What You’ll Accomplish
- Update WordPress core, plugins, themes, and translations individually or in bulk
- Configure automatic updates for trusted plugins, themes, and translations
- Ignore specific updates globally or per site, including WordPress core and translation updates
- Use the rollback feature to recover from failed updates
Prerequisites
- MainWP Dashboard installed and activated
- At least one child site connected to your Dashboard
- Sites synced recently to have current update data
Before running updates, synchronize your child sites to ensure all available updates are displayed.
WordPress Core Updates
Update All WordPress Installations
1
Navigate to WordPress Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > WordPress Updates.
2
Update all sites
Click Update All Sites in the table header.
3
Confirm
Confirm when prompted.
Update a Single WordPress Installation
1
Navigate to WordPress Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > WordPress Updates.
2
Locate site
Find the WordPress installation in the table.
3
Update
Click Update Now in its row.
Auto Update WordPress Core
Enable automatic WordPress core updates in two steps: enable the feature, then enable it for individual sites.Enable Auto Updates Feature
1
Navigate to Settings
Go to MainWP > Settings.
2
Find Update Settings
Locate the Update Settings section.
3
Enable
Set WP Core auto-updates to Install updates.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
Enable Auto Update for a Site
1
Navigate to Manage Sites
Go to MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites.
2
Edit site
Find the site and click Edit from the actions menu.
3
Enable auto update
Set Auto Update Core to YES.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
MainWP Auto Update is independent from WordPress native auto-updates. It uses WP Cron and may take up to 24 hours after detecting an update. Use Uptime Robot to ping your Dashboard for reliable cron execution.
Ignore WordPress Core Updates
You can ignore WordPress core updates for individual child sites, or ignore a specific WordPress core version from the WordPress Updates table.Ignore Core Update for a Site
1
Navigate to Manage Sites
Go to MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites.
2
Edit site
Find the site and click Edit from the actions menu.
3
Enable ignore
Set Ignore Core Update to YES.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
Ignore a Specific Core Version
1
Navigate to WordPress Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > WordPress Updates.
2
Locate the site
Find the child site with the WordPress core update you want to ignore.
3
Select an ignore option
Use the row action to select Ignore this version, Ignore this version globally, or Ignore all versions.
Un-ignore Core Update
Use the same child site settings steps and set Ignore Core Update to NO. To review ignored WordPress core versions, go to MainWP > Updates > WordPress Updates and click View Ignored Updates. This button appears only when ignored WordPress core updates exist. The ignored WordPress core updates page useswp-admin/admin.php?page=UpdatesManage&tab=updates-ignore, but it is not shown as a separate Updates menu item. MainWP opens it from the View Ignored Updates button on the WordPress Updates tab.
If WordPress core is up to date but ignored WordPress core updates still exist, the action bar remains visible. View Ignored Updates stays clickable, while Update Selected WP Cores and Update All WP Cores are disabled because there are no actionable WordPress core updates on the current tab.
Plugin Updates
Update All Plugins on All Sites
1
Navigate to Plugin Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins.
2
Update all
Click Update All Plugins (Update All Sites).
3
Confirm
Confirm when prompted.
Update a Single Plugin on All Sites
1
Navigate to Plugin Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Item.
3
Locate plugin
Find the plugin you want to update.
4
Update
Click Update All in the plugin row.
Update All Plugins on a Single Site
1
Navigate to Plugin Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Site.
3
Locate site
Find the child site.
4
Update
Click Update All in the site row.
Update a Single Plugin on a Single Site
1
Navigate to Plugin Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates.
2
Select view
Set View updates per to Site.
3
Locate site
Find the child site and expand its row.
4
Update plugin
Find the plugin and click Update Now.
View Plugin History
The plugin update rows include a History action so you can review recent change activity before or after updates.1
Open a plugin row with History
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates and use the Site, Item, or Tag view. You can also use History in plugin rows in individual site update tables.
2
Open the history modal
Click History in the plugin row.
3
Review activity details
Review the action timeline with actor, source (Dashboard or WP Admin), timestamp, and version change when available.
4
Switch history views
Use Day History to group actions by date, then use Plugin History to switch to plugin-grouped actions for that day.
5
Load older records
Click Load More in the modal to display earlier activity.
If you see “This plugin has no recorded activity in Dashboard Insights,” check Network Activity and Dashboard Insights settings to confirm logging and retention are configured.
Plugin Auto Updates
Enable Auto Updates
1
Navigate to Settings
Go to MainWP > Settings.
2
Find Update Settings
Locate the Updates Settings section.
3
Enable
Set Plugin automatic updates to Install Updates.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
Mark Plugins as Trusted
1
Navigate to Auto Updates
Go to MainWP > Plugins > Auto Updates.
2
Filter plugins
Use Status, Trust Status, and Keyword filters to find plugins.
3
Search
Click Show Plugins.
4
Select and trust
Check the plugins to trust, select Trust from Bulk Actions, and click Apply.
Ignore Plugin Updates
1
Navigate to Plugin Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Item.
3
Ignore
Find the plugin and select your ignore option.
