WordPress plugin not updating, or no update showing: the causes and fixes

No update shows up

WordPress hasn’t checked yet

WordPress doesn’t ask wordpress.org every time you open the dashboard; it checks in the background, from time to time. The function behind it “Checks for available updates to plugins based on the latest versions hosted on WordPress.org.” and “does not actually perform any updates, it only checks for available updates.” (developer.wordpress.org) To get a fresh answer, open Dashboard → Updates and click Check again, or list the plugins with WP-CLI:

$ wp plugin list --fields=name,status,version,update,update_version
name	status	version	update	update_version
acme-booking	active	2.3.0	none
acme-slider	inactive	1.0.4	none
compatnav-pro	active	1.0.0	none
compatnav-php-upgrade-checker	active	1.2.0	none
hello-dolly	inactive	1.6	available	1.7.2

The plugin is premium

Premium plugins don’t update through wordpress.org. They use their seller’s update service, which usually needs an active licence entered in the plugin’s settings. Some declare their own update source with the Update URI header (WordPress 5.8 and later), which “allows third-party plugins to avoid accidentally being overwritten with an update of a plugin of a similar name from the WordPress.org” directory (make.wordpress.org). Check the licence in the seller’s account.

The plugin was closed on wordpress.org

If the plugin’s page on wordpress.org says it has been closed, no update is coming. wordpress.org: “When a plugin is closed, the page shows as closed and the zips are no longer generated. No one will be able to download the plugin via the website, nor will they be able to install it via the WordPress admin.” (developer.wordpress.org) The copy on your site keeps running, but it won’t get security fixes or PHP updates. Plan a replacement.

The update fails

When WordPress asks for FTP details, or the update stops with a message about creating or removing a folder, WordPress can’t write to the plugin’s folder. The cause is on the server: who owns the files, and how WordPress is allowed to write them. FS_METHOD in wp-config.php “forces the filesystem method” (developer.wordpress.org), but changing it without knowing the server setup can make things worse: ask your host to correct the file permissions instead.

Updating with WP-CLI as the site’s own user often works where the dashboard fails; WP-CLI: update plugins safely shows the commands.

Plugins without updates and PHP

A plugin that hasn’t had an update in years was written for the PHP versions of its time. When the host moves the site to a newer version, it’s the first suspect: removed functions such as each() or create_function() stop the page. Keep a list of such plugins in your maintenance routine, and check them for the next PHP version before the host’s date.