{"id":14628,"date":"2019-01-23T13:33:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T13:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/?p=14628"},"modified":"2025-04-28T07:46:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:46:54","slug":"wordpress-auto-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","title":{"rendered":"WordPress auto update: Everything you need to know and the best practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Keeping your WordPress website software up-to-date is essential for its maintenance. In addition to providing the latest features, software updates also increase the WordPress website&rsquo;s security.&nbsp;<\/p><p>However, it can be time-consuming to keep up with new updates. Thankfully, you can enable automatic updates on WordPress.<\/p><p>In this article, we&rsquo;ll go over everything you need to know about WordPress automatic updates. We&rsquo;ll cover how automatic updates work, when and why you should update WordPress, and the types of updates you can install.<\/p><p>We&rsquo;ll also explain multiple methods so you can enable automatic updates on a WordPress site.<\/p><p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-wordpress-automatic-updates-work-nbsp\">How do WordPress automatic updates work?&nbsp;<\/h2><p>If you enable WordPress automatic updates, your website&rsquo;s software will be updated as soon as a new version is out. You don&rsquo;t have to check for the latest updates and install them yourself &ndash; the WordPress back-end will take care of it for you.<\/p><p>Automatic updates can save a lot of time for site owners. You can focus on tasks other than maintaining your WordPress site, such as crafting top-notch content, designing your site, or executing marketing campaigns.<\/p><p>WordPress 3.7 introduced automatic background updates for minor releases. Major releases need to be installed manually.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-and-why-should-you-update-wordpress-nbsp\">When and why should you update WordPress?&nbsp;<\/h2><p>In general, it&rsquo;s always recommended to keep your WordPress site up-to-date. WordPress updates are vital for your site&rsquo;s safety and functionality. So whenever there&rsquo;s a new update available, make sure to install it.<\/p><p>Here are several benefits of WordPress updates:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Security<\/strong>. Outdated software is one of the most common causes of cyberattacks. According to Sucuri, in 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/sucuri.net\/reports\/2019-hacked-website-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">49% of all compromised WordPress sites<\/a> had an obsolete version of the software. Software updates fix security loopholes that might emerge in older versions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Features<\/strong>. Updating WordPress will give you access to new helpful features, such as easier migration from HTTP to HTTPS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bug fixes. <\/strong>A software bug is an error that results in a false result and they&rsquo;re an unavoidable part of the software development process. Once identified, these bugs are usually fixed in future patches. Therefore, it&rsquo;s always important to keep your plugins up to date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Performance<\/strong>. Some software updates introduce higher efficiency while handling certain processes. This can increase the loading speed of your website, which is essential for retaining visitors.<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>When you consider the importance and benefits of WordPress updates, setting up automatic updates becomes a much more apparent decision.<\/p><p>By automating WordPress updates, you don&rsquo;t have to worry about missing security updates and exposing your website to vulnerabilities. Additionally, you get the latest features and, in some cases, faster performance.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-types-of-wordpress-automatic-updates\">Types of WordPress automatic updates<\/h2><p>There are four types of WordPress updates:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Core updates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plugin updates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theme updates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Translation file updates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol><p>WordPress core updates are grouped into three categories:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Core development updates<\/strong> (also known as the &ldquo;bleeding edge&rdquo;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Minor core release updates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major core release<\/strong> <strong>updates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol><p>Minor releases are automatically installed by default and include security patches, maintenance, and translation updates. Major core updates are upgrades containing new features and bug fixes.<\/p><p>Themes and plugins are sometimes updated by default, but in most cases, you&rsquo;ll have to install them manually or by setting up automatic updates first.<\/p><p>Since the release of WordPress 5.5, you can enable automatic updates for themes and plugins right from the WordPress dashboard.<\/p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"\/in\/wordpress-hosting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1024x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1024x300.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-300x88.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-150x44.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-768x225.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1536x450.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-prepare-for-automatic-wordpress-updates\">How to prepare for automatic WordPress updates<\/h2><p>Before updating WordPress, the most critical step is to <a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/backup-wordpress\">backup your site<\/a> first.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Updates are essential, but there&rsquo;s always a possibility that something might go wrong during the process. If your update fails, you can break your WordPress site and lose your data.<\/p><p>Having a backup of your site will make it easier to recover your site&rsquo;s last working version. There are many <a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/best-wordpress-plugins\">WordPress plugins<\/a> &ndash; both free and paid &ndash; that allow you to backup your website easily:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/backwpup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BackWPup<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/updraftplus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UpdraftPlus<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vaultpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VaultPress<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Once you&rsquo;ve backed up your site files to your computer or a cloud storage solution, you can proceed to enable automatic updates for WordPress.