How to Automate CMS, Plugin and Theme Updates

For every site on your WatchTower dashboard, you can configure and schedule automated updates for the CMS, plugins, and/or themes.

Automating WordPress Updates

1: Go to the Websites page and search for the site you want to enable auto-updates for on the Websites page.
2: Click on the pencil and pen button on the upper right corner of the website tile to open the site details.

3: You can also get to this page by going into the site and clicking the "Edit Details" button beneath the site name.
4: Once in the site details popup, click on the Schedule tab.

Note: if the website is not WordPress or the WatchTowerHQ agent/plugin is not installed on WordPress, this tab will not be visible.

Turn on which items you want to schedule updates for:

CMS update: this will update the WordPress version of your site once it is available on the soonest day checked at the selected time
Plugins update: this will update plugins with auto-update turned on (see next section) once available on the soonest day checked at the selected time
Themes update: this will update themes with auto-update turned on (see next section) once available on the soonest day checked at the selected time

Select an update time. Check the days of the week that you would like updates to occur automatically.

Click "Save Changes"

Enable Auto-Updates for Plugins and Themes

If you turned on scheduled updates for plugins or themes, you will have to turn on auto-updates for any or all plugins/themes you wish to be automatically updated on the scheduled date. If you do not, they will not be automatically updated.

For Plugins:

Go into the website you just enabled Scheduling for, and click on Plugins.

If you only want to schedule a few of the plugins, turn the switch under the Auto-Update column ON for those plugins and leave the others off.

If you want ALL your plugins to be automatically updated, click on the checkbox above the the right of "Plugin Name" in the top row. This will select ALL plugins.

Once all plugins are selected, click on the dropdown for Bulk Action and select Enable Auto-Updates and click "Go".

Now all the switches for Auto-Updates will be turned on and plugins will begin to be auto-updated on the nearest scheduled day!

For Themes:

Go into the website you just enabled Scheduling for, and click on Themes.

If you only want to schedule a few of the themes, turn the switch under the Auto-Update column ON for those themes and leave the others off.

If you want ALL your themes to be automatically updated, click on the checkbox above the the right of "Theme" in the top row. This will select ALL themes.

Once all themes are selected, click on the dropdown for Bulk Action and select Enable Auto-Updates and click "Go".

Now all the switches for Auto-Updates will be turned on and themes will begin to be auto-updated on the nearest scheduled day!