Playbook: cleanly removing an old builder after you've migrated off it

Playbook: cleanly removing an old builder after you've migrated off it

Deactivating isn't removing — the residue stays in your database.
— Confirm every URL is rebuilt and no live page still renders the old builder's output (search post_content for its shortcodes).
— Export/back up the DB before touching anything.
— Deactivate, then scan for orphaned shortcodes left in post_content and clean them.
— Drop the builder's custom meta keys and unused tables only after verifying they're not referenced.
— Re-crawl the site for broken layouts and 404s; check Search Console after a week.

Pros:
— Reclaims DB bloat and removes a security/update surface.
— Faster admin and cleaner exports going forward.

Cons:
— Irreversible if you miss a still-active page.
— Meta/table cleanup needs care to avoid data loss.

Best for: post-migration sites finishing the job instead of leaving a dormant plugin.