This guide installs Updatronix and introduces each of its screens. It is written for site owners and administrators.
What Updatronix does
Updatronix adds two layers to the automatic update system that ships with WordPress.
- Monitoring: you get a record of every core, plugin, theme, and translation update, with the version before and after, what started the run, and how it ended.
- Control: you get one screen for the automatic update settings that WordPress scatters across several pages, plus a schedule for update checks and an optional delay for new releases.
Updatronix hooks into the native update engine instead of replacing it. Your automatic update choices are stored in WordPress’s own options, so they stay in effect even if you delete the plugin later.
Requirements
Updatronix needs WordPress 6.2 or later and PHP 8.1 or later. You also need Administrator access on a single site, or Super Admin access on a WordPress multisite network.
Install and activate
- In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for
updatronix, or upload the plugin ZIP file you downloaded. - Install and activate Updatronix – Update Manager Enhanced.
On a multisite network, activate Updatronix from the Network Admin so it applies network-wide. Activating it on a subsite does nothing, and the plugin shows a notice pointing you to Network Admin → Updatronix; Updatronix only runs from the Network Admin on multisite. See Multisite for details.
What activation does
Activation runs once, on its own:
- Grants the
manage_updatronixcapability to the administrator role. This step runs on single-site installs only, because Super Admins always have access on multisite. - Creates the database table that stores the update history.
- Schedules the daily cleanup event that removes log entries older than the retention period you set.
Deactivation stops the scheduled tasks and keeps your logs and settings. Deleting the plugin removes them; see Uninstall.
Open Updatronix
On a single site, Updatronix appears in two places, and both open the same screen:
- Tools → Updatronix
- Update logs under the Dashboard menu
On multisite, open Updatronix in the Network Admin sidebar.
The four tabs
The Updatronix screen has four tabs, in this order:
| Tab | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Update logs | Read and filter the history of updates, inspect entry details, delete single entries, and export the log as a plain-text report. |
| Auto-updates | Choose what updates automatically: WordPress core, plugins, themes, and translations, including individual plugins and themes. |
| Schedule | Pick how often WordPress checks for updates and at what time, and hold new releases for a number of days. |
| Settings | Turn logging on or off, choose how long entries are kept, and manage update notification emails. |
The page header shows the plugin version and links to the changelog, this documentation, the source code, reviews, and support.
First steps
- Check that logging is on. Open Update logs; if logging is off, the tab tells you to turn it on in Settings.
- Review what already updates automatically on your site in Auto-updates.
- Set a preferred check time in Schedule if you want WordPress to run update checks on your own clock, or hold new releases for a few days.
- Finish in Settings, where you set how long log entries are kept and where update notification emails go.
Where to go next
- Read and export the update history: Update logs
- Control automatic updates: Auto-updates
- Change update check frequency or delay releases: Schedule
- Configure logging and email notifications: Settings
- Run Updatronix on a network: Multisite
- Who can access Updatronix: Roles and capabilities
- Remove the plugin cleanly: Uninstall
- Fix common problems: Troubleshooting
The Pro edition, Updatronix 3000, extends Updatronix with compatibility checks that run before automatic updates install. Its user documentation sits alongside this one.
