WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Beginners Guide» How to Manually Update WordPress Plugins via FTP

How to Manually Update WordPress Plugins via FTP

Last updated on October 30th, 2017 by Editorial Staff
127 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
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.

Manually updating WordPress plugins via FTP

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.

Video Tutorial

Subscribe to WPBeginner

If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.

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.

downloading a free WordPress plugin

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.

Unzip plugin file

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.

Connecting FTP client to your website

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’.

Rename old plugin folder

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.

Backup old version of plugin

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

Delete old version of plugin 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.

Deactivated

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.

Upload new version of the plugin

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.

Activate the latest version of plugin

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.

We hope this article helped you learn how to manually update WordPress plugins via FTP. You may also want to see our list of most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

127 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Checklist

    Checklist: 15 Things You MUST DO Before Changing WordPress Themes

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

13 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Sanmeet says:
    Sep 18, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    Hello everyone !
    I just saw the comments and I am glad to tell that whenever you delete a plugin and then reinstall it the whole data is restored ; let’s take an example of Woocommerce , the plugin which I updated via this method and my data was there….

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Sep 21, 2020 at 10:47 am

      It would depend on how it is deleted but you ar correct, this method would not delete the settings for the plugin :)

      Reply
  2. Roman says:
    Jun 11, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    Sometimes, plugins (and WordPress as well), need to make changes in the database during the update process. If you simply replace the files, the database update won’t happen, will it? And you will end up with new plugin files and incompatible database schema and/or data. Is that correct?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jun 12, 2020 at 9:04 am

      This is more for if the default update method did not work but WordPress and most plugins should check and give the option to update the database if needed to prevent those errors.

      Reply
  3. Ritul says:
    Jan 31, 2018 at 7:09 am

    When I have deleted the old plugin and now uploading the new one will my live site be broken because of it, for example, if I m updating Thrive Content builder or elementor??

    Reply
  4. David says:
    Jan 5, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    Thanks for the tutorial. I uploaded a brand new plugin, in the correct location, but for some reason it’s not showing in my list of plugins so i can activate it. Any idea why this would happen? Thanks.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 5, 2018 at 10:03 pm

      Hi David,

      WordPress may not recognize a plugin if it cannot locate the plugin header. Please reach out to the plugin author to make sure that you are uploading the correct folder.

      Reply
  5. Jenn says:
    Nov 21, 2017 at 4:51 am

    I recently downloaded a social share button plugin from a third party. They’ve recently come out with an update. Can I just deactivate and delete the old version and then just download the new updated version and activate it instead of using FTP to update? Would that be easier? Thanks for your feedback.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Nov 22, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Hi Jenn,

      Yes, you can do that. However, you should backup the old plugin just in case the new version doesn’t work well or you want to revert back.

      Reply
  6. Emma Bazai says:
    Sep 2, 2017 at 3:14 am

    It does update the plugin but I’ve lost all my configurations and data. All SEO has gone :(

    I had 304 posts and I will have to redo SEO for all of them :(

    Please help me :( I don’t have backups because I trusted this site for all my WordPress issues.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Sep 4, 2017 at 12:25 am

      Hi Emma,

      Which SEO plugin was that? Most WordPress plugins store data in your WordPress database and this data is not deleted when a plugin is deactivated or reactivated. You can also try reaching out to plugin authors for support.

      Reply
      • Hope says:
        May 4, 2018 at 5:32 pm

        What about when the plugin is deleted in the WP admin or via FTP? Is all the plugin data still being stored in the database after the plugin is deleted in either method?

        Reply
        • WPBeginner Support says:
          May 7, 2018 at 7:44 pm

          Hi Hope,

          Plugin data will remain stored in WordPress database.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
OptinMonster
OptinMonster
Convert website visitors into email subscribers. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2020 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2020)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2020)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4196 Users & Our Experts (2020)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2020)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2020 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
WPForms Logo
WPForms Coupon
Get 50% off WPForms, the most beginner friendly WordPress contact form plugin available in the market.
Complianz
Complianz GDPR Coupon
Get 15% OFF on Complianz GDPR premium WordPress privacy suite plugin.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).
Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress CDN by MaxCDN | WordPress Security by Sucuri.