How to disable WordPress plugin and theme update emails

If you’re using not the oldest WordPress version you probably know that WordPress itself can automatically update it’s plugins and themes.

This functionality may have positive or, in some cases, not so positive impact on website functionality as I wrote before, but today we’re not about that. We want to stop WordPress constantly sending emails telling that Some plugins were automatically updated.

There are few ways to disable this kind of emails in WordPress. The fastest and, for most of us, easiest method is to add few lines of code that would do the trick. The other way, ironically, is to add yet another plugin to your website that would disable these emails. Let’s look at both of these ways.

How to disable “Some plugins were automatically updated” emails in WordPress via functions.php file

If you want to disable plugin automatic update emails in using code, you need to open your currently active WordPress theme’s functions.php file. Go to Appearance >> Theme file editor or Tools >> Theme file editor and click Theme functions file functions.php on the right side of the screen.

Then scroll to the bottom of the file and add this line of code to disable automatic plugin update emails:

add_filter( 'auto_plugin_update_send_email', '__return_false' );

If you also want to disable emails about automatic theme updates, add this code to the end of the functions.php file too:

add_filter( 'auto_theme_update_send_email', '__return_false' );

It should look like that:

Disable

Once you hit Save changes button you’ll no longer get plugin and theme automatic update emails in WordPress.

How to disable “Some plugins were automatically updated” emails in WordPress using plugin

There are few plugins that let you disable automatic plugin update emails in WordPress.

Go to Plugins >> Add New in WordPress admin menu, and enter disable emails to the search box at the top. Then choose probably the easiest to use plugin for disabling WordPress emails – Disable email Notification for auto-updates. Click Install Now, and then activate the plugin.

Disable

Once plugin is activated go to it’s settings page in the main WordPress admin menu, and disable any emails you want:

  • disable email notifications for WordPress plugin updates

  • disable email notifications for WordPress theme updates

  • disable email notifications for WordPress core updates

wordpress disable plugin update emails, theme update email or core update emails

That’s it – now you won’t get any more emails about WordPress plugin, theme or core updates.

Having trouble with sending emails via WordPress? Check this article