<\/p><p>Avoid updating core WordPress files, plugins, and themes all at once. Instead, focus on one piece at a time. That way you&rsquo;ll ensure that everything works as intended.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-automatic-updates-using-wordpress-dashboard-nbsp\">Managing automatic updates using WordPress dashboard&nbsp;<\/h2><p>Automatic minor updates have been present since WordPress 3.7. Up until WordPress 5.4, you could only enable automatic updates by tweaking your site files&rsquo; code.<\/p><p>This manual method should be manageable for developers, but it can seem a bit tricky if you&rsquo;re a complete beginner.<\/p><p>Thankfully, WordPress 5.5 and later versions make the process of automatically updating major releases, plugins, and themes a whole lot easier.<\/p><p>WordPress developers added a feature that allows you to enable\/disable automatic updates from the WordPress dashboard.<\/p><p>Let&rsquo;s take a look at how to enable automatic WordPress updates for major releases:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the WordPress dashboard, click <strong>Updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you haven&rsquo;t enabled major releases auto-update, under <strong>Current Version<\/strong>, you&rsquo;ll see <strong>This site is automatically kept up to date with maintenance and security releases of WordPress only.<\/strong> Click <strong>Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The message will read <strong>This site is automatically kept up to date with each new version of WordPress.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol><p>If you prefer to automate minor and security updates only, here&rsquo;s how you can revert the settings:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the WordPress dashboard, go to <strong>Updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Switch to automatic updates for maintenance and security releases only<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>Here&rsquo;s how to enable automatic updates for your <a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/best-free-wordpress-themes\/\">WordPress themes<\/a>:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <strong>Appearance <\/strong>&rarr; <strong>Themes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select a theme you want to update automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under the title and author of the theme, select <strong>Enable auto-updates<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ol><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81518e219\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"527\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/wpadmin-appearance-themes-enableautoupdate-1024x527.png\" alt=\"Appearance section on WordPress admin dashboard. Enable auto-updates button is highlighted\" class=\"wp-image-80387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/wpadmin-appearance-themes-enableautoupdate.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/wpadmin-appearance-themes-enableautoupdate-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/wpadmin-appearance-themes-enableautoupdate-150x77.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/wpadmin-appearance-themes-enableautoupdate-768x395.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>Finally, here&rsquo;s how to update WordPress plugins from the dashboard automatically:<\/p><p>1. Navigate to <strong>Plugins <\/strong>&rarr; <strong>Installed Plugins<\/strong>.<br>2. To set auto-updates individually, click <strong>Enable auto-updates<\/strong>.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81518e8f0\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"526\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/wpadmin-plugins-enableautoupdates-1024x526.png\" alt=\"Plugins section on WordPress admin dashboard. Enable auto-updates button is highlighted\" class=\"wp-image-80388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wpadmin-plugins-enableautoupdates.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wpadmin-plugins-enableautoupdates-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wpadmin-plugins-enableautoupdates-150x77.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wpadmin-plugins-enableautoupdates-768x394.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>3. To set auto-updates for multiple WordPress plugins in bulk, tick the plugins you want and select <strong>Enable auto-updates <\/strong>from the <strong>Bulk actions <\/strong>drop-down menu. Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-background-updates-using-the-wp-config-php-file\">Managing background updates using the wp-config.php file<\/h2><p>By editing the code of the <strong>wp-config <\/strong>file of your WordPress site and adding constants, you can enable and disable WordPress automatic updates, as well as choose what type of automatic updates you wish to allow.<\/p><p>Keep in mind that editing your website code can be risky, so proceed with caution and ensure that you have a backup file ready.<\/p><p>To access <strong>wp-config.php<\/strong>, use the <strong>file manager<\/strong> feature of your hosting control panel or connect to <a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/ftp\/filezilla-ftp-configuration\">FTP client like FileZilla<\/a>. As an example, we&rsquo;ll use the <strong>hPanel&rsquo;s File Manager<\/strong>.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log into hPanel and select <strong>File Manager <\/strong>under the <strong>Files <\/strong>section.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81518f0a5\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"448\" height=\"522\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/hpanel-files-filemanager-sidebar.png\" alt=\"The File Manager button on hPanel\" class=\"wp-image-80353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-files-filemanager-sidebar.png 448w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-files-filemanager-sidebar-257x300.png 257w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-files-filemanager-sidebar-129x150.png 129w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><p>2. Find the <strong>wp-config.php <\/strong>file within the <strong>public_html <\/strong>folder.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81518f73e\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"355\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/filemanager-wpconfig-selected-2.png\" alt=\"public_html folder showing the wp-config.php file\" class=\"wp-image-82491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/filemanager-wpconfig-selected-2.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/filemanager-wpconfig-selected-2-300x104.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/filemanager-wpconfig-selected-2-150x52.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/filemanager-wpconfig-selected-2-768x266.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><p><br>3. Back up the original file by saving a copy on your computer or by duplicating and renaming it.<br>4. Open <strong>wp-config.php <\/strong>and add the following line of code to disable automatic WordPress updates:<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>define( 'AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED', true );<\/code><\/pre><p>5. Add the following code to modify the settings of your WordPress core updates:<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true ); <\/code><\/pre><p>Feel free to change <strong>true <\/strong>to another value according to your needs, like <strong>false <\/strong>and <strong>minor. <\/strong>Here&rsquo;s what each value represents:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>true<\/strong> means development, minor and major updates are <strong>enabled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>false<\/strong> means development, minor and major updates are <strong>disabled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>minor<\/strong> means minor updates are <strong>enabled<\/strong>, while major and development installations are <strong>disabled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>6. Finalize the changes by clicking <strong>Save<\/strong>. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-background-updates-using-api-filters\">Managing background updates using API filters<\/h2><p>If you would like more flexibility with how you manage automatic updates for WordPress, add API filters. API filters allow you to manipulate variables in a specific command to fine-tune the details on how you want to execute the automatic updates.<\/p><p>API filters should be added to <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/support\/article\/must-use-plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">must-use plugins<\/a> as they&rsquo;re automatically enabled on a WordPress site upon installation.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Must-use plugins don&rsquo;t appear in the WordPress dashboard and are stored in a different directory than other plugins. By default, they are located in <strong>wp-content\/mu-plugins.<\/strong><\/p><p>For example, if you want to <strong>disable all automatic updates<\/strong>, you can use:<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'automatic_updater_disabled', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><p>Or, if you want to <strong>update all core types only<\/strong>, add the following filter:<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'auto_update_core', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><p>You can also set individual changes:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To allow <strong>minor updates<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'allow_minor_auto_core_updates', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To allow <strong>major updates<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'allow_major_auto_core_updates', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To allow <strong>development updates<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'allow_dev_auto_core_updates', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><p>If you want to disable the updates, replace <strong>true <\/strong>with <strong>false.<\/strong><\/p><p>To update WordPress themes and plugins automatically, simply use the following filters:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For <strong>plugins<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For <strong style=\", sans-serif\">themes<\/strong><span style=\", sans-serif\">:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-automatic-updates-using-plugins\">Managing automatic updates using plugins<\/h2><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df8151906ee\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"332\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-1024x332.png\" alt=\"Easy Updates Manager plugin banner\" class=\"wp-image-30909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-1024x332.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-300x97.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-150x49.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-768x249.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager-1536x497.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/easy-updates-manager.png 1544w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/stops-core-theme-and-plugin-updates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Easy Updates Manager<\/a> is one of the most popular WordPress auto-update plugins. It&rsquo;s easy-to-use, powerful, and has a <strong>free<\/strong> version that covers all the basics.<\/p><p>It comes with a long list of settings, including disabling and enabling WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates.<\/p><p>If you upgrade to its premium version, you&rsquo;ll be able to access advanced features like update scheduling, delayed updates, auto-update protection, and dedicated support. The premium licenses start at <strong>$29\/year<\/strong>.<\/p><p>Installing and configuring the Easy Updates Manager plugin is easy:<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access your WordPress Dashboard and go to <strong>Plugins<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the search bar to find <strong>Easy Updates Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Install <\/strong>and <strong>Activate <\/strong>the plugin.<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"415\" class=\"wp-image-30910\" style=\"width: 730px\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin.png\" alt=\"Installing WordPress plugin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin-300x122.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin-150x61.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin-768x312.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/installing-plugin-1536x623.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to <strong>Update settings <\/strong>and configure your preferred settings.<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"466\" class=\"wp-image-30911\" style=\"width: 730px\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings.png\" alt=\"WordPress plugin settings\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings-150x68.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings-768x349.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/plugin-settings-1536x698.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-set-the-correct-wordpress-automatic-update-settings-via-hpanel\">Set the correct WordPress automatic update settings via hpanel<\/h2><p>If you use <a href=\"\/in\/web-hosting\">Hostinger&rsquo;s standard<\/a>, <a href=\"\/in\/cloud-hosting\">cloud server<\/a>, or <a href=\"\/in\/wordpress-hosting\">WordPress-optimized<\/a> hosting, you can set up your automatic updates preference during the WordPress installation process on hPanel.&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s how to configure it:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the hPanel, go to <strong>Website <\/strong>&rarr; <strong>Auto Installer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81519151f\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"436\" height=\"508\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-siderbar.png\" alt=\"Auto Installer button on hPanel\" class=\"wp-image-80359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/01\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-siderbar.png 436w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/01\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-siderbar-257x300.png 257w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/01\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-siderbar-129x150.png 129w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select <strong>WordPress<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df815191b74\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"615\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-wordpress-1024x615.png\" alt='The Auto Installer section, highlighting the \"Select\" button in the WordPress tab' class=\"wp-image-80360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-wordpress.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-wordpress-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-wordpress-150x90.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-website-autoinstaller-wordpress-768x461.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fill in all the necessary information, such as your domain name and the administrator login details.<\/li>\n<\/ol><ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You&rsquo;ll find three automatic update options at the bottom of the settings page: <strong>Turn off automatic application updates<\/strong>, <strong>Update only to minor version, <\/strong>or <strong>Always update to latest available version. <\/strong>Select the option you prefer.<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1189\" height=\"731\" class=\"wp-image-30913\" style=\"width: 730px\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings.png\" alt=\"Updates settings for WordPress\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings.png 1189w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings-1024x630.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings-150x92.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2019\/01\/wordpress-updates-settings-768x472.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1189px) 100vw, 1189px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol><ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Install<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>If you ever want to adjust the update settings again, open the <strong>WordPress <\/strong>&rarr; <strong>Overview<\/strong> page and select the <strong>Change<\/strong> button near <strong>WordPress Updates<\/strong>:<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df8151928ec\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"603\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/hpanel-wordpress-overview-wordpressupdates-highlighted-1024x603.png\" alt=\"WordPress updates section on hPanel. The Change button is highlighted\" class=\"wp-image-80389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-wordpress-overview-wordpressupdates-highlighted.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-wordpress-overview-wordpressupdates-highlighted-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-wordpress-overview-wordpressupdates-highlighted-150x88.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/03\/hpanel-wordpress-overview-wordpressupdates-highlighted-768x452.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>Hostinger customers can also set up <strong>WordPress auto-updates<\/strong> in hPanel. This feature lets you enable automatic updates, log past updates, and roll back to a specific update using a backup.<\/p><p>When an automatic updates alert fails, it notifies you in hPanel and via email. This alert system keeps you informed about your website&rsquo;s updates, allowing you to take action when necessary. <\/p><p>Keep in mind that activating WordPress auto-updates disables native WordPress automatic updates. However, you can fine-tune these settings.<\/p><p>Here&rsquo;s how to configure WordPress auto-updates:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <strong>WordPress <\/strong>&rarr; <strong>Security <\/strong>from the hPanel dashboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>WordPress auto-updates<\/strong> section. To have WordPress manage updates, check <strong>Native auto-updates<\/strong>. You can then click the <strong>Customize<\/strong> tab to choose whether you want <strong>No updates<\/strong>, <strong>Minor updates only<\/strong>, or <strong>All updates<\/strong> from the <strong>WordPress (core)<\/strong> dropdown menu. This will respect the update preferences you&rsquo;ve set for Themes and Plugins in the WordPress dashboard.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df8151930f2\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2276\" height=\"816\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates.png\" alt=\"Hostinger's WordPress auto-updates feature with native auto-updates and minor updates only enabled\" class=\"wp-image-124802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates.png 2276w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-300x108.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-1024x367.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-150x54.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-768x275.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-1536x551.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-native-auto-updates-2048x734.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2276px) 100vw, 2276px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you want to enable <strong>Smart auto-updates<\/strong>, select this option on the left.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With the Customize panel open, choose your update preferences for WordPress core, themes, and plugins. Options for each are <strong>No updates<\/strong>, <strong>Security updates only<\/strong>, or <strong>All updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df81519371a\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2286\" height=\"838\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options.png\" alt=\"Hostinger's WordPress auto-updates feature with smart auto-updates and security updates only enabled\" class=\"wp-image-124803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options.png 2286w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-300x110.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-1024x375.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-150x55.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-768x282.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-1536x563.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2021\/09\/hostinger-smart-auto-updates-options-2048x751.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2286px) 100vw, 2286px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><p>To view recent automatic update logs, scroll to the <strong>Updates log<\/strong> section and click the three-dot menu next to a specific update. Select <strong>Details <\/strong>to see more information about the update. Click <strong>Restore <\/strong>to roll back to that version.