How to Manually Update WordPress Plugins via FTP

Do you want to learn how to manually update WordPress plugins via FTP? Sometimes the 1-click WordPress plugin update fails which can break your website. The only way to fix that is by manually updating the plugin. In this article, we will show you how to manually update WordPress plugins via FTP without breaking your website.

Why Update WordPress Plugins Manually?

WordPress comes with a built-in system to manage core, theme, and plugin updates. All you need to do is click on the update link, and it will update your plugins. For more details, see our guide on how to properly update WordPress plugins.

However sometimes these updates can fail due to incorrect file permissions, incorrect version number, or other server configuration factors.

If an update gets interrupted midway, then you will end up with a broken site. You may see briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance error, syntax error, or internal server error.

The only way to fix this is by manually updating the WordPress plugin via FTP. By doing so, you will be able to fix those errors and continue using the latest version of the plugin.

Let’s take a look at how to manually update WordPress plugins via FTP.

Manually Updating WordPress Plugins via FTP

First, you will need to download the latest version of the plugin you are trying to update. If it is a free plugin, then you can download it from the WordPress.org plugin page.

If it is a premium plugin, then you can download the latest version from the specific plugin’s website. You will need to login to your account and download the plugin to your computer.

All plugins come in .zip files, so you need to extract them.

Next, you’ll need an FTP client. We’ll be using FileZilla in our example, but you can use any FTP client you like.

To connect to your website using FTP, you will need to enter your website name in the hostname with your FTP username and password.

If you don’t know your FTP username or password, then check the email your WordPress hosting company sent you when you signed up. It usually contains your FTP username and password.

Alternatively, you can also find this information in the cPanel dashboard of your hosting account.

Once you are connected to your website via FTP, you need to go to /wp-content/plugins/ folder.

You’ll see different folders for all the plugins you have installed on your WordPress site. Right click on the plugin that you want to update and then select ‘Rename’.

Now rename this plugin by simply adding -old to the plugin folder name. For example, wpforms-old.

Next, you need to download the renamed folder to your computer as a backup. This will allow you to revert back to the old version in case you need it.

After downloading the old plugin to your computer, you can delete it from your website.

We also want to make sure that the plugin is deactivated in WordPress database as well. To do that, you need to simply login to your WordPress admin area and visit the plugins page.

You will see an error that the plugin has been deactivated due to an error.

Now that we have removed the old version, it is time to install the latest version of the plugin.

Switch to your FTP client and under the ‘Local’ section, locate the new plugin folder on your computer. Now right click and select ‘Upload’ from FTP menu.

Your FTP client will start transferring the plugin folder from your computer to your website.

Once finished, you can login to your WordPress admin area and go to the Plugins page. You need to find the newly installed plugin and activate it.

You can now check the updated version of the plugin to make sure that everything is working correctly.

That’s all, you have successfully updated a WordPress plugin via FTP.

It is really crucial for WordPress security to always use the latest version of WordPress. It is also equally important to keep your WordPress plugins and theme updated.

If a WordPress plugin stops working after the update, then you can rollback the plugin and report the issue to the plugin developer.

However, there is no reason to continue using an outdated version. If the issue is not resolved in a timely manner, then you should look for an alternative plugin to do the job.