85ideas.com | Auto-deactivate or stop WP auto-updates

30 Oct Auto-deactivate or stop WP auto-updates

Posted at 13:59h in Blog by Arthur Brown 0 Comments

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Keeping your WordPress site tidy and under control is one thing. But when it starts updating itself without asking? That’s another story! Sometimes those sneaky auto-updates can break stuff, make plugins act weird, or even crash your whole site. Yikes. Don’t worry — disabling or stopping auto-updates in WordPress is easier than you think.

Table of Contents

Why WordPress Auto-Updates Happen

WordPress tries to be helpful. When they release a new version, your site might just update itself, poof! It’s done. This includes:

Core updates (like WordPress version 6.1 to 6.2)
Plugin updates
Theme updates
Security patches

Helpful? Sure. But also risky if you have custom stuff, use certain plugins, or hate surprises.

Good or Bad? Let’s Weigh It Out

Auto-updates can be great! Here’s why:

Improved security
Bug fixes come fast
No need to press any buttons

Auto-updates can be bad too:

They can break custom changes
Updates may not be tested with your exact site setup
You have no control over timing

If you’re feeling lucky or running a very simple site, maybe auto-updates are fine. But if your site is important (business, store, portfolio), it’s smarter to take control.

Types of Auto-Updates

Let’s break down what you can control:

WordPress core updates — The main system files
Plugin updates — Those magic features you add on top
Theme updates — The design/style of your site

How to Stop WordPress Auto-Updates

Now for the fun part — shutting it down (gently).

1. Use Code (Easy Copy-Paste Style)

If you’re comfy editing files, this method is solid. You’ll be adding a line to your wp-config.php file in your site’s root directory.

To stop all core updates, add this line before the line that says “That’s all, stop editing!”:

define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false);

This disables core updates. No more site surprises!

2. Use a Plugin (Way Easier)

Don’t want to mess with code? Install a plugin! Here are some great picks:

Easy Updates Manager — Super popular, lets you pick what to turn on/off
ManageWP — Control updates for many sites together
WP Control — Offers deeper control for advanced users

With plugins, just install, click a few toggles, and boom, you’re the boss again.

3. Disable Theme and Plugin Auto-Updates

As of WordPress 5.5+, plugins and themes can update themselves too. Want to stop that?

Here’s how to turn it off:

Go to your WordPress Dashboard
Click Plugins and look at the list
Under each plugin, click Disable auto-updates
Repeat for Appearance > Themes

You can also use a code method to disable this across the board.

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_false' );
add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_false' );

Add that code to your theme’s functions.php file or through a code snippets plugin.

Optional: Keep Security Updates, Stop The Rest

Don’t want full updates, but okay with security patches? That’s possible!

Edit your wp-config.php with this instead:

define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', 'minor' );

This tells WordPress: “Okay, you can update small stuff, like security fixes. But no big version jumps.”

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Bonus: Get Notified, Stay in the Loop

If you disable auto-updates, you still want to know when updates are available. Here’s how:

Use a plugin like WP Updates Notifier
Set alerts to get emails when updates are ready
Update manually when you’re ready (and backed up!)

This way, you’re always in charge — no robots sneak in.

Tips Before You Update Manually

Be smart. Always follow these tips:

Backup your website. Use plugins like UpdraftPlus
Test updates on a staging site if possible
Update one thing at a time — don’t just click “Update All”

Rushing is how things break. Be slow, be steady, be safe.

Summary: You’re in Control Now

Stopping WordPress auto-updates isn’t rocket science — it’s actually pretty easy. Whether you do it by code or plugin, the goal is the same: take back control.

Let’s recap: