Manage plugins and themes with 'WP Toolkit'
How to update and manage plugins / themes via cPanel using the WP Toolkit
Lachlan
Last Update 3 months ago
This topic covers processes relating to a cPanel service.
You will need to be logged into the cPanel account to follow the steps.
If you're not sure how to access your cPanel service — please, follow this guide before continuing: How do I Login to cPanel?
cPanel's WP Toolkit provides an easy-to-use platform where you can manage and update plugins and themes for your WordPress websites.
PLEASE NOTE: Some advanced features of the WP Toolkit, such as staging/cloning tools, are only available to users of Business or Corporate hosting plans.
You can access the WP Toolkit from the vertical menu on the left-hand side of the cPanel interface or from the list of tools in the “Domains” section.
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The WP Toolkit has a main dashboard, pictured below.
From here, you can log in to the WordPress site, access the File Manager, update plugins/themes, use the clone tool, enable ‘Maintenance Mode’ and more.
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If you don’t see a site preview image and the WP Toolkit options, click the ‘expand icon' (down arrow) next to your site in the list.
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Managing Plugins and Themes
TO UPDATE PLUGINS AND THEMES:
1. Click the 'Plugins' or 'Themes' tab
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2. You will then see a list of plugins installed for this instance of WordPress. If a plugin is reported to have a newer version, "Updates" will appear next to the plugins/themes with available updates.
Please note: Some paid/premium plugins that require licencing may need to be updated manually - please see the plugin author's documentation for more detail.
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3. Clicking on any of the 'Updates' links will take you to the Updates options. This will open a pop-up window on the left, shown below.
4. Click the checkbox next to each of the plugins/themes you'd like to update. (Placing a tick in the top checkbox, next to 'Name', will select all available items)
5. Then, click 'Update' when you're ready
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6. You will see notifications about the updates at the top and a progress bar at the bottom.
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When complete, you'll see a "All selected items were updated successfully" message.
TO ENABLE AND DISABLE PLUGINS:
Many site issues can be attributed to plugins that are outdated, incompatible with other plugins/themes/site builders etc or have been poorly created to begin with.
Disabling plugins/themes can be useful for troubleshooting issues with your WordPress site. By deactivating a suspected plugin, or all of them and activating one at a time, you can narrow down potential culprits causing trouble with your site.
1. From the WordPress Toolkit Plugins tab, note the "Active" column and the toggle switch next to each plugin.
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2. Simply click the 'Active' toggle icon to switch the plugin/theme on or off (active plugins/themes will be switched to the right and show a blue colour - inactive will show as grey and be switched to the left).