Disable auto updates link missing on themes WP 5.5

It will require editing your theme functions ( use a child theme to do this https://developer.www.ads-software.com/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/ ) or your
wp-config.php file.

here is an article that gives you a couple different methods which will help you accomplish this:

https://meta.mainwp.com/t/disable-automatic-plugins-and-themes-auto-updates-in-wordpress-5-5/1080

Hope this helps

hi @binarywc

thanks – however that’s not the solution I was looking for.

When I added this snippet via my Snippet plugin, the enable auto updates links from the plugin page are gone, however there is no change on the Themes windows.

I don’t want to block automatic updates – I’d like to have the option to unabe or disable them, in other words to have this link on the Themes window just like I had them for each plugin – as per the WP article on the new features.

I have seen screenshots with the Theme window showing the Enable/disable auto updates blue link – which I can’t see in my Themes.

Also Yoast SEO says in his article https://yoast.com/wordpress-5-5/

Want to enable the auto-updates for your theme? Simply click on “Appearance” in your side menu, choose “Themes” and click on “Enable auto-updates” link that you can find under your theme’s name.

My question is – How can I get this link?

thanks

The snippet plugin may not have been updated to support the filters.

Try using this (usually it would go in wp-config.php)
define( 'AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED', true );

Hope that helps.

this snippet has just caused a fatal error on my site.

I now got an email from Worpress with the site recovery methods.
Luckily my website did not crash.

Please test your snippets before giving them to people for insertion.

In that case you need to contact the plugin developer of you snippets plugin or place the code in wp-config.php…

I’ve implemented that exact snippet in the wp-config.php file on on 30 sites… no fatal errors. the plugin you are using does not work with 5.5. Contact the developer of the plugin.

For this functionality you need to do it directly in your theme as the original article I linked you to talks about or in the wp-config.php file….. using a snippet plugin to implement the code likely will crash the site.

There are plugins separate of your snippents plugin such as https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/disable-wordpress-updates/ that will also help you to disable this feature.

Out of curiosity – why wasn’t this (very simple) issue fixed before the release of 5.5 and if it was too late, why isn’t this advice included in your article on the new features? …..including that this code can’t be inserted with the Code Snippets plugin?….

it was left to the users to discover it, then to search for the solution, reach out to you, crash their site, reach to to Code Snippets developers, etc etc etc

and why didn’t you include this very important information

For this functionality you need to do it directly in your theme as the original article I linked you to talks about or in the wp-config.php file….. using a snippet plugin to implement the code likely will crash the site.

in your earlier reply? It would have saved me crashing my site.

that’s A LOT of wasted time, effort and frustration you have created for the users…

In summary, could you please confirm that:

1. If I don’t insert any codes, I will have the option to disable auto updates for the plugins but NOT for the themes which will be updating automatically

2. If I insert the first code you gave me, it will block auto updates for both plugins and themes. I will receive WP notification that new updates are available.

3. To have both options on the pluguns and themes, I need to insert the second code directly into wp-config.php file. Anywhere? at the top? at the end? I’m not a developer, my theme developer will not do it (outside the scope), so I would really appreciate the detail instructions.

thanks

You are using a plugin. Plugins are supported by their developers. There are a large number of code snippet plugins. Many are no longer supported and have not been for some time.

This thread is posted in a board that is for CORE WP Support not support for your plugin. Yes, you are looking to disable a feature of CORE but you want to add the code into a plugin therefore you need to contact the plugin developer for support. If you would share with us the exact plugin you are using we can better guide you to the right place for support.

Again, I implemented the original code and the code I provided the second time on 30 different sites with no problems. Therefore the problem are having was one of two things:
1) User error implementing the code provided
2) outdated plugin that does not work with 5.5.

I am sorry you feel otherwise but the fact is that there is no problem and it is the plugin developers responsibility to make sure their plugin works with the most recent version of wordpress.

I’m sorry but you have completely twisted the gest of my post ignoring my question:

why wasn’t this (very simple) issue fixed before the release of 5.5 and if it was too late, why isn’t this advice included in your article on the new features? …..

together with a warning that this code needs to be inserted directly into wp-config.php?

There is an embedded suggestion in my question that your articles/blogs should be updated asap with this information.

I’m not seking your advice about the plugins, clearly.
I am seeking advice about the glitch in the newly released 5.5 version of wordpress and I question your incomplete advice which crashed my website (albeit temporarily).

I would also appreciate if you – or someone else – could address my final questions:

1. If I don’t insert any codes, I will have the option to disable auto updates for the plugins but not for the themes which will be updating automatically. Please confirm.

