Upgrading Plugins

From time to time, WordPress plugin developers release new versions of their plugins. These new versions may be released to fix problems with the plugin, add new functionality, or make use of new features in the latest version of WordPress. Whatever the reason, you can expect to upgrade at least a couple of your plugins over the course of using WordPress.

You can upgrade plugins two easy ways: automatically and manually. Additionally, WordPress tells you which plugins need upgrading, as shown in Figure 2-8.

Figure 2-8: List of installed plugins you can upgrade.

Upgrading automatically

In the latest version of WordPress, upgrading plugins is easier than ever before. On the Dashboard, a new WordPress Updates page (DashboardUpdates) shows all available updates and includes an Update Plugins button for upgrading plugins with one click, as shown in Figure 2-9.

Figure 2-9: The WordPress Updates page.

Here's how to upgrade your plugins automatically:

1. Log in to the WordPress Dashboard and click Plugins on the Dashboard menu.

   If plugin upgrades are available, a number in a dark circle appears on the Plugins menu, as shown in Figure 2-10.

   Figure 2-10: Plugins menu showing that upgrades are available.

   

2. On the Plugins page, scroll to a plugin that displays “There is a new version of plugin available,” as shown in Figure 2-11.

   Figure 2-11: List of installed plugins showing that a plugin upgrade is available.

   

3. Click the Upgrade Automatically link.

   After the upgrade, the “Plugin Reactivated Successfully” message displays.

   If you see anything other than a successful message, you need to follow the support instructions on the Plugin page found in the WordPress Plugin Directory (on the Plugins page, find the plugin you need support for and then click the Visit plugin site link — that will take you directly to the plugin page in the WordPress Plugins Directory). This may include a FAQ tab or a Support link. Always make note of any error messages you see.

Upgrading manually

The steps to upgrade a plugin manually are similar to upgrading a plugin automatically, requiring FTP access to the server where your WordPress installation is hosted.

1. Download the latest version of the plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory or the plugin developers Web site.
2. Connect to your server via an FTP application and go to the plugins directory in the wp-content directory.

   You should see a folder with the same name as the plugin you want to upgrade.

3. Rename this folder so that you have a backup if you need it.

   Any memorable name, such as plugin-old should suffice.

4. Upload the new version of your plugin via FTP to your server so that it's in the wp-content/plugins folder.
5. Log in to the WordPress Dashboard and activate your upgraded plugin.