons. The last option is the fastest for large archives and keeps old content working without editing thousands of posts.

add_shortcode( 'mashshare', function () {
  // output your replacement share buttons here
  return '';
} );

Check for security leftovers

Unmaintained plugins accumulate vulnerabilities. Once removed, confirm no copies remain in wp-content/plugins under renamed folders, and that no scheduled tasks from the plugin are still registered.

Removing an old share plugin01Back updb and theme02Find usageshortcodes03Replacetest on staging04Removeplugin and data05Verifycaches purged
The order matters: find usage before deactivating anything.

Questions

What happens to [mashshare] shortcodes after removing the plugin?

They appear as plain text in posts. Replace them, remove them, or register a small shortcode with the same name.

Does deleting MashShare remove its data?

Not always. Options and post meta can remain; remove them manually after a backup.

Why did my site crash after removing the plugin?

A theme template probably calls a plugin function directly. Wrap it in function_exists() or remove it.

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Hannah Voss, Editor. Checks every guide against a working WordPress install and the networks' current documentation. Last reviewed September 2026.

About the editor and our methods

  1. MashShare alternatives: choosing a replacement share pluginMashShare was closed in 2025. How to choose a replacement share plugin: features to compare, questions to ask, and when plain links are the better answer.3 min read
  2. MashShare: the plugin's history, closure and what to do nowMashShare was a WordPress share buttons plugin sold here until it closed in 2025. What it was, what happened, and what to do if your site still runs it.
  3. Plugin troubleshooting: what to try firstTroubleshoot a WordPress plugin problem in a safe order: caches, conflicts, debug logging, recovery mode, and disabling a plugin when the admin is down.3 min read