How To Manually Update WordPress Plugin

If you;re wondering how to manually update WordPress plugin, you’ve probably tried to do it automatically and failed.

One day, you’re posting blogs and excited about how your traffic is growing. The next day, you’re met with a crashed site. That’s what can happen if a plugin update fails. Similarly, failing to keep your WordPress core updated can lead to compatibility issues and security vulnerabilities

Keeping your WordPress plugins updated is crucial for functionality and security. WordPress offers automatic updates, which can be really handy. It’s like using cruise control on an empty road—very little effort from your end. But some roads are tougher and you need to shift to manual. Similarly, some critical plugins need you to manually update them. If not, you’re at risk of crashing your site. 

Manual updates might seem daunting, but they are essential. This article will guide you step-by-step on how to manually update your WordPress plugins safely, keeping your website secure and fully operational.

TL;DR: Before making serious changes to your site, such as manually updating plugins, take a backup and create a staging site to avoid mishaps. BlogVault is a fantastic tool for this, offering reliable backups and easy staging site creation to ensure your website is protected and changes are tested safely.

A manual plugin update is complex but necessary for plugins that are critical to functionality. For example, page builder plugins like Elementor can ruin your layouts or page design if an update fails. Similarly, a WooCommerce plugin update can crash your site if it fails. This is why we recommend that you take a lot of precautions. In this article, we’ll talk about what steps to take to make sure your update goes smoothly. 

Step 1: Backup your site

Before you do anything, take a full backup of your WordPress site. This is your safety net. If something goes wrong, you can restore your site to its previous, functional state. 

A full backup includes your database, content, themes, and plugins, and a backup plugin like BlogVault makes it so easy to set one up. BlogVault offers daily automated backups and you can take them on demand when you’re making site changes. The plugin also takes backups incrementally, which makes the process faster and uses fewer server resources. 

Additionally, for websites that update frequently, such as e-commerce sites, BlogVault captures every change instantly. Finally, if something goes wrong, you can restore your site with just one click. BlogVault makes the recovery process simple, and available even offsite. Even if you lose access to your admin panel, the plugin’s external dashboard is there to rescue you. It is the only backup plugin that can restore a fully crashed site. 

Step 2: Verify access credentials and permissions

Before proceeding with a manual plugin update, it’s vital to ensure that you have the correct access credentials and permissions. Having these ready will make the process smoother and more efficient. Ensure that you have administrative access to your WordPress dashboard. Only an admin can update plugins and make significant changes. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to Users, and confirm that your account has administrative rights.

Verify that the necessary file permissions are correctly set on your server. Improper permissions can prevent you from modifying plugin files. Typically, directories should have a permission setting of 755, and files should be set to 644. You can check and modify these permissions using your FTP client.

You may need FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) credentials to access your website’s files directly. These credentials typically include your username, password, port number  and IP address. You can find it on your hosting account. 

Step 3: Put your live site in maintenance mode

When performing significant updates or changes to your website, it’s a good practice to put your site in maintenance mode. This not only prevents visitors from encountering errors or broken pages but also gives you the peace of mind to make your updates without external interference. 

This step is not necessary, if it’s a static site. But, for WooCommerce sites or sites with a lot of traffic, this may be necessary. Let’s say a customer places an order while your site is going through a WooCommerce plugin update. You risk losing that order. This is why maintenance mode is important. 

Step 4: Create a staging site

Next, set up a staging site. This is a clone of your live site where you can test the plugin update without affecting your actual site. Tools like BlogVault make it easy to create a staging environment. Testing first ensures that the update won’t break your site or cause compatibility issues.

Once you create the staging site, you will have credentials to access the staging site’s backend. You will need these credentials to test out your plugin update. 

Step 5: Monitor server resources

When updating plugins manually, the server has to process additional tasks, such as file uploads, database modifications, and script executions. These tasks can consume substantial CPU, memory, and disk I/O resources. Without monitoring, your server could become overloaded, resulting in slow performance or temporary outages.

Keep an eye on your server resources during the update process. Large plugin updates can sometimes strain your server. Monitoring tools can alert you if CPU or memory usage spikes. This helps you address any performance issues before they become critical.

Step 6: Check for incompatibilities 

Before proceeding with a plugin update, it’s critical to check the change log for potential incompatibilities. 

There are lots of tools to check for this. UpdateLens, for example, uses an excellent algorithm to figure out how safe an update is. 

Other things you can do is to review the change log yourself. This provides a detailed list of all changes made in the latest version of the plugin. By carefully reviewing this log, you can identify any new features, bug fixes, and most importantly, potential conflicts with other plugins, themes, or WordPress versions. 

