Update the core
Appearance Software update shows your version and installs a new one in one click.
- Download and check
The release is installed only if it carries a valid signature from WowCodes and every file matches it. A tampered or unsigned download is refused.
- Swap the files
While the files change, the storefront shows a short maintenance page. The admin stays open.
- Update the database
Missing tables, columns and indexes are added, and columns are only widened, never narrowed. Take a backup of your files and database before any update all the same.
- Health check
If the store doesn't come back healthy, the update is rolled back to the version you had.
The work is done in short steps, so it runs on shared hosting with the usual 30-second limit per request. If you need to, you can roll back one version from the same page.
Update plugins and themes
On Plugins and on Appearance Themes, press Check for Updates. It has three tabs:
- New: what your licence includes that isn't installed yet.
- Needs update: what has a newer version. Update one, or use Update all.
- All entitled: everything your licence includes.
Every package is signed. One that fails the check is never installed, and neither is an unsigned one. If a plugin's new version needs a newer core, it says so, and you update the core first.
What an update replaces
A core update replaces the core files, so any change you made to them is lost. A plugin or theme update replaces that plugin's or theme's whole folder, so edits inside it are lost too.
| What | On a core update |
|---|---|
Your settings file, .htaccess, .user.ini | Your own rules are kept. The store's routing block is added to .htaccess if it is missing. |
plugins/, storage/, logs/, admin/uploads/ | Never touched. Plugins update on their own. |
images/, assets/themes/, games/ | New files are added; existing ones are never overwritten. Themes and games update on their own. |
| Everything else | Replaced with the new version. A core update never deletes a file. |
Where to put your own changes
- Settings, content, menus, the homepage, translations and policies live in the database and survive every update.
- Code changes belong in a plugin of your own: a folder in
plugins/with aplugin.php. The admin's built-in guide shows how to write one. - Design changes belong in a theme of your own, in its own folder. See Customising a theme.
Add-ons
The Add-ons page, linked from Plugins and Themes, has two tabs:
- Browse: plugins, themes and bundles your store can buy, by category.
- Owned: what you own, with buttons to install and switch it on.
Buying uses your linked WowCodes account or a card checkout, and only the main Administrator can buy. Staff who manage settings can install what you already own.
Upgrading a store from an older version
A store from before the plugin system moves over through the setup wizard:
- Back up
Download a copy of your files and database first.
- Upload the new files
Upload the new version over the old site, keeping your database.
- Run the wizard
Open
/install/. If the Tables step recognises your database, choose Keep the data and continue. It only adds the tables and columns that are missing. If it doesn't, stop and email [email protected] before you change anything.
Something wrong or unclear on this page? Tell us at [email protected], or see how to get help.