Easy ways to Stop Automatic WordPress updates

Soon everything on your WordPress website will auto-update as automatic updates feature will become more prominent in WordPress 5.5 version and beyond. While auto-updates is a good step from the security point of view but it can result in other problems for a specific set of WordPress users.

Should I keep auto-update enabled?

So, should you keep auto-update enabled for plugins and themes as and when this is fully rolled out with WordPress 5.5 or should you disable auto-update and apply updates manually?

The answer will vary depending on the type of website and engagement of a user in managing a WordPress website. For a small brochure website with a few plugins, automatic updates can be a good option. Hence, can be kept enabled.

However, if you have a more elaborate website with a lot of plugins and custom code – disabling automatic updates would appear as a more wise decision. Also, if you happen to run courses or eCommerce on your WordPress website – disabling automatic updates for more control over updates would be a good path forward.

Code to disable automatic updates

You can disable all or specific updates on a WordPress website using the manual code. The following code has to be added to the functions.php file of your child theme. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor to navigate to functions.php file.

Note: It is always recommended to take the website backup before making any changes to files via manual code.

To disable all updates, add the following code to functions.php file

define( 'wp_auto_update_core', false );

To disable all plugin updates, add the following code to functions.php file

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_false' );

To disable all theme updates, add the following code to functions.php file

add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_false' );

Plugins to disable automatic updates

If you are not comfortable with the manual code implementation, then using a plugin is the next best option for disabling automatic updates. Easy Updates Manager is the best plugin for stop auto-updates on a WordPress website. It has a lot options to fine-tune which part of your website should auto-update. Also, its pro version expands the features set even further.

There are other plugins with similar functionality. Also, worth checking are plugins like WP Disable Automatic Updates and Disable All WordPress Updates.

Do you have another suggestion to manage automatic updates on a WordPress website? Chime in the comments below and share the goodness.