How to Enable Auto Updates for WordPress Plugins and Themes

Keeping your WordPress website secure and running smoothly requires regular updates. Manually updating plugins and themes can be time-consuming and easily forgotten. Fortunately, WordPress offers several ways to automate this process. This article will guide you through various methods to enable auto-updates for your plugins and themes, ensuring your site stays protected and compatible with the latest technologies.

Understanding the Importance of Automatic Updates

Before diving into the how-to, let’s quickly address why automatic updates are crucial. WordPress, its plugins, and themes are constantly evolving. Developers release updates to:

Patch security vulnerabilities: Hackers actively search for weaknesses in outdated software.
Improve performance: Updates often include code optimizations that make your website faster.
Add new features: Staying updated allows you to take advantage of the latest functionalities.
Ensure compatibility: New WordPress versions and plugin/theme updates can sometimes create conflicts with older versions of other plugins or themes.

Failing to update regularly can leave your website vulnerable to attacks, slow down its performance, or even cause it to break. Automatic updates minimize these risks by ensuring that your site is always running the latest, most secure versions of its components.

WordPress Core Auto-Updates

WordPress has built-in auto-update functionality for minor core releases (security and maintenance releases). However, major core updates (e.g., from WordPress 6.4 to 6.5) typically require manual initiation. You can configure WordPress to automatically install these major releases as well, but carefully consider the potential for compatibility issues with your themes and plugins.

To configure core updates, you can use the `WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE` constant. This constant can be defined in your `wp-config.php` file. Here are the possible values:

`false`: Disables all automatic core updates.
`true`: Enables automatic updates for both minor and major releases.
`minor`: Enables automatic updates only for minor releases (recommended for most users).

To set this constant, add the following line to your `wp-config.php` file (usually located in the root directory of your WordPress installation):

define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', 'minor' );

Remember to back up your website before making any changes to your `wp-config.php` file.

Enabling Auto-Updates Through the WordPress Dashboard

Since WordPress 5.5, you can enable auto-updates for individual plugins and themes directly from the WordPress dashboard. This provides a simple and convenient way to manage updates without needing to modify code.

For Plugins:

Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard.
Find the plugin you want to enable auto-updates for.
If the plugin supports auto-updates, you’ll see an “Enable auto-updates” link next to the plugin’s description.
Click the “Enable auto-updates” link to activate automatic updates for that plugin. The link will then change to “Disable auto-updates”.

For Themes:

Navigate to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
Click on the theme you want to enable auto-updates for (this works only for themes not currently active).
In the theme details popup, you’ll see an “Enable auto-updates” link if the theme supports the feature.
Click the “Enable auto-updates” link to activate automatic updates for that theme. The link will then change to “Disable auto-updates”.

It’s important to note that not all plugins and themes support this feature. If you don’t see the “Enable auto-updates” link, you’ll need to use an alternative method, such as using code snippets or a plugin specifically designed for managing auto-updates.

Using Code Snippets to Enable Auto-Updates

For more granular control over auto-updates, you can use code snippets. These snippets can be added to your theme’s `functions.php` file or, preferably, to a custom plugin or using a code snippets plugin to avoid losing them during theme updates. Here are some examples:

Enabling Auto-Updates for a Specific Plugin

To enable auto-updates for a specific plugin, you need to know the plugin’s folder name and main file name (e.g., `akismet/akismet.php`). You can then use the `auto_update_plugin` filter:

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', 'enable_specific_plugin_auto_updates', 10, 2 );

function enable_specific_plugin_auto_updates( $update, $item ) {
    // Array of plugin slugs to enable auto-updates for
    $plugins_to_update = array(
        'akismet/akismet.php',
        'jetpack/jetpack.php',
    );

    if ( in_array( $item->slug, $plugins_to_update ) ) {
        return true; // Enable auto-updates
    } else {
        return $update; // Use the default update settings
    }
}

Replace `’akismet/akismet.php’` and `’jetpack/jetpack.php’` with the actual paths to the plugin files you want to auto-update.

