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Updates & auto-updates

One of Unyson+'s defining traits: the framework, the theme, and every extension update straight from GitHub, no marketplace, no license keys, no manual re-uploads for routine updates. Push a new version to a repo and your sites are offered the update from the WordPress dashboard.

This page explains how that works and how to make your own theme or extension auto-update the same way.

How updates are delivered​

There are two complementary mechanisms, and you don't have to think about which is which, they all surface as normal WordPress updates:

What updatesMechanismWhere it shows
The plugin (unysonplus)A bundled GitHub update checker wired in unysonplus.phpThe standard Plugins screen
The theme (unysonplus-theme)The same checker wired in the theme's functions.phpThe standard Themes / Updates screen
The framework + extensionsThe Update extension via the github_update manifest keyThe Unyson+ updates list

The plugin and theme each point their checker at a GitHub repo and branch, for example the plugin:

$checker = YahnisElsts\PluginUpdateChecker\v5\PucFactory::buildUpdateChecker(
    'https://github.com/UnysonPlus/UnysonPlus/',
    __FILE__,
    'unysonplus'
);
$checker->setBranch( 'master' );
$checker->getVcsApi()->enableReleaseAssets(); // use a release ZIP when present

Updates are version-driven​

An update is offered when the version in the repo is higher than the installed one. That's why the project's versioning rules matter: every meaningful change bumps a version, and you never downgrade a version (it breaks the updater's cached state). Bump → push → the update appears.

The Update extension​

The Update extension keeps the framework and its extensions current. It reads each extension's github_update manifest key, checks the named GitHub repo for a newer version, and lists available updates so you can apply them from the dashboard. It's a standalone extension you enable from Unyson+ → Extensions.

Make your own extension or theme auto-update​

Opting in is one manifest key. Add it to your extension's manifest.php (or your theme's manifest):

// In an extension's manifest.php
$manifest['github_update'] = 'YourOrg/Your-Extension-Repo'; // user/repo
$manifest['github_repo']   = 'https://github.com/YourOrg/Your-Extension-Repo';
$manifest['github_branch'] = 'master';
  • github_update (user/repo) is the key the Update extension keys off, this is what enables auto-updates for your extension.
  • github_branch is the branch the stable version lives on (master or main).
  • Bump your manifest version when you push, and the update is offered on every site running it.

The recognized branches default to master / main; a filter lets you change them:

add_filter( 'fw_ext_update_github_branches', function ( $branches, $user_repo ) {
    return array( 'release' );
}, 10, 2 );
Themes ship the checker directly

A theme doesn't use the Update extension, it wires the bundled update checker in its own functions.php (pointed at its repo + branch), exactly like the plugin. The Unyson+ Theme and the sample child theme both do this, so a generated child theme inherits a working auto-updater.

See also​