The ongoing legal battle between WP Engine and WordPress.org has taken a significant turn, leaving WP Engine users in a difficult position. In response to WP Engine’s recent lawsuit against the WordPress Foundation, WordPress.org has blocked WP Engine from accessing its repository of themes and plugins. This means that WP Engine customers can no longer download or update plugins and themes directly from the WordPress dashboard.
For many users, this block creates serious challenges, particularly when it comes to keeping websites secure and functional through regular updates. It’s a situation that has caused frustration and confusion within the WordPress community, as many depend on seamless updates for website performance and security.
However, all is not lost! Despite the current restrictions, there are still ways to update your WP Engine site. In this guide, we’ll explore two effective methods to help you manage plugin and theme updates without direct access to WordPress.org:
- Pulling your site down to a local environment, updating it, and pushing it back to the server.
- Manually uploading the necessary plugin and theme files directly to your site.
These methods provide workarounds to keep your website running smoothly until the situation is resolved.
Method 1: Using Local to Pull, Update, and Push Your Site
The first method involves using a local development environment like Local by Flywheel. This allows you to pull your site down to your computer, update it safely, and then push the changes back to your server.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Download Local by Flywheel
If you haven’t already, download and install Local on your computer.
2. Pull Your WP Engine Site
Use the built-in WP Engine integration in Local to pull down your site:
- Open Local and click Connect to WP Engine.
- Sign in to your WP Engine account and select the site you want to pull.
- Click Pull Site to Local to download your entire website to your local machine.
3. Update Plugins and Themes Locally
Once your site is on your local machine, you can update the plugins and themes manually:
- Log in to the local version of your WordPress dashboard.
- Manually upload and install the latest versions of the plugins or themes (which can be downloaded directly from WordPress.org or their respective repositories).
4. Test Your Updates
After updating, thoroughly test your website to make sure everything works correctly.
5. Push the Updated Site Back to WP Engine
Once you’re happy with the changes:
- In Local, choose the option to Push the updated version back to your WP Engine server.
- Select your WP Engine environment and push the updated files live.
Method 2: Uploading Plugin and Theme Files Directly to Your WP Engine Site
If you prefer to handle updates directly on the server, you can download the necessary files from the WordPress repository and upload them manually to your site.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Download the Plugin or Theme from the Repository
Go to WordPress.org or the official repository of the plugin or theme you need and download the latest version as a .zip file.
2. Log into Your WP Engine Dashboard
Access the WP Engine user portal and navigate to your site’s file manager (or use FTP/SFTP if you prefer).
3. Upload the Plugin or Theme Files
Using the file manager (or an FTP client like FileZilla), navigate to:
- wp-content/plugins/ for plugins
- wp-content/themes/ for themes
Upload the .zip file, and then extract it in the appropriate folder.
4. Activate the Plugin or Theme in the WordPress Dashboard
Once the files are uploaded, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins or Themes, where you’ll find the updated files.
- Activate the plugin or theme from there if necessary.
Conclusion
While the current situation between WP Engine and WordPress.org is causing some inconvenience, these two methods ensure that you can still keep your site updated without missing a beat. Whether you prefer to work locally and push updates or upload files directly to the server, these approaches give you flexibility and control.
If you’re looking for more hands-on support or guidance, feel free to reach out for website support and maintenance plans.