Managed Plugin Updates: FAQ

Have questions about Managed Plugin Updates? You’ve come to the right place!

How do I enable Managed Plugin Updates?

Ready to sign up? Check out this help article:

• Managed Plugin Updates: Getting started

How often do you perform plugin updates?

The default update frequency is weekly, but a daily option is available as well! You can change this and other scheduling settings on a per-site basis or globally.

To learn more, check out these help article:

• Managed Plugin Updates: Add-ons page
  Default scheduling settings

• Managed Plugin Updates: Plugins tab
  Site-specific scheduling settings

What happens if my site has issues after plugins are updated?

Once updates are complete, Flywheel performs an automated site inspection using artificial intelligence to compare the visual appearance of the site before and after the updates. If we detect any issues, we’ll revert the site to a pre-update backup and our Technical Account Specialists will troubleshoot the issue directly, updating plugins manually if possible.

Any errors our team can’t resolve will be shared with you via a support ticket accessible from your site’s Plugins tab. Learn more about this process here.

I see some of my plugins are listed as “vulnerable.” Can you update them right away?

Flywheel does not immediately update vulnerable plugins as part of Managed Plugin Updates. However, the plugin update frequency can be set to daily, which will effectively update any vulnerable plugin within 24 hours. You can also update plugins manually at any time from the site’s WP Admin area.

What happens when I add new sites to my dashboard?

New sites you create on Flywheel are not automatically enrolled in Managed Plugin Updates. Once your site is created, you can easily add it via the Add-ons page or by contacting our sales team. Check out the following help article for more information:

• Managed Plugin Updates: Managing your subscription

Will you update premium plugins?

Yes! If your site contains premium plugins, we simply require that the license for the plugin is current. If a plugin fails to update due to an expired license, we’ll summarize the issue for you in a support ticket.

Keep in mind, that Flywheel doesn’t manage license files on your behalf, you are required to keep the license keys up-to-date for any premium plugins installed on your site. Check your plugin’s documentation for more details.

Do Managed Plugin Updates support Multisite?

Yes, this feature is compatible with Multisite for WordPress!

Managed Plugin Updates work best when plugins are activated network-wide or when all plugins are active on the main site.

Keep in mind, that Managed Plugin Updates will enable maintenance mode on all subsites when updates are running.

Will you update my site’s themes?

We do not currently offer theme updates.

Theme updates are much more complex, with increased potential for breaking your site’s visual layout. We recommend these updates be performed by your site’s developer or someone who knows your site best. It’s common practice to update themes a few times a year at most, so it’s not as big of a concern as keeping plugins up-to-date.

How much does it cost?

Managed Plugin Updates is $8 per month, per site. To sign up, follow the steps in this help article:

• Managed Plugin Updates: Getting Started

Why wouldn’t I use automated updates or something similar?

This isn’t your typical plugin update tool. We leverage the power of AI to visually spot even the smallest differences in your site post-update, and if we detect an issue we can quickly roll back to the latest working site version. Then, one of our Technical Account Specialists begins troubleshooting immediately – this effectively means little to no downtime and no broken site layouts.

Tools like ManageWP and auto-updates in WordPress are great for speeding up the process of updating your plugins, however, they still require manual intervention and management by you. With Managed Plugin Updates, Flywheel’s advanced AI and our WordPress experts combine efforts to ensure updates are timely and smooth!

How do I add or remove a site from Managed Plugin Updates?

It’s easy to add or remove sites from Managed Plugin Updates. To learn more, check out the following help article:

• Managed Plugin Updates: Managing your subscription

Need help?

If you have any questions our Happiness Engineers are here to help!