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How to Update WordPress (Staging) Site on GoDaddy
This article will explain how to update your WordPress (staging) site if you are on a GoDaddy server. We explicitly mention GoDaddy, because GoDaddy is the one host, that is mainly affected by this issue. These instructions might be valid for other hosting providers as well, but this seems to be a general GoDaddy problem. We know this problem only from GoDaddy users so far.
Also, GoDaddy support staff sometimes spread false information and tell their customers that they can’t take a staging site live if they didn’t initially use GoDaddy’s internal staging solution.
This is wrong!
You can push a WP STAGING staging website without any problems, even on a GoDaddy hosted server.
We don’t know why GoDaddy is spreading this false information. Our users have told us that GoDaddy support staff even recommended the use of WP STAGING, and we know from our users’ testimonies that GoDaddy support team themselves used WP STAGING to help their own customers. So when you ask GoDaddy for assistance, take their answers with a grain of salt.
Can Not Update WordPress Automatically (on GoDaddy)?
It may happen that a new WordPress core version has been released, but your WordPress website still shows you an old version and does not offer you to update WordPress automatically to the latest version.
This article describes three possible ways to solve the issue when you can not update WordPress automatically:
- Disable the GoDaddy hosting specific mu-plugin (gd-system-plugin) on the staging site or on the live site (depending on what site does not show the update notification). See the extended explanation below!
- Switch to the default theme and disable all plugins
- Update WordPress manually
Usually, you can force WordPress to look for a new WordPress version by using the link. Dashboard > Updates
Suppose this does not show you a new WordPress version, and you still can not update WordPress automatically. One of the plugins or code in the WordPress theme may prevent the updater from connecting to wordpress.org servers and looking for a new WordPress version.
Steps to Fix WordPress Automatic Updates on GoDaddy
- Check out if there is a file like
wp-content/mu-plugins/gd-system-plugin.php
That is a must-use service plugin added by the hosting provider GoDaddy. This plugin disables automatic WordPress core updates and needs to be disabled. Make a backup of the entire folder and rename the filewp-content/mu-plugins/gd-system-plugin.php to wp-content/mu-plugins/gd-system-plugin.php_bak to disable it.
You can use FTP or a WordPress file manager plugin.
(It may also be possible that your hosting provider added another service must-use plugin. So please make a backup of that plugin folder and then rename it as well)
Go to Dashboard > Updates and start the search for a new WordPress core update again.
If that still does not show the latest WordPress version, switch to the WordPress default theme and disable all WordPress plugins.
Disable all WordPress Plugins and Switch to the Default Theme
Click again on and force WordPress to look for the latest WordPress version!
Suppose this does not show the new WordPress version in the updater either. In that case, automatic updates are likely disabled in the WordPress config file wp-config.php at all or are generally disabled by your hosting provider.
In that case, you will need to update WordPress manually!
How to Manually Update WordPress:
Read this article if you still get no update notifications and you need to update WordPress manually:
Update WordPress Manually