How do I enable automatic updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins?
Keeping your WordPress site updated is crucial for maintaining security, adding new features, and improving overall performance. Enabling automatic updates simplifies this process, ensuring your site remains current without requiring manual intervention. This article will guide you through enabling automatic updates for the WordPress core software, themes, and plugins using both the Softaculous WordPress Manager and the WordPress dashboard.
WordPress provides several types of updates:
Core Updates: Security patches, bug fixes, and new features for the WordPress software itself.
Theme Updates: Updates for your installed themes to ensure compatibility and security.
Plugin Updates: Updates for installed plugins that enhance functionality and security.
While WordPress automatically handles minor updates, major updates for the core software, themes, and plugins often require manual approval. You can configure your site to automate these updates as well.
If you prefer to manage your updates through cPanel, you can enable automatic updates using Softaculous:
Go to cPanel > WordPress Manager by Softaculous.
Expand your WordPress installation.
Select the following options:
Auto Upgrade WordPress Core: Enable
Auto Upgrade WordPress Themes: Enable
Auto Upgrade WordPress Plugins: Enable
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
Click on Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress to activate major version updates.
You can enable automatic updates for both themes and plugins directly from the WordPress dashboard.
For Plugins:
Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
In the Automatic Updates column next to each plugin, click Enable auto-updates for the plugins you wish to update automatically.
For Themes:
Navigate to Appearance > Themes.
Hover over the theme you want to update and click Theme Details.
In the bottom right corner, select Enable auto-updates to turn on automatic updates for that theme.
Enabling automatic updates in WordPress is an effective way to enhance the security and performance of your website. Automating these updates can save you time and ensure that your site benefits from the latest improvements and security measures offered by WordPress.
Plugin/theme updates and major version updates can occasionally break live sites. It is advisable to test updates in a staging environment before applying them to your live site.
Understanding WordPress Updates
WordPress provides several types of updates:
Core Updates: Security patches, bug fixes, and new features for the WordPress software itself.
Theme Updates: Updates for your installed themes to ensure compatibility and security.
Plugin Updates: Updates for installed plugins that enhance functionality and security.
While WordPress automatically handles minor updates, major updates for the core software, themes, and plugins often require manual approval. You can configure your site to automate these updates as well.
Method 1: Enabling Automatic Updates via Softaculous WordPress Manager
If you prefer to manage your updates through cPanel, you can enable automatic updates using Softaculous:
Go to cPanel > WordPress Manager by Softaculous.
Expand your WordPress installation.
Select the following options:
Auto Upgrade WordPress Core: Enable
Auto Upgrade WordPress Themes: Enable
Auto Upgrade WordPress Plugins: Enable
Method 2: Enabling Automatic Updates via the WordPress Dashboard
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
Click on Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress to activate major version updates.
You can enable automatic updates for both themes and plugins directly from the WordPress dashboard.
For Plugins:
Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
In the Automatic Updates column next to each plugin, click Enable auto-updates for the plugins you wish to update automatically.
For Themes:
Navigate to Appearance > Themes.
Hover over the theme you want to update and click Theme Details.
In the bottom right corner, select Enable auto-updates to turn on automatic updates for that theme.
Enabling automatic updates in WordPress is an effective way to enhance the security and performance of your website. Automating these updates can save you time and ensure that your site benefits from the latest improvements and security measures offered by WordPress.
Plugin/theme updates and major version updates can occasionally break live sites. It is advisable to test updates in a staging environment before applying them to your live site.
Updated on: 15/04/2025
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