Whether it’s making it easier for you to package and resell hosting, manage sites, or simply keep your clients happy, Flywheel is all about taking some of the burden off of your shoulders. So when we found out that 6 out of every 7 site owners have anxieties around plugin updates, we knew we had to do something to help. That was exactly what we set out to do when creating our Managed Plugin Updates add-on!

The MPU add-on is our answer to the hours lost seeking out plugin updates—and ensuring they don’t break your clients’ sites. Using the best of AI technology paired with assistance from living, breathing WordPress experts, you can take control of how, when, and how often plugins are updated. In this article, we’ll cover:

• Why plugin updates are so important
• What sets our MPU services apart
• How our automated plugin updates are already helping agencies and freelancers

Why are plugin updates so important?

Plugins are software add-ons that have been developed by an individual or organization, generally outside of WordPress Core, to enhance a site’s functionality. Just as WordPress continues to release new updates to its core software, plugin providers will (should) continue to update, enhance, and add new features to the plugins they create. 

When these updates become available, it’s vital for you to install them and make sure you’re running the latest version of the plugin. Timely plugin updates have a major impact on your site’s overall security and performance, ensuring that features work correctly, the plugin is compatible with the latest version of WordPress, and any recently-identified bugs get squashed.

Unfortunately, plugin updates can also be time-consuming and they can also create secondary compatibility issues on your site, leaving you scrambling for a solution. That’s where our automated Managed Plugin Updates add-on comes in handy!

What sets our Managed Plugin Update services apart?

First and foremost, our MPU add-on allows you to update plugins with zero manual intervention or management on your part. 

The software helps you identify “non-spike” hours, during which you can run your updates. Sites are automatically backed up before updates are made, and they’ll automatically roll back to a previous version if there are any hiccups. Specialized AI technology and visual regression testing scans your sites before and after a scheduled plugin update to identify any unexpected differences that may have occurred.

Another important feature that sets our MPU add-on apart: technical advice from real humans! If your site was rolled back to a previous version due to a plugin issue, there’s no need to waste your precious time figuring out what went wrong. Our team will proactively troubleshoot the issue for you, and we’ll let you know the second we’ve found a fix.

Once the updates are complete and plugin errors—if any—have been resolved, you’ll get an email with a summary of your updates which you can pass on to the site’s stakeholders. This makes it easy for you to explain what you’re working on and demonstrate the value of your services without spending time on lengthy explanations.

How are automated plugin updates helping other agencies and freelancers?

Satisfied customers are reaching out to tell us just how much they’re loving Managed Plugin Updates! Here’s what one of them had to say!

“The sites that I manage that have the MPU add-on, I think about ZERO throughout the month unless the client reaches out about something. There are sites that I haven’t logged into for 3-4 months and that is awesome.”

Bryan Pappalardo, Owner, Pappalardo Digital

Additional resources

Want to learn more about Flywheel’s Managed Plugin Updates? Check out this handy doc for help explaining the importance of Managed Plugin Updates so you can resell this service to your own customers!