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69df815193e9a\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"444\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log-1024x444.png\" alt=\"WordPress Enhanced Automatic Updates log\" class=\"wp-image-102460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log-1024x444.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log-150x65.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log-768x333.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/01\/hpanel-wordpress-enhanced-auto-updates-log.png 1129w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-notification-emails\">Notification emails<\/h2><p>As a WordPress site owner, you&rsquo;ll often receive notification emails from WordPress when there&rsquo;s a new update available or when changes are made to your site.<\/p><p>Expect to receive three types of notification emails from WordPress:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>result email<\/strong>. This type of notification email gives information about successful updates like <strong>&ldquo;Your site has updated to WordPress (version number.)&rdquo;<\/strong> This message informs you that the auto-updates are working as intended.&nbsp;<br>These emails don&rsquo;t require a response or action from your end.<\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>notification email<\/strong>. Usually, these are emails that inform you whenever there&rsquo;s a new version of WordPress available. They typically include the <strong>&ldquo;WordPress (version number) is available. Please update.&rdquo;<\/strong> message. This might mean that WordPress experienced an error, and you have to update it manually.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>debugging email<\/strong>. You will receive this type of notification email if development versions or critical cases occur.<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Even though these notification emails can be helpful, they can also clog up your inbox. To disable them, you can apply API filters.<\/p><p>You can create custom rules to receive emails for some instances but prevent incoming emails for the ones you don&rsquo;t need.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To <strong>disable receiving result emails<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>apply_filters( 'auto_core_update_send_email', '__return_false' );<\/code><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To <strong>disable receiving notification emails<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>apply_filters( 'send_core_update_notification_email', '__return_false' );<\/code><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To <strong>disable receiving debugging emails<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>apply_filters( 'automatic_updates_send_debug_email', '__return_true' );<\/code><\/pre><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2><p>As a site owner, keeping your WordPress site up-to-date is vital to maintain its security.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Fortunately, you can automate updates for WordPress core, plugins, themes, and translation files. Automatic updates can also save a lot of time in your website maintenance routine.<\/p><p>Before you proceed with updating your WordPress site, having a backup system in place is essential. Then, choose a method to set up the automatic updates. In this article, we explored four methods to set up WordPress automatic updates:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Using WordPress 5.5 Dashboard<\/strong>. If you have WordPress 5.5 or above, you can enable auto-updates for core WordPress files, plugins, and themes straight from the dashboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using wp-config.php file<\/strong>. This involves accessing your website configuration file using a file manager or an FTP client, and then editing the code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using API filters<\/strong>. This allows you to be more specific when setting up the auto-updates. It involves accessing <strong>wp-content\/mu-plugins<\/strong> in your site directory and adding API filters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using plugins<\/strong>. Some plugins such as Easy Update Manager are an easy solution for managing WordPress auto-updates.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>No matter which method you go for, we hope that this article will help you manage your WordPress website a bit more easily.<\/p><p>\n\n\n<div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Learn More About WordPress<\/h4>\n                    <p><a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/what-is-wordpress\">What is WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress\/how-to-login-to-wordpress-dashboard\">How to Login to WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/how-to-install-wordpress\">How to Install WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/how-to-duplicate-wordpress-page-or-post\">How to Duplicate Pages and Posts on WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress\/how-to-delete-wordpress\">How to Delete WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-taxonomy\/\">WordPress Taxonomy Guide<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-revisions\">Guide to WordPress Revisions<\/a><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keeping your WordPress website software up-to-date is essential for its maintenance. In addition to providing the latest features, software updates also increase the WordPress website&rsquo;s security.&nbsp; However, it can be time-consuming to keep up with new updates. Thankfully, you can enable automatic updates on WordPress. In this article, we&rsquo;ll go over everything you need to [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":67847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22636,22633],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security-and-maintenance","category-wordpress"],"hreflangs":[{"locale":"en-US","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"pt-BR","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/br\/tutoriais\/como-atualizar-o-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-UK","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"en-MY","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/my\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"en-PH","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ph\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"pt-PT","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/pt\/tutoriais\/como-atualizar-o-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-IN","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"en-CA","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"en-AU","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/au\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0},{"locale":"en-NG","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wordpress-auto-update","default":0}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14628"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126948,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14628\/revisions\/126948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}