WP Emergency File Replacer

WordPress plugin that generates a standalone emergency file replacer script so you can recover from fatal errors by replacing files without loading WordPress.

Why?

Sometimes a small change (like editing functions.php in the theme editor) can completely crash your site with a fatal PHP error. When that happens you often:

• Can't load the frontend
• Can't log into /wp-admin
• Only have HTTP access, not FTP/SFTP

This plugin lets you prepare for that situation before it happens.

It creates a script in your WordPress root (by default emergency-file-replacer.php) that:

• Does not load WordPress – so it keeps working even if WP, your theme or a plugin is broken
• Is protected by a password you choose in wp-admin
• Lets you browse your WordPress install from the root down
• Lets you replace any existing file with an uploaded file
• Automatically creates a timestamped backup before overwriting

⚠️ Security warning
Anyone who knows the emergency URL and the password can overwrite files in your WordPress installation.
Use a strong password, only enable this temporarily, and delete the generated script when you're done.

Features

• Simple settings page under Tools → Emergency File Replacer
• Configurable emergency password stored in WordPress options
• One-click generation of /emergency-file-replacer.php in the WP root
• Optional deletion of the emergency script from the settings page
• Standalone script:
  • Password-protected login (no WP dependencies)
  • Directory browser (root, wp-content, themes, plugins, etc.)
  • File replacement with backup

Installation

1. Download the latest release zip (wp-emergency-file-replacer.zip).
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
3. Upload the zip and activate WP Emergency File Replacer.

Or manually:

wp-content/
└── plugins/
    └── wp-emergency-file-replacer/
        ├── wp-emergency-file-replacer.php
        ├── readme.txt
        └── README.md