How to Setup Email Notifications for WordPress Updates

Keeping WordPress up to date is crucial for your website’s security. Would you like to receive email notifications when there are updates available for your WordPress site?

By default, WordPress only shows you update notifications when you log in to the admin area. If you don’t log in regularly, then you may not realize that your website is out of date.

In this article, we will show you how to set up email notifications for WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates.

Why Setup Email Notifications for WordPress Updates?

To keep your WordPress website secure, you need to keep it updated. By default, WordPress automatically installs minor updates. Major release updates need to be manually initiated.

It’s also important to make sure that you properly update your plugins and themes.

WordPress only shows you update notifications when you log into your WordPress admin area. Your core and plugin updates will be highlighted, and theme updates will be visible on the Themes page and Updates page.

If you don’t log in to your WordPress website regularly, then you won’t know when there is an update available to be installed.

One way to deal with this is by setting up automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes. It will allow your WordPress site to manage updates automatically.

If you use a managed WordPress hosting company such as WP Engine and SiteGround, they offer safe auto-update with plugin update notifications.

Another way to manage updates is by setting up an email notification system for updates. Each time there is an update to WordPress core, plugin, or themes, you will get an email alert. You can then log in to your website and install the update.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to set up email notifications for WordPress updates.

How to Setup Email Notifications for WordPress Updates

The first thing you need to do is install and activate WP Updates Notifier plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation of the plugin, you need to visit the Settings » Updates Notifier page to configure the plugin’s settings.

First, you need to select a ‘cron method’. By default, it is set to WordPress, and you don’t need to change that unless you know what you are doing.

Next, you can select how often you want to check for updates. The default is set for once every hour, but you can change that to once or twice a day.

After that, you should enter the email addresses you want to notify. By default, the plugin will show the email address used in your WordPress settings. You can change it to a different address or add multiple email addresses separated by a comma.

WP Updates Notifier can also send notification emails about plugin and theme updates. Simply check ‘Yes’ next to the plugin and theme update notifications.

Once you are done, don’t forget to click the ‘Save settings with test email’ button to store your changes. The plugin will store your settings and send you a test email.

If you are having trouble receiving the email, then check out our guide on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue.

We hope this article helped you set up email notifications for WordPress updates. You may also want to check out our guide on how to create an email newsletter, or see our list of must have plugins to grow your site.

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