If you sell premium WordPress plugins outside the WordPress.org directory, you need a custom update system. Users expect plugins to update automatically from the WordPress admin, just like free plugins from the directory. A custom update server handles license verification, update checks, and secure delivery of premium plugin updates.<\/p>
The update server provides an API endpoint that WordPress checks for updates. When a user enters a license key in your plugin settings, the plugin registers it. On each update check, your plugin sends the license key to your server. The server verifies the license and returns update information if available.<\/p>
Use the pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins filter to inject your plugin into the WordPress update system. Hook into this filter early to ensure your update shows up. Return an object with slug, plugin URL, package URL, version, and other update data. Use a transient to cache update check responses for performance.<\/p>
Store license keys securely. Use encrypted options or an external service. Validate licenses against your server on plugin activation and periodically. Deactivate licenses when users deactivate the plugin. Support license deactivation on the same site or when moving to a new site. Handle expired licenses gracefully.<\/p>
Deliver updates as ZIP files through your update server. Use a secure download URL with a time-limited token. Verify the license on each download attempt. Track download counts for analytics. Use a CDN for distributing large plugin files. Support major.minor.patch versioning for semantic versioning.<\/p>
Provide detailed plugin information in the WordPress plugin details modal using the plugins_api filter. Return a stdClass object with name, slug, version, author, sections (description, installation, changelog, FAQ), banners, and ratings. This replaces the information that would normally come from WordPress.org.<\/p>
A custom update server is essential for premium plugins. Implement license verification, inject updates through WordPress filters, manage licenses properly, deliver updates securely, and provide detailed plugin information. A well-designed update system makes premium plugins feel professional and keeps users secure.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to set up a custom update server for premium WordPress plugins, including license verification, update checks, and delivery automation.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_primary_source":"","visibility_scope":"","ai_summary":"","ai_intent":"","ai_related_resources":"","ai_priority":0,"ai_entity_type":"","ai_is_based_on":"","ai_citations":"","ai_mentions":"","ai_speakable_selector":"","ai_chunk_hints":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[44,27,26,35],"ai_visibility":[],"class_list":["post-663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-business","category-web-development","tag-api-first","tag-developer-to-founder","tag-plugin-business","tag-saas"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":7}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":879,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663\/revisions\/879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663"},{"taxonomy":"ai_visibility","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aarkly.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ai_visibility?post=663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}