Updated: October 4, 2024
Maintaining control over WordPress updates can be crucial for site stability and compatibility. While automatic updates are convenient, there are times when disabling them for plugins and themes is essential. This guide will walk you through the steps to disable automatic plugin and theme updates in WordPress.
Why Disable Automatic Updates?
WordPress regularly pushes updates for both plugins and themes to ensure security and compatibility. However, automatic updates can sometimes cause unexpected issues, especially if a new update is incompatible with your customizations or other installed plugins. In such cases, disabling automatic updates allows you to test new versions in a controlled environment before applying them to your live site.
How to Disable Plugin Updates
You can disable automatic updates for all your WordPress plugins by adding a simple code snippet to your functions.php file. This file is typically found in your theme’s folder. For safety, always use a child theme to prevent losing changes during theme updates.
Here’s the code you need to add to disable automatic plugin updates:
// Disables all automatic plugin updates
add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_false' );
By placing this code in your theme’s functions.php file, WordPress will stop automatically updating plugins. This gives you more control over when and how updates are applied.
How to Disable Theme Updates
Similarly, if you wish to disable theme updates, you can use a different code snippet. Again, this is placed in your functions.php file.
// Disable all theme automatic updates
add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_false' );
This will prevent WordPress from updating any of your installed themes automatically. It’s useful if you have customized themes that you don’t want overwritten by new updates.
Targeting Specific Plugins or Themes
If you only want to stop updates for specific plugins or themes, you’ll need to modify these filters to target those particular components. To do this, you’ll need to write conditional statements or use plugins that allow you to manage updates on a more granular level.
Using a Plugin to Disable Updates
If editing code is not your preference, you can use a plugin that disables automatic updates. There are several WordPress plugins available that allow you to turn off updates for plugins and themes without needing to modify any files.
One recommended plugin is “Easy Updates Manager,” which provides a user-friendly interface for managing all types of updates on your WordPress site. After installing and activating the plugin, you can disable updates for specific components via the WordPress dashboard.
Potential Risks of Disabling Automatic Updates
Disabling automatic updates comes with its risks. You may miss out on critical security patches if you do not update plugins and themes regularly. Therefore, it’s important to establish a manual update process where you can regularly check for and apply important updates.
One approach is to set aside time each month to review available updates and test them on a staging site before applying them to your live site. This allows you to verify that new updates won’t interfere with your site’s functionality.
Disabling automatic plugin and theme updates in WordPress can provide peace of mind, especially for users who prefer to control every aspect of their site’s updates. Whether you opt to use code snippets in your functions.php file or a plugin for easier management, make sure to regularly check for updates manually to keep your site secure and up to date. Proper update management can prevent compatibility issues and ensure your site continues running smoothly.
By following these steps, you can confidently manage WordPress updates and maintain control over your site’s stability and performance.
// Disables all automatic plugin updates
add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_false' );
// Disable all theme automatic updates
add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_false' );