• Look for notes indicating that the plugin now requires a newer version of WordPress. If your site isn’t running this version, you may need to update WordPress first, which can bring its own set of challenges.
• Check for warnings that the plugin no longer supports older versions of WordPress. Deprecated functions could break your site if you’re using an outdated WordPress version.
• The change log may list specific plugins that have known conflicts with the update. Pay close attention to these notes, especially if you have any of these plugins installed on your site. In some cases, the updated plugin might require another plugin or library to function correctly. Make sure to install or update any required dependencies.
• Check for notes indicating the plugin’s compatibility with popular themes. If you’re using a custom or premium theme, ensure there are no known issues that could affect site design or some updates may require a newer version of PHP. Verify that your server runs the required PHP version, and if not, consider updating it.

How to Know the status of WordPress Plugin Update

To monitor the status of your plugins, navigate to the Plugins section in your WordPress dashboard. Here, you can see which plugins are updated and whether any are pending updates or encountering issues. Checking the status can help you identify if the problem lies with a specific plugin.

Step 7: Update the plugin on the staging site

Now, let’s start testing the update. It’s important to test it on a staging site, so your live site isn’t updated. Make sure you’re logging in with the right credentials. 

There are also a few different ways to do this:

Option 1: Upload to admin dashboard

1. Download the latest version of the plugin as a .zip file from the plugin repository.
2. Navigate to Plugins in the sidebar, Then, click Installed Plugins.
3. Find the plugin you wish to update, click Deactivate, and then click Delete.
4. Click Add New at the top and then, click the Upload Plugin button at the top.

5. Click Choose File, select the .zip file you downloaded, and click Install Now.
6. Once the plugin is installed, click Activate Plugin.

Option 2. Using an FTP client

1. Go to the plugin repository or the developer’s page and download the latest version of the plugin as a .zip file.
2. We’re using Cyberduck. So, open Cyberduck and click Open Connection. 
3. Add FTP credentials and click Connect.
4. Navigate to the root folder. This can be called public_html as well.
5. Then, navigate to /wp-content/plugins.

1. Locate the folder of the plugin you wish to update, right-click it, and select Delete.
2. Extract the downloaded .zip plugin file on your computer.
3. Drag and drop the extracted plugin folder from your computer into the wp-content/plugins directory in Cyberduck.
4. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Plugins.
5. Click Installed Plugins, find the updated plugin, and click Activate.

Option 3: Using cPanel

1. Download the latest version of the plugin as a .zip file from the plugin repository.
2. Access your web hosting control panel (cPanel) via your hosting provider.
3. In cPanel, go to File Manager and navigate to /wp-content/plugins.

4. Locate the folder of the plugin you want to update, right-click the folder, and select Delete.
5. Click Upload, then choose the .zip file you downloaded.
6. Once uploaded, go back to the plugins directory, right-click the .zip file, and select Extract.
7. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard and then, navigate to Plugins in the sidebar. Click Installed Plugins, and activate the new version of the plugin.

Step 8: Test everything

We really do mean that you have to test everything. 

Start by checking the primary functions related to the updated plugin to make sure it’s working as expected. Then, navigate through various pages on your site, verifying that there are no errors or broken links. Test interactive elements such as forms, buttons, and sliders to ensure they are still responsive. 

Additionally, check the site’s loading speed and monitor for any performance issues, as plugin updates can sometimes affect site speed. 

Don’t forget to verify that your site looks and behaves correctly across different browsers and devices, ensuring a consistent user experience. 

Finally, if your site includes e-commerce functionality, conduct test transactions to confirm that the checkout process is seamless. Comprehensive testing will help you catch and fix any potential issues before they affect your live users.

Step 9: Push changes to live site

Once you’ve thoroughly tested your site and confirmed that everything is functioning correctly, it’s time to go live with the updated plugin. With BlogVault, this process is incredibly simple and efficient. 

In the staging site section of BlogVault’s dashboard, you will find a Merge button. Clicking this button initiates the process of merging your tested, updated version from the staging site to the live site.

BlogVault handles the complexities of staging sites, ensuring a seamless transition. It transfers all changes, including new files and database updates, ensuring that your live site mirrors the tested staging environment. It minimizes the risk of errors and makes the deployment process stress-free. 

Step 10: Update database 

Some plugins like Elementor and WooCommerce will sometimes require a database update as well.For WooCommerce, you might see a prompt to update the WooCommerce database after updating the plugin.You can do that on the dashboard too. Navigate to Dashboard in the sidebar. Then, click Updates and click Update Now  to install the latest version.

Step 11: Clear cache

After you’ve confirmed that everything is functioning perfectly post-update, the last crucial step is to clear your site’s cache. Caching can cause outdated files to be served to visitors, leading to issues like missing updates or incorrect site rendering. Here’s how to ensure that your latest changes are visible to all users. 

