About this plugin
kanenas — Minor/Patch Auto-Updates gives you granular control over automatic updates. While WordPress allows you to enable or disable auto-updates entirely, this adds a third option: auto-update only minor and patch versions while keeping major versions at bay.
Why Use This?
Major version updates often introduce significant changes that may:
- Break compatibility with other extensions
- Introduce new features that require testing
- Change the behavior of existing functionality
- Require database migrations or manual intervention
With this, you can:
- Receive security patches automatically – Minor and patch versions typically contain security fixes
- Get bug fixes without intervention – Patch versions are generally safe to apply automatically
- Control major updates manually – Review major version changes before applying them
- Maintain site stability – Reduce the risk of unexpected breaking changes
How It Works
PATCH) to determine update types:
- Major update (e.g., 1.0.0 → 2.0.0): Blocked from auto-update
- Minor update (e.g., 1.0.0 → 1.1.0): Allowed to auto-update
- Patch update (e.g., 1.0.0 → 1.0.1): Allowed to auto-update
Internally, this plugin runs only on WordPress auto-update decision filters:
- auto_update_plugin
- auto_update_theme
When you enable minor/patch mode for a plugin or theme, it also adds that item to WordPress core’s auto_update_plugins / auto_update_themes site options so the automatic updater treats it as opted-in the same way as the Plugins/Themes screen toggle.
It does not rewrite update API responses ( plugins_api ) and does not modify updater transients ( pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins ). Premium update discovery and license validation remain managed by each vendor updater.
Features
- Per-item control – Enable minor/patch auto-updates for specific items
- Easy toggle – Simple links in the admin pages
- Non-intrusive – Works alongside WordPress’s native auto-update system
- Clean uninstall – Removes all data when uninstalled
- Translation ready – Fully prepared for localization
Usage
- Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins
- Look for the “Enable auto-updates minor/patch” link below each plugin’s auto-update setting
- Click to enable/disable minor/patch auto-updates for that plugin
For themes:
1. Go to Appearance → Themes
2. Click on a theme to view its details
3. Look for the “Enable auto-updates minor/patch” option in the theme details overlay
Privacy Policy
This plugin does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. It only stores plugin/theme preferences in your WordPress database.