Stop WP Ghost Auto Update Check | wp-config.php

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You can prevent WP Ghost from automatically checking for updates by adding a constant to wp-config.php. By default, WP Ghost periodically contacts its update server to check for new versions. If you want to control when updates are checked (for example, on staging environments, locked-down production sites, or sites with strict outbound request policies), you can disable automatic checks and run them manually instead.

Why Disable Automatic Update Checks?

Why you might want to disable WP Ghost automatic update checks on certain WordPress sites

WP Ghost checks for updates periodically by contacting the update server. In most cases, this is fine and ensures you’re always running the latest version with the newest security patches. However, some situations benefit from disabling automatic checks: staging or development environments where you don’t want outbound requests, production sites with strict change-management policies, or environments where external HTTP requests are restricted by hosting or firewall rules.

Disable Automatic Update Checks

  1. Access your site’s root directory via FTP (FileZilla, etc.), cPanel File Manager, or SSH.
  2. Open the wp-config.php file.
  3. Add the following line before the /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ comment:
define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_HMWP', false);
  1. Save the file.

WP Ghost will no longer contact the update server automatically. You can still check for and install updates manually at any time.

Keep WP Ghost updated. Disabling automatic checks means you won’t receive notifications about new security patches. Check for updates manually on a regular schedule to ensure your site stays protected against newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Manually Check for Updates

With automatic checks disabled, you can still check for updates manually:

  1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Find WP Ghost in the list.

To re-enable automatic checks, remove the define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_HMWP', false); line from wp-config.php or change false to true. WP Ghost will resume checking for updates automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this affect my site’s security?

Not directly. The constant only disables the automatic check for new versions. All existing WP Ghost security features (firewall, brute force protection, path security, 2FA) continue working normally. However, you may miss important security patches if you don’t check for updates manually.

Does this affect WordPress core or other plugin updates?

No. The WP_AUTO_UPDATE_HMWP constant only affects WP Ghost’s own update check. WordPress core updates, other plugin updates, and theme updates are not affected.

How do I re-enable automatic updates?

Remove the define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_HMWP', false); line from wp-config.php, or change the value to true. Save the file.

Does WP Ghost modify WordPress core files?

No. The constant is added to wp-config.php, which is your site’s configuration file, not a WordPress core file. WP Ghost itself doesn’t modify any core files.

WP Ghost configuration and management:

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