The Disable Automatic Updates function prevents WordPress from automatically updating plugins, themes, or WordPress core. This gives you complete control over when updates are applied to your site.
Overview
Automatic updates can occasionally break sites, especially with complex themes like Voxel. This function lets you disable auto-updates selectively for plugins, themes, and/or WordPress core.
Key Features
Disable plugin auto-updates
Disable theme auto-updates
Disable WordPress core auto-updates
Selective control (choose which to disable)
Simple toggle configuration
Setup Instructions
Step 1: Enable the Function
Navigate to Voxel Toolkit > Functions in your WordPress admin
Find Disable Automatic Updates in the list
Toggle the switch to enable the function
Click Save Changes
Step 2: Configure Update Settings
Select which types of updates to disable:
Option
Description
Disable Plugin Updates
Prevents automatic plugin updates
Disable Theme Updates
Prevents automatic theme updates
Disable Core Updates
Prevents automatic WordPress core updates (major and minor)
What Gets Disabled
Plugin Updates
Background automatic plugin updates
Security updates for plugins
Updates still appear in dashboard, just not applied automatically
Theme Updates
Background automatic theme updates
Parent and child theme updates
Updates still appear in dashboard for manual application
Core Updates
Major version updates (e.g., 6.4 to 6.5)
Minor version updates (e.g., 6.4.1 to 6.4.2)
Security patches
Sets WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE constant to false
Security Warning: Disabling automatic updates means you are responsible for keeping your site updated. Outdated software can have security vulnerabilities. Make sure to regularly check for and apply updates manually.
Use Cases
Production Site Stability
Test updates on a staging site before applying to production to avoid unexpected issues.
Complex Theme Dependencies
Voxel and Elementor updates may need testing before applying. Disable auto-updates to control timing.
Managed Hosting
Some hosts provide their own update management. Disable WordPress auto-updates to avoid conflicts.
Best Practices
With Auto-Updates Disabled
Check for updates at least weekly
Create a backup before updating
Test updates on a staging site first
Apply security updates promptly
Subscribe to security advisories for your plugins
Troubleshooting
Updates Still Happening
Check if other plugins are forcing updates
Verify function is enabled and specific update types are checked
Check if hosting provider has their own update system
Clear any caching
Can’t Re-Enable Updates
Disable this function in Voxel Toolkit settings
WordPress auto-updates will resume on next cron run
