Unlocking the Mystery of Disabling Automatic WordPress Updates

If you’re anything like us, you love WordPress. It’s one of the most popular content management systems in use today for creating and managing websites. One of the things that people love about WordPress is that it automatically updates itself, plugins, and themes, which enables site owners to have the latest security and feature updates without having to do anything manually.

However, some site owners are control freaks and prefer to have more control over their site’s updates, which is why WordPress allows users to turn off automatic updates. Makes sense, right? Well, it depends on your level of expertise and interest in technology. Let’s explore the world of turning off automatic WordPress updates together.

Why Turn Off Automatic Updates in WordPress?

Before we dive into the process of turning off WordPress’s automatic updates, let’s briefly discuss why someone might want to do this.

One of the main reasons to turn off automatic updates is to have more control over which updates are applied to the site. Automatic updates may cause compatibility issues with plugins or themes, which can result in a broken website. Additionally, some site owners may prefer to test a new update on a development site before applying it to their live site. Finally, some site owners may simply prefer to manually update their site to ensure nothing breaks during the process.

Regardless of the reason why you want to turn off automatic updates, the process of doing so is relatively simple.

How to Turn Off Automatic Updates in WordPress?

There are a few ways to turn off automatic updates in WordPress. We’ll cover the most common methods below.

1. Disable Automatic Updates Using wp-config.php File

The first method involves editing the WordPress wp-config.php file. This method is recommended for advanced users since it involves editing a core WordPress file.

Step 1: Access the WordPress Files via FTP or cPanel

To access the wp-config.php file, you’ll need to connect to your site’s files via FTP or cPanel. If you’re unfamiliar with these methods, contact your hosting provider for assistance.

Step 2: Back Up the wp-config.php File

Before editing any files, make sure to back up the file you’re editing in case something goes wrong.

Step 3: Edit the wp-config.php File

Once you’ve backed up the wp-config.php file, open it using a text editor. Look for the following line:

define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);

This line enables automatic updates for WordPress. To disable automatic updates, replace “true” with “false”:

define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false);

Step 4: Save and Upload the File

Save the changes you’ve made and upload the updated wp-config.php file to your server.

2. Disable Automatic Updates Using a Plugin

The second method involves using a plugin to disable automatic updates. This method is recommended for users who prefer not to edit core files.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Disable Updates Manager Plugin

The first step is to install and activate the Disable Updates Manager plugin.

Step 2: Access the Plugin Settings

After activating the plugin, go to the “Disable Updates Manager” menu option in your WordPress dashboard. Here you’ll be able to choose which updates to disable.

Step 3: Disable Automatic Updates

To disable automatic updates, go to the “Core Updates” tab and check the box next to “Disable all core updates.” You can also disable plugin and theme updates by checking the boxes next to their respective options.

Step 4: Save Changes

Finally, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page to save your settings.

3. Disable Automatic Updates Using the WP-CLI Command

Finally, you can disable automatic updates using the WP-CLI command line interface. This method is recommended for advanced users.

Step 1: Install WP-CLI

Before using the WP-CLI command, you’ll need to install it on your server. Refer to the WP-CLI documentation for installation instructions.

Step 2: Run the WP-CLI Command

To disable all automatic updates, run the following command:

wp config set WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE false --raw

This command will disable all automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes.

Step 3: Verify Changes

To verify that automatic updates have been disabled, go to the “Updates” menu option in your WordPress dashboard. If automatic updates have been disabled, you’ll see a message stating “Automatic background updates are disabled on this site.”

Conclusion

WordPress’s automatic update feature is a useful tool for keeping your site up-to-date with the latest security and feature updates. However, some site owners may prefer to have more control over their site’s updates. Fortunately, WordPress provides several methods for turning off automatic updates, ranging from editing the wp-config.php file to using a plugin or WP-CLI command.

Regardless of the method you choose, be sure to back up your files and test any updates on a development site before applying them to your live site to avoid any unexpected issues.