Automatic Updater installs WordPress updates automatically

Martin Brinkmann
Oct 6, 2012
Development
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12

One of your tasks as a WordPress admin is to update the blog software, themes or plugins whenever updates become available. Here it is essential to be fast if the update fixes security vulnerabilities or stability issues. You can however only be fast if you are aware of an update. WordPress displays available updates in the admin dashboard, which is probably the most common way of receiving word about WordPress, theme or plugin updates.

The time it takes to install the update can be problematic if a known vulnerability or issue is fixed by the update. Say you are going on a trip for some time with no option to access your blog to update it in that time. Another possible scenario is an update that gets released when you are sleeping, so that you only get to know about it the next morning.

Automatic Updater is a WordPress plugin that resolves this by installing updates automatically when they get released. This only works if file permissions are set correctly so that files can be updated via the WordPress web interface / the plugin.

The main benefit here is that updates get installed as soon as they are released, reducing the time between updates significantly. It needs to be noted though that this only works if you do not test updates before they get installed on a live system, and that you can very well run into a situation where an automatically installed update causes a issue on the blog.

wordpress automatic updates

If you are unlikely to be affected by this, for instance because you are running standard WordPress with the default theme, then it is unlikely that you may experience any issues ussing the add-on to update the blog and its files automatically. I would not recommend using the automatic update plugin on important sites, but on sites that are smaller or less important, it is a solid option to reduce the time it takes to update and reduce the time it takes to administrate the blog. (via Nirmal)

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Comments

  1. Keith Hecht said on September 27, 2013 at 8:26 am
    Reply

    Thanks, A very useful information

  2. Keith Hecht said on September 26, 2013 at 8:05 am
    Reply

    Thanks, A very useful information .

  3. Rene said on December 1, 2012 at 6:33 am
    Reply

    idont know about this

  4. gary said on October 8, 2012 at 7:09 pm
    Reply

    This would have been nice when my roleplaying site was on wordpress. We never were up to date cause no one had time to do the updates.

    Now if they’d come up with an auto update for vbulletin it would help the current roleplaying site. We’re so far behind…

    1. Shane Gowland said on October 9, 2012 at 10:17 am
      Reply

      Updating WordPress literally involves two clicks, every three month. You must have been immensely busy with all the role playing to not have time for that.

  5. Ken Saunders said on October 8, 2012 at 8:05 am
    Reply

    One thing that I like about DreamHost is the WordPress automatic updates (if chosen).

    Perhaps one day you could do a guide to securing WordPress. Mine was compromised twice and I only use a few plugins.
    I don’t have full faith in WP any longer, but there really isn’t anything better so I use it reluctantly.

  6. Elliott Richmond said on October 7, 2012 at 9:55 am
    Reply

    Interesting, not sure I would like to have an auto update on many sites that need vigorous testing just to be sure nothing has been broken.

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