Step 12: Test everything again

After going live with your updated plugin, it’s crucial to conduct one final round of testing—this time on your live site. This ensures that everything is functioning as expected. Re-test all the core functions of the updated plugin to make sure everything works as it should. Click through your website’s menus and links to ensure they are all operational. Ensure that all forms can be submitted and that buttons execute the proper actions. Check any dynamic elements to make sure they are responsive and functioning correctly. Test the loading speed of your site to ensure the update hasn’t slowed it down. 

Make sure that server resources such as CPU and memory are within acceptable limits. Test your site on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to ensure consistent behavior. Check how your site looks and functions on different devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

If you have a WooCommerce site, make sure that the cart, checkout, and payment processes work flawlessly.

All your product pages should also be displayed correctly and the users will be able to add items to their cart.

Conducting this final round of comprehensive testing provides the assurance that your site is ready to go live, minimizing the risk of post-deployment issues.

Best practices for updating plugins

Updating plugins is a crucial part of maintaining a secure and efficient WordPress site, but doing so haphazardly can lead to problems. Following best practices ensures that your updates go smoothly and your site remains stable and secure. 

• Always perform a full backup of both your site files and database before updating plugins. This ensures that you can revert to a previous state if something goes wrong.
• Ensure that the updated version of the plugin is compatible with your current theme.
• Check for compatibility with other active plugins on your site.
• Verify that the plugin update is compatible with your current version of WordPress.
• Read the plugin’s changelog to understand the updates, new features, bug fixes, and potential breaking changes.
• Check the plugin documentation for any specific update instructions or considerations.
• Set up a staging site or a local development environment to test the plugin update. This allows you to identify and resolve any issues before applying the update to your live site.
• Update plugins individually rather than all at once to easily identify which plugin causes issues if problems arise.
• Temporarily deactivate caching and minification plugins and clear your site’s cache to avoid conflicts during the update process.
• Disable auto-updates for critical plugins like Elementor.
• Browse through your site’s frontend to ensure all functionalities are working as expected.
• Ensure the WordPress admin area is functioning correctly without any errors.
• Test areas critical to your site such as forms, e-commerce transactions, user logins, and any interactive elements.
• Ensure that your site performs well across different browsers and devices.
• Use monitoring tools to check for performance issues after the update.
• Scan for vulnerabilities and malware in the new update.
• Make plugin updates a regular part of your site maintenance routine to avoid outdated and insecure plugins.
• Subscribe to plugin update notifications and newsletters to stay informed about new updates and security patches.

Final thoughts

Plugin updates can be risky if not done right, potentially leading to site crashes, functionality issues, or security vulnerabilities. To mitigate these risks, always use a staging site to test the updates before applying them to your live site and take a full backup of your website. Also, with bigger plugins, check the changelogs to gauge the impact of the update on your site. 

BlogVault excels in all of these areas, offering seamless staging site creation, reliable, automated backups, and an effective risk analysis of the changes the update will bring. Its incremental backup technology ensures fast and efficient backups without straining your server, while its one-click restore feature allows for quick recovery if anything goes wrong. By using BlogVault, you can confidently navigate the plugin update process, knowing you have a secure safety net in place.

FAQs

How do I manually update WordPress plugins?

To manually update a WordPress plugin, start by taking a backup and creating a staging site. Then, download the latest version of the plugin from the official repository or the developer’s site. Next, deactivate the current version of the plugin from your WordPress dashboard. Upload the folder using the admin panel. Finally, reactivate the updated plugin in your WordPress dashboard and test to ensure everything works correctly.

How do I update the version of a plugin in WordPress?

To update the version of a plugin in WordPress, you can typically go to the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Plugins section, and find the plugin that needs updating. If an update is available, you will see an Update Now link next to the plugin. Click this link to update the plugin automatically. We recommend you take a backup and test the update on a staging site first. 

How do I manually upload a WordPress plugin?

To manually upload a WordPress plugin, first, download the plugin file (usually a .zip file) from the plugin repository or developer’s site. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins. Then, click Add New. Click Upload Plugin button at the top of the page. Choose the .zip file you downloaded and click Install Now. Once the installation is complete, click Activate Plugin to enable the new plugin on your site.

How do I upload a plugin to WordPress update? 

To upload a plugin update to WordPress manually, first download the latest version of the plugin from the official repository or developer’s website. Log in to your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins. Click Add New, and click on the Upload Plugin button. Choose the updated plugin .zip file you downloaded and click Install Now. WordPress will recognize that it’s an update and will replace the existing plugin files with the new ones. After installation, make sure to click Activate Plugin to re-enable the updated plugin on your site and test for any issues.