{"id":146225,"date":"2022-09-07T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=146225"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:55:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:55:51","slug":"smart-plugin-manager-get-peace-of-mind-with-automated-plugin-updates","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/smart-plugin-manager-get-peace-of-mind-with-automated-plugin-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Plugin Manager: Get Peace of Mind With Automated Plugin Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More than half of all WordPress security issues are caused by out-of-date plugins, making manual monitoring of dozens of unique plugins a significant risk factor for modern digital projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WP Engine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/smart-plugin-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smart Plugin Manager<\/a> automatically checks for and installs plugin updates at a time that is most convenient for you to maintain site security and performance without manual intervention<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The add-on protects your site from vulnerabilities caused by out-of-date plugins, a leading cause of security breaches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smart Plugin Manager uses visual regression testing to ensure updates don\u2019t break your site\u2019s look or functionality. Its rollback system ensures the site remains operational even if an update is incompatible. This simple feature can save hours of manual research, backups, and testing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plugins: the benefits and risks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> plugins are a big part of what makes WordPress the world\u2019s leading CMS. A <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">massive library of community-built plugins<\/a> allows for nearly infinite site customization without developers having to craft new features from scratch. Plugins empower developers with the extra flexibility and functionality they need to meet the form and function of any digital project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the plugin model is not perfect. Different plugins are maintained by different teams and updated at different times, and just one unchecked vulnerability from an outdated version of a plugin can put your site at risk. It\u2019s difficult to monitor updates to potentially dozens of unique plugins in a single build, but if you don&#8217;t stay on top of maintenance, you risk exposing your site to security risks. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/wpriders.com\/the-danger-of-neglecting-wordpress-updates-for-a-year\/#:~:text=Even%20more%20concerning%2C%C2%A052%25%20of%20known%20WordPress%20vulnerabilities%20specifically%20come%20from%20outdated%20plugins%E2%80%94making%20them%20the%20primary%20gateway%20for%20attacks.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than half of all WordPress security issues come through out-of-date plugins<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you manage to stay on top of every plugin update, you might find that one of those updates conflicts with other plugins, WordPress core, or your custom code. A single conflict can crash your site, leading to hours of frustrating troubleshooting. Managing plugin updates manually takes up hours of research and development work that could be put to better use elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"youtube-video\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fNC9E7M-920?si=nLjpFmtmFKdyQGl_\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smart Plugin Manager solves common plugin problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WP Engine created <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/smart-plugin-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smart Plugin Manager<\/a> to be our customers\u2019 trusted tool for hassle-free plugin management. It\u2019s a fully automated solution that takes the guesswork out of maintenance, keeping all your themes and plugins up to date, so your site remains secure and operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How it works: Automation with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/support\/smart-plugin-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smart Plugin Manager<\/a> handles the entire plugin update lifecycle. It\u2019s a set-it-and-forget-it feature that automatically improves your site maintenance routine without extra work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Better control through scheduled updates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Smart Plugin Manager automatically checks your plugins for updates at a specific time you choose. You can opt in or out of automatic updates for each plugin on sites with SPM enabled for even more granular control over which plugins are allowed to update automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Visual regression testing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest reason people put off plugin updates is the fear of a broken site. Smart Plugin Manager removes this uncertainty by using <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/support\/smart-plugin-manager\/#Visual_Regression_Testing_VRT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visual regression testing<\/a> after every update. It ensures that updated plugins won&#8217;t change the look of your site or break its core functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reliable rollbacks and notifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If a visual test fails, the system automatically rolls back your site to its previous state. You also receive detailed upgrade reports via email, keeping you informed without requiring you to manually check every update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focus on what matters most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By streamlining the plugin management process, you save valuable time and resources that can be better spent on refining your site to better engage your audience. You no longer have to spend hours researching safe updates, backing up sites manually, or waiting for updates to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the first step toward a smarter, more secure WordPress website with <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WP Engine<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/smart-plugin-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smart Plugin Manager<\/a>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key takeaways Plugins: the benefits and risks WordPress\u00ae plugins are a big part of what makes WordPress the world\u2019s leading CMS. A massive library of community-built plugins allows for nearly infinite site customization without developers having to craft new features from scratch. Plugins empower developers with the extra flexibility and functionality they need to meet<span class=\"tile__ellipses\">&hellip;<\/span><span class=\"tile__ellipses--animated\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":146226,"template":"","resource-topic":[898,909,901],"resource-role":[895,896,897,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-146225","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Automated WordPress Plugin Updates: Smart Plugin Manager<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how you can automate your WordPress plugin updates so your environment stays secure and you get time (and peace of mind) back in your day.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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