Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

You can enable automatic updates from Plugins → Installed Plugins in WordPress 5.5 or later. Click Enable auto-updates beside each plugin, or select several plugins and use the bulk action. Make a current backup or confirm another rollback method first, because an update can conflict with your theme, other plugins, or custom code.

Enable automatic updates in the WordPress dashboard

  1. Sign in to your WordPress administration area.
  2. Open Plugins → Installed Plugins.
  3. Locate the plugin you want to manage and find the Automatic Updates column.
  4. Click Enable auto-updates. The link changes to Disable auto-updates when the setting is active.

WordPress added this per-plugin opt-in feature in version 5.5. It is a setting for each plugin, not a single switch that automatically enrolls every plugin on the site.

Enable updates for several plugins at once

  1. On Plugins → Installed Plugins, select the checkboxes for the plugins you want to enroll.
  2. Open the Bulk actions menu.
  3. Choose the bulk action to enable automatic updates.
  4. Click Apply.

To remove the setting, select the plugins again, choose the bulk action to disable automatic updates, and click Apply. You can also use each plugin’s Disable auto-updates link.

When will WordPress update plugins?

By default, WordPress runs plugin and theme automatic updates about twice per day. The Plugins screen shows the expected time until the next scheduled update. WordPress emails the site owner after successful updates, failed updates, or a run that contains both successes and failures.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The schedule is controlled by WordPress’s background task system, so the displayed time is an expected schedule rather than a guarantee that every plugin will update at that exact minute.

Prepare a rollback before switching auto-updates on

Automatic updates reduce maintenance work but do not remove update risk. Before enabling them, create and test a recent full backup, or verify that your hosting provider supplies a usable restore point. A backup should include the database and the files that contain WordPress, plugins, themes, and uploads.

  • Confirm that a restore point is recent enough for your site.
  • Know where the restore control is and whether restoring requires host support.
  • For a business-critical site, test the restore process on a staging copy instead of assuming the backup is usable.
  • Consider a backup plugin or managed backup service if your host does not provide dependable rollback capability.

Use WP-CLI instead of the dashboard

Administrators with shell access can manage the same setting with WP-CLI. Run these commands from the WordPress installation or provide the appropriate path in your normal WP-CLI configuration:

Task Command Scope
Enable for one plugin wp plugin auto-updates enable <plugin> Named plugin
Enable for all eligible plugins wp plugin auto-updates enable --all All eligible plugins
Disable for one plugin wp plugin auto-updates disable <plugin> Named plugin
Check the current state wp plugin auto-updates status <plugin> Named plugin

The dashboard is easier to use for occasional administration and provides a visible setting. WP-CLI is useful for scripted maintenance, repeatable deployments, command logs, and server-side troubleshooting. The --all command changes every plugin that WordPress considers eligible, so review your rollback plan before using it.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

If “Enable auto-updates” is missing

Check the WordPress version

The core control was introduced in WordPress 5.5. Upgrade an older WordPress installation before looking for the toggle, following your normal backup and compatibility process.

Check for a host or plugin restriction

On a current WordPress release, a hosting configuration or another plugin may have disabled automatic updates. Review those controls and ask your host whether it enforces an update policy. A site-management service can also manage update settings outside the standard Plugins screen.

Rank #4

Check how the plugin was installed

The core toggle is not universal for every distribution method. Plugins installed from an external ZIP may not display normal update notices unless the author provides an updater. Many premium plugins use their own licensing and update mechanism, so follow that vendor’s update instructions rather than assuming the WordPress.org control applies.

If an automatic update does not run

  1. Open Tools → Site Health and look for WP-Cron errors or loopback-request problems.
  2. Confirm that the site can make scheduled background requests and that maintenance mode is not being left active.
  3. Check whether the plugin is eligible for an update and whether its author supplies updates through WordPress or a separate updater.
  4. Review the notification email and your host’s PHP, web-server, and WordPress logs for the failed run.
  5. If the update caused an outage, restore the tested backup, disable the affected plugin, and contact the plugin author or host before trying again.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Dashboard or WP-CLI: which workflow fits?

Consideration Dashboard WP-CLI
Accessibility Works in a browser for administrators with dashboard access. Requires shell access and familiarity with command-line tools.
Scope One plugin or a selected bulk set. One plugin or all eligible plugins with --all.
Auditability Visible controls and admin notices. Command history, script logs, and server output.
Failure diagnosis Site Health, update notices, and email reports. Immediate command output plus application and server logs.

For most site owners, enable only the plugins you are comfortable updating automatically and keep a tested rollback path. Use WP-CLI when you need repeatable, logged administration or centralized server management.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.