Un-ignore a Plugin
When ignored plugin updates exist, you can click View Ignored Updates on MainWP > Updates > Plugins Updates. You can also use the Plugins menu path below.1
Navigate to Ignored Updates
Go to MainWP > Plugins > Ignored Updates.
2
Un-ignore
Find the plugin and click Unignore.
If there are no available plugin updates but ignored plugin updates exist, the Plugin Updates action bar remains visible. View Ignored Updates stays clickable, while plugin update buttons such as Update Selected Plugins and Update All Sites are disabled.
Theme Updates
Update All Themes on All Sites
1
Navigate to Theme Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates.
2
Update all
Click Update All Sites (Update All Themes).
3
Confirm
Confirm when prompted.
Update a Single Theme on All Sites
1
Navigate to Theme Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Plugin/Theme.
3
Locate theme
Find the theme you want to update.
4
Update
Click Update All in the theme row.
Update All Themes on a Single Site
1
Navigate to Theme Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Site.
3
Locate site
Find the child site.
4
Update
Click Update All in the site row.
Update a Single Theme on a Single Site
1
Navigate to Theme Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Site.
3
Locate site
Find the child site and expand its row.
4
Update theme
Find the theme and click Update Now.
View Theme History
The theme update rows include a History action so you can review recent change activity before or after updates.1
Open a theme row with History
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates and use the Site, Item, or Tag view. You can also use History in theme rows in individual site update tables.
2
Open the history modal
Click History in the theme row.
3
Review activity details
Review the action timeline with actor, source (Dashboard or WP Admin), timestamp, and version change when available.
4
Switch history views
Use Day History to group actions by date, then use Theme History to switch to theme-grouped actions for that day.
5
Load older records
Click Load More in the modal to display earlier activity.
If you see “This theme has no recorded activity in Dashboard Insights,” check Network Activity and Dashboard Insights settings to confirm logging and retention are configured.
Theme Auto Updates
Enable Auto Updates
1
Navigate to Settings
Go to MainWP > Settings.
2
Find Update Settings
Locate the Update Settings section.
3
Enable
Enable Theme Automatic Updates.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
Mark Themes as Trusted
1
Navigate to Auto Updates
Go to MainWP > Themes > Auto Updates.
2
Filter themes
Use Status, Trust Status, and Keyword filters to find themes.
3
Search
Click Show Themes.
4
Select and trust
Check the themes to trust, select Trust from Bulk Actions, and click Confirm.
Ignore Theme Updates
1
Navigate to Theme Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates.
2
Select view
Set Show updates per to Item.
3
Ignore
Find the theme and select your ignore option.
Un-ignore a Theme
When ignored theme updates exist, you can click View Ignored Updates on MainWP > Updates > Themes Updates. You can also use the Themes menu path below.1
Navigate to Ignored Updates
Go to MainWP > Themes > Ignored Updates.
2
Un-ignore
Find the theme and click Unignore.
If there are no available theme updates but ignored theme updates exist, the Theme Updates action bar remains visible. View Ignored Updates stays clickable, while theme update buttons such as Update Selected Themes and Update All Themes are disabled.
Translation Updates
Update All Translations on All Sites
1
Navigate to Translation Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Translation Updates.
2
Update all
Click Update All to run all available translation updates.
Update Translations on a Single Site
1
Navigate to Translation Updates
Go to MainWP > Updates > Translation Updates.
2
Switch to Site view
Set Show updates per to Site.
3
Update the site
Find the child site and run the available translation updates for that site.
Translation Auto Updates
Configure translation auto-updates globally in MainWP > Settings, under the Updates Settings section.1
Navigate to Settings
Go to MainWP > Settings.
2
Find Updates Settings
Locate the Updates Settings section.
3
Enable translation auto updates
Set Translation advanced automatic updates to Install Trusted Updates.
4
Save
Click Save Settings.
Safe Updates / Rollback
MainWP 5.1 introduced a rollback feature that integrates with the WordPress core rollback feature from WordPress 6.3.How Rollback Works
The rollback feature is active on all MainWP Dashboard pages where updates can be triggered, including the Updates page, Manage Plugins, Manage Themes, and extension pages. It works for both individual and bulk updates.
Rollback Notices
When a rollback occurs, an orange icon with a tooltip appears. This notice persists on relevant Dashboard pages until the plugin or theme is successfully updated.
Manual Rollback
During updates, WordPress stores the current version temporarily. If the update fails, that version is restored. There is no permanent storage for manual rollback to previous versions. To install a previous version of a WordPress.org plugin:1
Visit plugin page
Navigate to the plugin page on wordpress.org (e.g., https://wordpress.org/plugins/mainwp/).
2
Open Advanced
Click Advanced in the sidebar.
3
Download version
Select the desired version from the dropdown and click Download.
4
Install
Upload and install the plugin via Install by Upload.
Self-Check Checklist
- WordPress core updates complete successfully
- Plugin updates work for individual and bulk operations
- Theme updates work for individual and bulk operations
- Auto updates are configured for trusted items
- Ignored updates no longer appear in update lists
- Rollback feature functions on WordPress 6.3+ sites
Related Resources
- Does MainWP Have Safe Updates - Learn about update safety features
- Change Update Frequency - Adjust sync and update timing
- Manage Plugins - Full plugin management
- Manage Themes - Full theme management