anttiviljami/wp-safe-updates

Test WordPress plugin updates safely before applying them on the live site.

WP Safe Updates

, _(*1)

Test WordPress plugin updates safely before applying them on the live site., _(*2)

Core trac ticket discussion: #37301, _(*3)

Disclaimer

Please make sure to always have backups of all your WordPress files and database before updating plugins or themes. We are not responsible for any misuse, deletions, white screens, fatal errors, or any other issue arising from using this plugin., _(*4)

How does it work?

This plugin adds a "test update" button when plugin updates are available. Clicking it will trigger the creation of a sandbox where you can safely test updating plugins without affecting the live site. Once finished testing the plugin, you can go back to the live site and do the real updates if all is well., _(*5)

The sandbox works similarly to how WordPress multisite works. We basically tell WordPress to temporarily use a different database prefix and a different plugins directory while in the sandbox, which means while you test the update, no changes are made to the live site., _(*6)

Screenshots

The 'test update' button when an update is available for a plugin

, _(*7)

Updating the plugin safely in an alternative heap

, _(*8)

Testing the updated plugin

, _(*9)

Installation

The Composer Way (preferred)

Install the plugin via Composer, _(*10)

composer require anttiviljami/wp-safe-updates

Activate the plugin, _(*11)

wp plugin activate wp-safe-updates

The Old Fashioned Way

This plugin is available on the official WordPress.org plugin directory., _(*12)

You can also install the plugin by directly uploading the zip file as instructed below:, _(*13)

1. Download the plugin
2. Upload to the plugin to /wp-content/plugins/ via the WordPress plugin uploader or your preferred method
3. Activate the plugin