Automatic Safe Update
To update your plugins with safe and automated mode. Upgrade installed themes too.
Solid choice
Automatic Safe Update is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 63/100 on our health check.
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (30+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Automatic Safe Update stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| auto-update | >100 |
| Automatic updates | #62 |
| maintenance | >100 |
| Plugin Updates | >100 |
| theme updates | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Automatic Safe Update
From the official readme · v1.1.14Description
To update your WordPress is a time consuming task you can’t avoid. Without it, your site will be in trouble and you’ll be regretful. Knowing this, here you have a powerful tool to help you to maintain your plugins updated.
Select the cases for automated updates and the manual ones based on the update level and single plugin if you want or let the plugin decide for you. Stability vs. safety is the balance. Let the plugin take itself the decision if you like it.
Semantic version numbering didides version numbers in three main blocks: major, minor and patch in this way: major.minor.patch. If all the plugin authors were working fine, when only patch version number changes, bug and security fixes in a compatible way were done, when the minor number increases, new functionality are added in a backwards compatible way. Major version changes are incompatible and may require additional work with your site.
You’ll never know in advance when an error in a plugin can make your WordPress site fail, nor will you know in advance that you are leaving a security hole to be attacked if you do not update.
The plugin allways allow to update itself to avoid locks as happened in version 1.1.9 requiring a manual update.
Installation
- Upload files to the /wp-content/plugins/automatic-safe-update directory or install plugin through the Plugins menu of your WordPress directlly.
- Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu of your WordPress.
- Go to Automatic Safe Update settings from the WordPress admin menu to configure the plugin.
- Adjust settings as you like and press at save changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this plugin use filters like pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins and auto_update_plugin?
This plugin’s only purpose is to let site owners control automatic updates from the official WordPress.org repository using semantic versioning rules (major, minor, patch). These filters are the standard WordPress way to achieve that. The plugin never adds external update sources, never modifies download URLs, and always allows its own updates to prevent lockouts.
Changelog
1.1.14
Aug 28 2026
* Fixed bug in version normalization that could misclassify update levels.
* Improved version comparison for plugins using abbreviated version numbers.
* Fixed stale manual update entries when a newer version is available.
* Avoided PHP warnings from incomplete persisted update records.
* Fixed log blank-line normalization.
* WordPress 7.1 compatibility checked.
1.1.13
May 30 2026
* Better prepared for newer WordPress auto-update behaviour.
* More resilient update handling for real-world plugin and theme metadata.
* Cleaner internal code to support smoother maintenance and future improvements.
* Ongoing development build ready for extended testing.
* WordPress 7.0 compatibility checked.
* Internal security improvement.
* Removed manual load_plugin_textdomain() and Domain Path header. Translations now rely on WordPress.org language packs.
1.1.12
Jul 05 2024
* Fixed menu notification entry.
* Fixed user capability required for configuration menu view.
* Minor code fixes.
* Renamed some files.
* Fixed the subject of the sent emails.
* Replaced semaphore functions management.
* More code styling improvements.
* WordPress 6.6 basic compatibility checked.
1.1.11
May 12 2023
* Solved logic bug.
* More code styling improvements.
1.1.10
May 11 2023
* Solved warning when running scheduled tasks from cron.
* Some code styling improvements.
1.1.9
May 9 2023
* Solved forced plugins check from option page issues.
* Better privative plugins compatibility.
* Supporting failure to get a plugin new version.
* Solved minor issue in desktop icon.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Automatic Safe Update alternatives
All auto-update plugins →
FAQ
Automatic Safe Update: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 6, 2026
Is Automatic Safe Update free?
Yes. Automatic Safe Update is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Automatic Safe Update safe to use in 2026?
Automatic Safe Update is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 63/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Automatic Safe Update?
Automatic Safe Update is active on 30+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,335 times since it launched in May 2019. It was downloaded 150 times in the last 30 days.
Does Automatic Safe Update work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Automatic Safe Update up to WordPress 7.1.2, the latest release. It requires WordPress 4.2 or newer.
What PHP version does Automatic Safe Update need?
Automatic Safe Update requires PHP 5.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Automatic Safe Update last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.14, was released on August 28, 2026 (1 month ago).
Who makes Automatic Safe Update?
Automatic Safe Update is developed and maintained by ABCdatos.
What are the best alternatives to Automatic Safe Update?
The most popular alternatives to Automatic Safe Update are Disable auto-update Email N… (30K+ installs), WP Auto Updater (7K+ installs) and WP Plugins&Themes Auto Upda… (300+ installs).
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