Backing Up First

Important before update:

Update the theme with Envato Market Plugin

Before reading this help file you may want to check this video. It explains how to Update WpResidence with Envato Market Plugin and may be easier to understand. Watch Video on Youtube
This video is addressed to the clients that update their theme to the 4.8 theme version. Watch Video on Youtube

Step1: Install the Envato Market Plugin from here https://envato.com/market-plugin/ or from theme Install Plugin Notice.

Step2: Go to Envato Market Settings and Add the API Key Connection

To get the key follow the link from step 1

  1. Generate and Envato API Personal Token

Check the permissions as instructed by Envato and and a name to the token

Scroll down and Create token

Copy the Token

Add the token in Envato market plugin and click SAVE CHANGES

You must see the message: Your OAuth Personal Token has been verified

Step3: Update the theme (keep in mind this process overrides your existing theme files and any modifications done in code, if they exist). Backup your files to be sure you can easily find those changes

Step4: Update plugins (Mandatory to update WP Residence Core Functionality plugin which is updated with every theme update)

Go to Appearance > Install Plugins if you don’t see the message to finish the plugins update correctly and update plugins.

Confirm update by checking plugins

Update theme via FTP

Step1: Download the latest theme version
Log in with your Theme Forest buyer account and Download the theme from under the Downloads menu.
Choose only “Installable WordPress file only”-is the zip that includes  only the theme files (wpresidence.zip)

Step2: Enabled maintenance mode if your site is live. Use a plugin (ex. Ultimate Maintenance Mode, WP Maintenance Mode, … etc.)

Step3: Login via FTP. Go to “yoursite/wp-content/themes” folder location and backup your wpresidence theme folder by saving it to your computer, or rename it (wpresidence_old). Your content will not be lost but note that if you have modifications to the theme code they will be lost. You have to reapply them after the update is over.

Step4: Connect to your FTP account using Filezilla.

Step5: Inside Filezilla navigate to the WordPress theme directory “yoursite/wp-content/themes”.

Step6: Retrieve the wpresidence.zip file from your recently ThemeForest download and extract the file to get the updated wpresidence theme folder. Or copy directly the wpresidence folder.

Step7: Upload the wpresidence theme folder into “yoursite/wp-content/themes” and overwrite the existing files.

NOTE:

  • Make sure you don’t copy theme files inside the previous theme folder and get duplicate files.
  • If you had any special modifications done in the previous theme version you can copy from wpresidence_old backup to new wpresidence folder. But we would strongly recommend using a child theme for changes.
    Help article about child theme install   

Update the theme via WordPress

Step1: Deactivate the current wpresidence theme from the Appearance > Themes section

Step2: Activating a different theme.

Step3: Once you activate a different theme, delete the wpresidence theme. Don’t worry, your content will not be lost.

Step4: Get the “wpresidence.zip” file from your Theme Forest – Buyer account section (Installable WordPress file only). If you downloaded the “All Files & Documentation” from Themeforest, then you need to unzip the archive file you received, the wpresidence.zip will be inside it.

Step5: Go to Appearance > Themes, choose Add New ThemeUpload the wpresidence.zip and click on the “Install Now” button.

Step6: After your upload is finished choose Activate the theme.

Step7: Update all plugins

IMPORTANT
All your theme settings will NOT change during this process. But the language files (in wpresidence/languages) folder and any other code changes you had done directly the wpresidence theme folder will be deleted if you choose this method. Use the wpresidence-child-po for translations to avoid this.
Help article about how to add translated po files in child theme

Update all plugins

IMPORTANT
You DON’T need a buyer license to use these plugins. We purchased an extended license we give all our clients plugin updates through theme updates. There is only one license per purchase – so only we can use this license to get the updates and then share the update with our clients.

Update the plugins by clicking on the notification in the header.

Update the plugins only, without doing a theme update

Step1: Download the theme again from the Theme Forest account, where you initially purchased it. The download will be under your buyer account – Downloads. Download only “All files and documentation”

Step2: Unzip the folder downloaded

Step3: Go to plugins folder to take the latest plugins

Step4: Disable and delete the plugins from Admin – Plugins

Step5: Upload the new Plugins from Plugins – Add New – Upload – And activate

Important after update

  • Clear the cache after you update (CDN cache (if you use that), server cache (if you use that), plugin cache (if you use that), theme cache if you have it enabled and always clear browser cache)
  • If you wish the plugins updates sooner than we make the theme update, open a support ticket here – http://support.wpestate.org/ and ask us for the latest plugins

Related Help

WpResidence Change Log
Help article about how to update WpResidence Translations after theme update
Help article about how to check and clear theme cache if it is enabled