Enabling Auto-Updates for All Plugins

You can enable auto-updates for all plugins using the following code:

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_true' );

This snippet will force all plugins to automatically update whenever a new version is available. Use with caution, as compatibility issues are more likely with automatic updates across all plugins.

Enabling Auto-Updates for All Themes

Similarly, you can enable auto-updates for all themes with this snippet:

add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_true' );

Again, use caution as theme updates can sometimes break your site’s design or functionality.

Disabling Auto-Updates for a Specific Plugin

You can disable auto-updates for a specific plugin. Replace `’akismet/akismet.php’` with the actual path to the plugin files you want to exclude:

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', 'disable_specific_plugin_auto_updates', 10, 2 );

  function disable_specific_plugin_auto_updates( $update, $item ) {
      // Array of plugin slugs to disable auto-updates for
      $plugins_to_exclude = array(
          'akismet/akismet.php',
      );

      if ( in_array( $item->slug, $plugins_to_exclude ) ) {
          return false; // Disable auto-updates
      } else {
          return $update; // Use the default update settings
      }
  }

Using Plugins to Manage Auto-Updates

Several plugins simplify the management of automatic updates. These plugins often provide a user-friendly interface and additional features, such as:

Selective auto-updates: Choose which plugins and themes to automatically update.
Staged updates: Update plugins/themes on a staging site before applying them to the live site.
Email notifications: Receive email alerts when updates are installed.
Update scheduling: Schedule updates for specific times.

Some popular plugins for managing auto-updates include:

Easy Updates Manager: A comprehensive plugin that gives you complete control over WordPress updates.
Update Control: A simpler plugin focused specifically on managing automatic updates.
WP Umbrella: Offers automatic updates alongside website monitoring, backups, and security features (paid plugin).

Before installing a plugin, research its features and reviews to ensure it meets your needs. Be sure to choose a reputable plugin that is actively maintained and compatible with your WordPress version.

Best Practices for Automatic Updates

While automatic updates offer numerous benefits, it’s essential to implement them thoughtfully. Here are some best practices to follow:

Create regular backups: Before enabling automatic updates, ensure you have a reliable backup solution in place. This allows you to quickly restore your website if something goes wrong.
Use a staging environment: If possible, test updates on a staging environment before applying them to your live site. This helps identify potential compatibility issues before they affect your visitors.
Monitor your website: After enabling automatic updates, regularly check your website to ensure everything is functioning correctly. Look for any errors, broken links, or performance issues.
Review update logs: WordPress keeps a log of all updates that have been applied. Review these logs to ensure that updates are being installed successfully.
Choose reputable plugins and themes: Only use plugins and themes from trusted sources. Read reviews and check the developer’s reputation before installing anything.
Consider the impact of major updates: While automatic updates for minor releases are generally safe, major updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues. Consider manually reviewing major updates before enabling them automatically.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with careful planning, problems can sometimes arise with automatic updates. Here are some common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

Website breaks after an update: Restore your website from a backup. Then, try manually updating the plugins/themes one at a time to identify the culprit.
Auto-updates not working: Check your `wp-config.php` file to ensure the `WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE` constant is correctly defined. Also, check if any plugins are conflicting with the auto-update functionality.
Email notifications not being sent: Ensure your WordPress installation is properly configured to send emails. You may need to use an SMTP plugin to improve email delivery.
Plugin/theme is not updating automatically: Verify that auto-updates are enabled for the specific plugin/theme in the WordPress dashboard or through code snippets.
“Automatic update is pending” message: This usually indicates that an update is already in progress. Wait for the update to complete, or try manually initiating the update.

Conclusion

Enabling automatic updates for WordPress plugins and themes is crucial for maintaining a secure, stable, and up-to-date website. Whether you choose to use the built-in WordPress features, code snippets, or a dedicated plugin, the benefits of automation far outweigh the risks, provided you follow best practices and monitor your site regularly. By taking a proactive approach to updates, you can minimize the risk of security vulnerabilities, improve performance, and ensure your website continues to deliver a great experience for your visitors.