Software updates let licensed customers update a purchased plugin or theme from their WordPress admin.
Before Publishing
Confirm:
- The package is clean.
- The version shown inside the package matches the version you will enter.
- The package belongs to the correct product.
- The package is not personalized for one customer.
- No customer details are inside the package.
- Release notes are ready.
- Required WordPress version is correct.
- Required server version is correct.
Upload A Release
1. Open AweCommerce, then Products. 2. Open the software product. 3. Open Software Releases or the release area. 4. Upload the new package. 5. Enter version. 6. Add changelog. 7. Add upgrade notice. 8. Set requirements. 9. Choose release status. 10. Choose rollout percentage. 11. Save.
Publish The Manifest
1. After saving release metadata, publish the manifest. 2. Confirm the manifest is published. 3. Open the public manifest link if shown. 4. Confirm it loads successfully. 5. Confirm the previous known-good release remains available if publishing fails.
Rollout Strategy
Use a staged rollout for risky releases:
1. Start at a small rollout percentage. 2. Test on a licensed site. 3. Watch support tickets. 4. Review package download activity. 5. Increase rollout gradually. 6. Move to full rollout after confidence is high.
Use full rollout for low-risk maintenance releases after testing.
Test A New Update
1. Install an older version on a licensed test site. 2. Activate the license. 3. Trigger a WordPress update check. 4. Confirm the update appears. 5. Review version, changelog, and requirements. 6. Run the update. 7. Confirm the product updates successfully. 8. Confirm activation remains active after update.
Pause A Bad Release
If a release is bad:
1. Pause the release immediately. 2. Stop increasing rollout. 3. Keep the previous known-good version available. 4. Build a corrected release with a new version. 5. Upload and test the corrected release. 6. Publish the corrected manifest. 7. Resume rollout gradually.
Avoid replacing a package silently while keeping the same version unless your support team has decided that is acceptable.