Uninstall Joomla Fediverse

Overview

Uninstall Joomla Fediverse when you need to remove federation features completely from a site. This lets you retire the extension cleanly, but it also removes Fediverse data, so it should be treated as a deliberate shutdown rather than routine maintenance.

Uninstallation is not the same as turning features off. If you only want to pause federation, disabling plugins or changing configuration is usually safer. Use this procedure only when you want the package removed from the site entirely. After you complete it, the Fediverse dashboard and extension features will no longer be available.

Before you begin

You need administrator access to the Joomla backend.
Treat this as a destructive action. The component uninstall script removes Fediverse database tables, including actor, key, follower, inbox, outbox, delivery, policy, webhook, and related configuration data.
If you may need the configuration again later and the site has access to configuration transfer, export the configuration package before uninstalling.
If the site still depends on Fediverse publishing, replies, or modules on the frontend, plan the removal window first so the change does not surprise editors or visitors.

Steps

Sign in to the Joomla administrator backend.
Optional: export the current portable Fediverse configuration if you want to reuse supported settings later.
- Configuration package - This export contains portable Fediverse settings, not runtime history. It is useful only if you want to reapply supported configuration on another installation later.
Open System -> Manage -> Extensions.
Search for fediverse in the extension list.
- Search - Use a direct term such as fediverse so Joomla narrows the list to the package and related extensions.
Select the Joomla Fediverse package entry.
Choose the uninstall action in the Joomla toolbar.
Confirm the uninstall when Joomla asks for confirmation.
After Joomla finishes, verify that Components -> Fediverse is no longer available.

Check your result

Joomla shows a successful uninstall message.
Components -> Fediverse no longer appears in the administrator menu.
Searching fediverse in System -> Manage -> Extensions no longer shows the installed package as available for use.
Fediverse-specific frontend behavior such as actor publishing and reactions integration no longer runs on the site.

Troubleshooting

I actually wanted to stop federation temporarily, not remove everything

Likely cause: Uninstall was chosen when a reversible shutdown would have been enough.
Solution: Do not continue with uninstall. Instead disable the Fediverse plugins or adjust the configuration so federation stops without deleting data.

Joomla refuses to uninstall the package

Likely cause: The selected row is not the package entry, or Joomla encountered an extension-management error.
Solution: Reopen System -> Manage -> Extensions, search for fediverse again, and make sure you are uninstalling the package entry rather than editing a related module or plugin. If the failure persists, inspect Joomla’s administrator error output and logs.

Fediverse data is gone after uninstall

Likely cause: This is expected behavior. The uninstall script drops the Fediverse component tables.
Solution: Restore the site from backup if you need the removed runtime data back. For future removals, export reusable configuration first and treat uninstall as destructive.