How to update or install a WordPress plugin manually via FTP or backend.

Last Updated on: 26th September 2016, 10:54 pm

Sometimes you cannot update a WordPress or WooCommerce plugin via your backend using the auto update option. It happens. My advice: ignore it and update manually. Only if the issue persists and the lack of auto update is starting to annoy you multiple times, escalate to a support queue.

A manual update for a paid WooCommerce extension is done as follows.

  1. Go to your WooCommerce account and download the extension.
  2. Unpack the extension.
  3. Upload via a FTP client. I use FileZilla in my video.
  4. Overwrite the existing files completely.
  5. Done.
  6. Alternatively you can use this super convenient plugin to update your plugin manually from the WordPress backend.
    Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades.

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2 responses

  1. Cheska Avatar
    Cheska

    Hi!

    I tried auto update my WooCommerce 2.6.2 but It can’t be – took forever to move..
    So after watching your video, I decided to update it manually via FTP.
    But before i proceed in doing it, I would like to ask and hope you could enlighten my mind. lol
    I have also manually backup the site by copying all data from wp-content folder just incase something wrong along the way.
    The existing/current version of my WooCommerce is 2.4 and there is 2.6.2 version available.
    Would it be okay to rename the old version of WooCommerce plugin to Old-WooCommerce and upload the new version. My question is, the existing product on my shop, will be still retain If i’m doing it this way?

    Any suggestion of yours would be a BIG help…

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Con Schneider Avatar
      Con Schneider

      Hi Cheska,

      tried auto update my WooCommerce 2.6.2 but It can’t be – took forever to move..

      Yeah, sometimes the auto update just does not work as it should

      So after watching your video, I decided to update it manually via FTP.

      Always a good plan B. 🙂

      But before i proceed in doing it, I would like to ask and hope you could enlighten my mind. lol
      I have also manually backup the site by copying all data from wp-content folder just incase something wrong along the way.

      Having a backup is always the best idea.
      Here are some additional tips on how to do so: https://conschneider.de/how-to-backup-your-wordpress-database-and-files/

      The existing/current version of my WooCommerce is 2.4 and there is 2.6.2 version available.
      Would it be okay to rename the old version of WooCommerce plugin to Old-WooCommerce and upload the new version. My question is, the existing product on my shop, will be still retain If i’m doing it this way?

      Yes that is a feasible way. Updating WooCommerce does not touch your database in a way ever that things get deleted. If it happens, than something went seriously wrong. After you have updated WooCommerce it will prompt you to update the database structure via a notification in the backend. Do not ignore this and apply the database update as well.

      Any suggestion of yours would be a BIG help…

      Sure thing and godspeed.

      Reply

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Con Schneider