How to configure WordPress automatic updates in Softaculous from cPanel
Keeping your site up to date is one of the best practices to reduce security risks and improve its performance. On shared hosting with cPanel, you can rely on Softaculous to manage these updates automatically, without having to log in to the admin dashboard every time a new version is released. In this guide you’ll learn how to configure automatic updates for the core, plugins and themes of your installation directly from Softaculous.
When to enable automatic updates
Automatic updates are useful when:
- Your site uses popular, well-maintained themes and plugins.
- You don’t make custom changes to core files.
- You want security patches applied without manual intervention.
Use a more cautious setting when:
- Your site is in production and depends on highly customized plugins.
- You have e-commerce integrations, payment gateways or membership systems.
- You have modified themes without using a child theme.
In those cases it’s best to enable only the CMS core and leave plugins and themes for a manual review.
Before you start
Before changing the configuration, make sure you have:
- Access to cPanel with your username and password.
- A recent backup of your site (files and database).
- The email address where you want to receive notifications.
If you don’t have a backup yet, check Download a backup with Backup Wizard in cPanel before continuing.
Step-by-step to configure the updates
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the search bar, type Softaculous and click Softaculous Apps Installer.
- Inside Softaculous, open the installations list (it usually appears as Installations or as the box icon at the top).
- Locate the installation you want to configure.
- Click Edit Details (pencil icon) next to that installation.
- Look for the automatic updates section and adjust the following options:
- Auto Upgrade: enable this option to allow automatic updates.
- Auto Upgrade Core: recommended to receive security patches.
- Auto Upgrade Plugins: enable only if you trust your plugins’ compatibility.
- Auto Upgrade Themes: enable only if you use standard themes or a child theme.
- Make sure the notification email field has a valid address.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Installation Details to save the changes.
Labels may vary slightly depending on the Softaculous version or language installed on your hosting; in some versions the CMS name appears inside the label.
Backup recommendations
Before enabling aggressive updates, it’s a good idea to:
- Confirm that you have a recent manual backup.
- Consider copying the site to a subdomain to test changes before applying them in production.
- Check that the notification email arrives correctly so you can react quickly if something goes wrong.
Final verification
To confirm the configuration was applied:
- Open Edit Details for the installation again and check that the auto-update boxes appear selected.
- Load your site’s home page in a private browser window to confirm it opens without errors.
- Go to /wp-admin and verify that you can log in and manage the site.
- Wait for the first Softaculous notification email after an update and check that it reaches the right inbox.
Common errors
- The installation does not appear in Softaculous: this happens when the site was installed manually or with another tool. You can import it from Softaculous using the option to import existing installations.
- The site breaks after an automatic update: usually due to plugin or theme incompatibility. Disable plugin/theme auto-updates and restore from your most recent backup.
- Notification emails don’t arrive: check that the address is correct, that the domain has valid mail records and that the message is not in the spam folder.
- 500 errors after an update: check Solve error 500 after modifying your website .
Recommended reading
Still need help?
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