Title: Updating plugins with .zip uploads
Author: Joshua Wold
Published: August 27, 2017
Last modified: December 19, 2023

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 [  ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshuawold/) [Joshua Wold](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshuawold/)
4:29 pm _on_ August 27, 2017      

# Updating plugins with .zip uploads

As detailed in this [Trac ticket](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/9757#comment:59),
when you try to upload a new version of a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software
containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can
extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins
are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress.
These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/)
or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party., you get an error. Meaning, if I
have a plugin on my WordPress site that needs to be updated to the latest version,
or even to a development version, I can’t just upload a new .zip file to do this.
Instead I have to either update from the plugins page or upload a new folder via
SFTPSFTP SFTP is an acronym for Secure File Transfer Protocol: A standard protocol
to move computer files from one host to another over the Internet with enhanced 
security..

Following are the steps to replicate the existing issue where you get blocked when
trying to upload a new version of a plugin:

  [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-1.png)   Starting with a
blank plugin folder   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-2.png)
Download a previous version of a plugin. This example uses an old version of Yoast,
4.9   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-3.png)   Navigate to
plugins > upload 
  [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-4.png)
Find the 4.9 .zip   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-5.png)
Upload the 4.9 .zip   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-6.png)
Activate the 4.9 .zip   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-7.png)
Look for the notice to update the plugin   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-8.png)
Downloaded the latest released version of Yoast (5.3.2) as a .zip and navigate to
plugins > upload   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-9.png)   
Upload the .zip for 5.3.2   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-10.png)
Install 5.3.2   [](https://make.wordpress.org/test/files/2017/08/Step-11.png)   
See the error saying the plugin failed

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