Im nowhere near as cool as
@NullMaster , and they can probably do a more detailed walkthough, but in the interim:
Not sure a tutorial works, since each plugin is coded differently, but if you understand Wordpress's flavor of php, its usually via the following (super generic steps).
- Spin up a new wordpress install with just the plugin / plugin family you want to null. Make sure debug_log is enabled.
- Open up the plugin folder in your favorite IDE (i like VScode), and search the folder for the word `license`. Sometimes the word is used in a file (e.g. `inc/activate.php`, or `WordPress/Component.php`), sometimes it's in the name of the file (e.g. `admin/class-bsf-license-manager.php`), but they use a different word (to try to make it hard to null).
- Read the code. You're usually looking for a function that either checks if a license is valid ( e.g. `is_license_valid()` ), but its not always that clear. Its _almost always_ going to grab the user's license from the database, so be on the lookout for ` get_option( 'some-plugin-license-code-field-name' )`.
- Once you've found the validation function, try to identify the logic, as the way to null the plugin depends on this. It might be as simple as changing the function to `return true;`, or you might need to overwrite the variable storing `get_option` (that you found in step 3).
- Save the file, and test! First check if the plugin now works, and then check your error_log.
- If the plugin now works as if its been licensed, and theres no errors in the log- congrats! Skip to step 6.
- If the plugin doesnt work, you didnt null it correctly. Check the error_log for hints.
- If the plugin works _but_ there are errors in the log - then you've technically succeeded, but not very well. See if you can fix your null so its not throwing those errors, else you'll probably have issues in the long term.
- Congrats! Leave yourself a note of what you did, so you can do it again next time an update is released. Bonus points if you share your code changes in the forum.
If the steps were clear but you're getting overwhelmed, google ways people have nulled specific plugins, and take a look at the functions where the null code is placed. The more you see, the easier it will be for you to identify the validation code in other plugins and the different ways to circumvent them.
GL!
