Description
Time to Update sends you a nicely formatted email notification whenever updates are available for your WordPress core, installed plugins, or themes.
For security conscious site owners who want to keep their site up to date, Time to Update provides a simple, lightweight, and set-and-forget solution. It ensures you never miss a critical core security patch or a plugin update just because you haven’t logged into the dashboard lately.
The plugin runs quietly in the background using WordPress cron. It uses standard WordPress update channels and does not rely on third-party SaaS services.
Features
- Sends email notifications for WordPress Core, Plugin, and Theme updates.
- “Settings” link included directly in the Plugins list for quick access.
- Clean, readable HTML email format with automatic plain-text fallback.
- You can set your notification email address and how often you’re notified (Instantly, Daily, Twice Weekly, or Weekly).
- Manual “Check Now” and “Send Test Email” buttons for instant verification.
- Lightweight and self-contained with no external SaaS dependencies.
Screenshots
Installation
- Upload the
time-to-updatefolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install the plugin via the WordPress Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
- Go to Settings Time to Update (or click Settings in the Plugins list) to configure your preferences.
FAQ
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Does this plugin install updates automatically?
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No. Time to Update only notifies you when updates are available. You remain in full control of when and how updates are applied.
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How often does the plugin send notification emails?
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The notification frequency can be configured on the settings page: Instantly, Daily, Twice Weekly, or Weekly.
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What does “Instantly” actually mean?
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“Instantly” means as soon as your WordPress install itself becomes aware that an update is available, not the moment the update is published on WordPress.org. WordPress checks for updates on its own schedule (triggered by site visits, admin activity, or other plugins), and Time to Update checks hourly to see whether that awareness has changed. On sites with very low traffic, WordPress’s own update checks may be delayed, which will in turn delay Time to Update’s notification — this is WordPress core behavior, not something Time to Update controls.
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Does it send data to third-party services?
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No. Time to Update only pings standard WordPress and developer update APIs to check for the latest versions. No tracking or external SaaS services are used.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Time to Update” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Time to Update” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2.0
- Changed: “Check Frequency” setting replaced with “Notification Frequency” (Instantly, Daily, Twice Weekly, Weekly) — this now controls how often you’re emailed, independent of when WordPress itself detects an update.
- Added: “Instantly” option checks hourly for newly-detected updates.
- Added: “Twice Weekly” notification option.
- Added: FAQ entry explaining what “Instantly” means and how site traffic affects update detection timing.
1.1.2
- Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 7.1.
1.1.1
- Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 7.0.
1.1.0
- Added: WordPress Core update monitoring.
- Added: “Settings” action link in the Plugins list.
- Improved: Refined email formatting.
1.0.0
- Initial release.