WordPress Not Updating Automatically: Fix (2026)
Quick answer
Auto-updates stop running when: (1) WP-Cron is disabled or broken (DISABLE_WP_CRON is set), (2) file permissions prevent WordPress from writing to core files, (3) AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED is defined in wp-config, or (4) your host disabled auto-updates at the platform level. Check wp-config for both constants, then verify WP-Cron is firing.
Fix #1, Check wp-config constants
Open wp-config.php. If you see `define('AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED', true);` or `define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false);`, remove or change them. Verify DISABLE_WP_CRON is also false (or removed).
Fix #2, Verify WP-Cron is running
Install WP Crontrol. Look for `wp_version_check`, `wp_update_plugins`, `wp_update_themes` in the cron list. If they're missing or overdue, WP-Cron isn't firing. Set up a real server cron: `*/15 * * * * curl https://yoursite.com/wp-cron.php`.
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Fix #3, Fix file permissions
WordPress needs write access to update core files. Correct permissions: folders 755, files 644, owned by the PHP user. If your host uses suPHP, WordPress can write. If they use mod_php with root ownership, updates fail silently.
Fix #4, Enable via UI
Since WordPress 5.5, plugin and theme auto-updates are opt-in per item. Plugins page → click 'Enable auto-updates' next to each plugin. Themes page → same.
When to call for help
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Common questions
Why are WordPress auto-updates not working?+
The four common causes: (1) AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED or WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE constants in wp-config, (2) DISABLE_WP_CRON stopping the update hooks from firing, (3) file permissions preventing WordPress from writing to core files, (4) your host disabled auto-updates at the platform level (managed WordPress hosts often do this).
How do I turn on WordPress auto-updates?+
For core: define `WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE => true` in wp-config (default). For plugins and themes: since WordPress 5.5, click 'Enable auto-updates' next to each item on the Plugins and Themes pages.
Is it safe to enable auto-updates?+
For minor releases (5.9.1 → 5.9.2, security patches), yes, and you should. For major releases and untested plugin updates, riskier. Best practice is staged updates on a staging site with visual regression testing before pushing to production.
Why do plugin auto-updates fail silently?+
Usually a permission or disk-space issue. Check your host's error log for 'unable to write' or 'no space left'. Also check wp-content/upgrade/, if it has stale files from a previous failed update, delete them and retry.
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