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We’ll show you how to Auto-Update WordPress Without FTP in this article. In some cases, you won’t be able to update WordPress and its plugins to a newer version without giving your FTP details. WordPress works like the engine in a car. When we need something fixed, we’d rather let the pros do it.
But we should know how to fix it if it breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Before making any changes to your website, it is always best to use a staging site or auto-update tool, which makes a backup. Updates to WordPress include important security fixes and bug changes, as well as general improvements.
But if you don’t have access to wp-admin and still need to update your site, you should know how to manually upgrade WordPress. Also, changing WordPress shouldn’t be a top priority if you don’t have access to wp-admin, unless you think that’s what’s causing the problem. You can also go to the official Microsoft support site to know more information.
How to Auto-Update WordPress Without FTP
When your web server has permission to access all the necessary files, WordPress and all the plugins you have loaded will be automatically updated. This doesn’t mean you have to have access to FTP/SFTP or SSH. Instead, you only need to set up a few things on your web server’s file rights. The system will try every possible way, and if none of them work, it will go back to FTP. This is how it goes down:
- The system tries to write a file to /wp-content.
- If it is successful, it will start comparing the ownership of the file with its unique-identifier (UID). If it matches, you’ll be able to install all the extensions and update WordPress.
- If this method fails, the system will notify you that it can’t update.
Enter an ‘FS_METHOD’
FS_METHOD makes a filesystem method happen by force. You should only choose one of direct, ssh2, ftptext, or ftpsockets. In the code from the last example, the “direct” way was used. These ways are listed from best to worst. “Direct” is the first choice, and “ftpsockets” is the fourth.
- “direct” is the First Preference. This setting is the one that the system chooses automatically. It forces the system to use Direct File/IO requests within PHP. On hosts with bad configuration, these requests can cause security issues.
- “ssh2” is the Second Preference. This setting forces the system to use the SSH PHP extension if you have it installed.
- “ftptext” is the Third Preference. This setting forces the system to use the FTP PHP extension for FTP access.
- “ftpsockets” is the Fourth Preference.
You shouldn’t use this code unless your update is giving you trouble. So, if you don’t see any changes after changing it, you might want to change it back or get rid of it. If automatic updates fail, the ‘ftpsockets’ choice should work most of the time.
FAQs
The Duplicate Post plugin is the best way to save changes without making them public. With one click, this tool makes a temporary copy of any page or post in WordPress, with all of the original settings. Then, when you are ready, you can merge your changes and update the original post.
When you signed up for your WordPress hosting account, you received an email with your FTP login information. The cPanel dashboard of your hosting account is another place where you can find details about your FTP account. If you can’t find your login information, you can get it by contacting your hosting source.