2. If I insert the first code you gave me, it will block auto updates for both plugins and themes. I will receive WP notification that new updates are available. Please confirm.

3. To have both options on the pluguns and themes, I need to insert the second code directly into wp-config.php file. Anywhere? at the top? at the end? I’m not a developer, my theme developer will not do it (outside the scope), so I would really appreciate the detail instructions. Please advise.

thank you.

I actually did answer all of your questions already. Nothing was ignored. Let me attempt to answer them again. This “very simple issue” (in your words) was fixed before the release of 5.5 that is why the code exists to allow you to disable it. It is not our responsibility to maintain plugin code if a plugin is out of date and breaks that is the responsibility of it’s developer to update that code so it works with the new hooks that are being provided for 5.5, if they don’t that is their decision.

As far as I know if you do not insert any code auto updates will run. Period, end of story.

If however you insert the code from the article in your theme it will disable auto updates according. The article has code for disabling theme and plugins auto updates. Your other option is to use the code I provided in my later post and place it in the wp-config.php file.

Hope this clears up your confusion.

Can you provide a link to the WP 5.5 release article which identifies this automatic updates glitch and provides the code to be manually inserted in wp-config.php. I have not seen it.

If, as you say, this process was an intended part of the 5.5 installation from the start, it must have be provided to the users somewhere. I haven’t seen it in the WP release article, nor in any secondary advisories from Yoast SEO, Kinsta, Siteground, wpbeginner, Wordfence and others.

The Code Snippets plugin in not an issue here, I’m not sure why you keep referring to it as if it was the key issue. The issue is that this process which does NOT require any plugin was not included in the WP 5.5 release article.

For your information, the Code Snippet developers have advised that this type of code can only be inserted directly into wp-config.php and not via a plugin. Any plugin.

I strongly recommend that you update your release article with this information.

I will let know Wordfence (my security plugin) of my findings.

The Code Snippets plugin in not an issue here, I’m not sure why you keep referring to it as if it was the key issue. The issue is that this process which does NOT require any plugin was not included in the WP 5.5 release article.

For your information, the Code Snippet developers have advised that this type of code can only be inserted directly into wp-config.php and not via a plugin. Any plugin.

I told you that earlier in this thread. Also, I am sure that the code
from the original article I linked you to which says to add it to functions.php in your theme can be added using a plugin because I did it using a code snippets plugin on a few of the 30 sites I mentioned I implemented the code on.

All the articles I say clearly state to add the code to your themes functions.php file or in the case of the define code I provided directly in this thread they clearly say to add it to your wp-config.php.

Filters always go in the theme functions.php file no matter what they are being used for and define code like what I gave you directly in this thread always goes in the wp-config.php file no matter what. With that I will leave this for a moderator to handle from here.

Since we are going in circles and you are not providing the information I’m seeking, I will close this post as resolved.

I’m glad you were able to at least provide the code which I will insert in wp-config.php with the help of someone else who is willing to help.

one more point for your knowledge database and to set the record straight for posterity:

you said

I am sure that the code
from the original article I linked you to which says to add it to functions.php in your theme can be added using a plugin because I did it using a code snippets plugin on a few of the 30 sites I mentioned I implemented the code on.

As I told you earlier (I’m using your direct language) – the first code you gave me did insert via the Snippet plugin without any problems. So yes, on this point you are correct.

It was the second code that crashed my site.

You provided it when I said that the first code (from the article) while blocking the auto updates has removed the enable/disable option links from the plugin page. I asked if there is a way to simply restore the missing enable/disable link on themes without changing anything else – that’s all.

That second code cannot be inserted via the Snippets Plugin as advised by the developers
https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/snippet-caused-fatal-error-in-wp-5-5/#post-13259917

Case closed.

I think what you are not understanding here is that the code that crashed your site when using it in the code snippets plugin never would have worked in any code snippets plugin and is the same code that I provided here in this thread later when you said that the code provided in my link crashed your site. Also, the link I provided originally is not something I originally wrote it is just something I found in google that had the accurate information. When I provided the define code right here in this thread I did say it goes in wp-config.php very clearly if you read my post above.

Anyhow, I am glad that you see this as resolved now. Happy Blogging.

I am understanding everything perfectly.

The issue here is your confusing communication – we are on completely different pages. I’m talking about apples and you about pears not understanding that I’m referring to apples.

that’s fine.

For other wordpress users’ sake I do hope that you / WP Developers Team will update your 5.5 release advisory asap.

I have already passed on this informatiom to Wordfence so that they can update their users.