How to Update a GPL Theme or Plugin
Follow the steps below to update GPL themes and plugins on your WordPress website.
Install Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades
We recommend installing the free Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades plugin before using GPL items. Once activated, you can install and update themes or plugins by uploading a .zip file.
Installing it before updating a product can also help avoid conflicts when a previous version is already installed.
How to update a plugin
Download the latest plugin
Log in to GPLClub and download the latest .zip file from My Account → Downloads. The new version number will be shown next to the product.
Open your WordPress dashboard
Log in to the WordPress website where the plugin is currently installed.
Go to Plugins
Open Plugins → Add New from your WordPress dashboard, even though you are updating an existing plugin.
Upload the plugin
Click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page.
Select the updated .zip
Select the .zip file containing the updated version of the plugin.
Install the update
Click Install Now and wait for WordPress to complete the installation.
Activate
Once the installation is complete, click Activate.
How to update a theme
Download the latest theme
Log in to GPLClub and download the latest theme .zip file from My Account → Downloads. The new version number will be shown next to the product.
Open your WordPress dashboard
Log in to the WordPress website where the theme is currently installed.
Go to Themes
Open Appearance → Themes.
Add a new theme
Click the Add New button at the top of the page, even if you are updating the existing theme.
Upload the theme
Click the Upload Theme button at the top of the page.
Select the updated .zip
Select the .zip file containing the updated version of the theme.
Install the update
Click Install Now and wait for WordPress to complete the installation.
Activate
Click Activate after the installation is complete.
Do you have an error when updating?
Check these points before contacting support.
Check for a double-compressed ZIP
Some products, including products from ThemeForest and CodeCanyon, may contain a ZIP file inside another ZIP file.
Check the downloaded product before installing. If the main ZIP produces an error such as “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet.”, it may not be the installable ZIP.
Unzip the main file and look for the installable ZIP inside it.
Use the correct WordPress area
Plugins, extensions and addons should always be uploaded through the Plugins area. Themes should be uploaded through Appearance → Themes.
Check your hosting requirements
Before purchasing a subscription, pass or individual product, make sure your WordPress hosting meets the minimum requirements:
- Apache or NGINX based web server with 128MB of RAM
- PHP version 5.6 or 7.0
- MySQL version 5.6+ or MariaDB version 10.0+
- Apache Module mod_rewrite
Check your PHP settings
To avoid errors during product installation or updating, make sure your web server uses the following PHP settings:
max_execution_time = 600;
max_input_vars = 5000;
memory_limit = 256M;
post_max_size = 128M;
upload_max_filesize = 128M;
Large themes over 200 MB
For themes larger than 200 MB, especially themes that include multiple templates, the guide recommends uploading the files through FTP.
Still having trouble updating?
Contact GPLClub support if you need assistance with an update issue.
