In today’s digital landscape, updating your website is essential for security, performance, and compatibility reasons. WordPress offers a convenient auto-update feature, allowing you to automatically update plugins and themes to the latest versions. In this blog post, we will walk you through enabling and managing auto-updates for plugins and themes in WordPress, ensuring your website stays secure and up to date.
Enable Auto-Updates for Themes
To enable auto-updates for Themes, follow these steps:
- Go to the Appearance Screen in your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Click on a theme thumbnail to open the theme modal.
- Look for the “Enable auto-updates” action link below the author information.
- Click on the action link to enable auto-updates for the specific theme.
- If needed, you can turn off auto-updates using the same toggle link.
Enable Auto-Updates for Plugins
Enabling auto-updates for plugins is just as easy. Here’s how you can do it:
- Navigate to the Plugins Screen in your WordPress admin dashboard.
- For each plugin, locate the “Automatic update” column.
- Click on the action link in the column to enable auto-updates for the respective plugin.
- If necessary, you can turn off auto-updates by clicking on the same toggle link.
Bulk Enable/Disable Plugins Auto-Updates
To save time and manage multiple plugins at once, you can use the bulk action selector:
- Select the desired plugins using the checkboxes in the first column of the plugins list table.
- Use the bulk action selector at the top of the table to enable or disable auto-updates.
- Click the “Apply” button to apply the bulk action to the selected plugins.
When Do Themes and Plugins Auto-Updates Happen?
By default, WordPress runs auto-updates twice per day. To check when the next scheduled update will occur:
- For themes, visit the Appearance Screen below the enable/disable auto-updates link.
- Check the Dashboard > Updates Screen for plugins, which displays the time until the next auto-update.
Email Notifications after Plugins and Themes Auto-Update Attempts
WordPress sends email notifications to keep you informed about auto-updates. You’ll receive emails in the following cases:
- Successful auto-updates for plugins or themes
- Failed auto-updates for plugins or themes
- A mix of successful and failed auto-updates
Advice & Troubleshooting
To ensure a smooth auto-update experience, consider the following advice and troubleshooting tips:
Perform Regular Automatic Backups of Your Website
Before enabling auto-updates, make sure you have a backup strategy in place. Use automatic backup plugins to schedule regular backups of your WordPress database and files, providing a safety net for any unforeseen issues during the update process.
Auto-Updates Are Not Available
If you don’t see the auto-update controls on your Plugins/Themes admin screens, ensure you use WordPress version 5.5 or above. Additionally, check if your hosting company or a plugin has deactivated the feature.
Auto-Updates Are Not Working
If auto-updates are not functioning correctly, it could be due to WordPress Cron tasks or other factors. Check the Tools > Site Health screen for error messages related to WordPress Cron tasks. Troubleshoot and resolve any issues accordingly.
Conclusion
Enabling and managing auto-updates for plugins and themes in WordPress is an effective way to keep your website secure and up to date. Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can streamline the update process, stay informed about updates, and troubleshoot any potential issues. Embrace auto-updates’ power and ensure your WordPress website remains optimized, secure, and compatible with the latest features and enhancements.
