Why This Is Manual
You update Lite the way you'd install any plugin from a zip: download the current file from your Polar account, then upload it over the old copy. WordPress replaces the files, keeps the plugin active, and leaves every setting exactly where it was. It's manual because the Lite edition ships without license keys, and the Auto Updater module needs one to talk to the update server. With no key to check, the module registers nothing at all: no Updates page, no update checks, and no notice in your dashboard when a new version lands. Nothing is broken on your install - that's how Lite ships, and it means Lite never tells you an update exists.
Step by Step
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Check the version you are on
Go to Plugins in wp-admin and read the version under WP Multitool Lite. Write it down. You'll compare it against the file you download, and it's the fastest way to confirm the update worked.
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Open your account and sign in
Go to polar.sh/we-got-this/portal and enter the email address you bought Lite with. There's no password - Polar emails you a six-character verification code instead. Use the same address you used at checkout, otherwise the portal won't find your purchase.
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Enter the verification code
Paste the six characters from the email and click "Access my purchases". The code is short-lived, so if it stops working, click "Request a new one" and check your inbox again. Check spam if nothing arrives within a minute.
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Download the Lite zip
On the Overview page, scroll to Benefit Grants. You'll see an entry named "WP Multitool Lite <version> Download" with the zip under it. Click the download arrow on the right. The version in that title is the current release - if it matches what you noted in step 1, you're already up to date and can stop here.
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Upload the zip in wp-admin
Go to Plugins > Add Plugin in wp-admin - on WordPress older than 6.4 that menu item is called "Add New" - then click "Upload Plugin" at the top of the page. Click "Choose File", pick the zip you downloaded, then click "Install Now". Don't unzip it first, and don't delete the old copy of the plugin. Uploading over the top leaves it active and in place. Deleting means reinstalling and reactivating for no reason.
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Replace the current version
WordPress notices the plugin is already installed and shows a comparison table with the version you have and the version you uploaded. Check that the Uploaded column is the higher number, then click "Replace current with uploaded".
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Wait for the success message
WordPress unpacks the new files, removes the old ones and reports "Plugin updated successfully". That takes a couple of seconds. The plugin stays active through the whole thing, so there's nothing to reactivate.
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Confirm the new version
Go back to Plugins and check the version line under WP Multitool Lite. It should show the number you downloaded, and the row should still offer "Deactivate", which means the plugin is running. Open WP Multitool > Modules to confirm your enabled modules are exactly as you left them.
FAQ
Why does Lite not update itself like other plugins?
Updates are tied to a license key, and Lite is sold without one. The Auto Updater module checks the edition on load and stops when it sees Lite, before it registers any hooks. So there's no Updates page to visit and no update check running in the background. The Full edition includes a license key and updates through the normal WordPress update screen.
How do I know when a new Lite version is out?
Your WordPress dashboard won't tell you. Check the changelog at wpmultitool.com/changelog/, or sign into your Polar account and look at the version in the Benefit Grants entry - that entry always carries the current release number.
Will I lose my settings or my data?
No. Uploading over the existing plugin replaces the plugin files only. Your settings live in the database under a single wpmultitool_options key and stay untouched, as does anything a module has logged. Deleting the plugin doesn't wipe them either - the uninstall routine deliberately leaves your data in place - but deleting is still the wrong route here. You'd have to reinstall and reactivate, and deactivating removes the MU-plugin and drop-in that WP Multitool installs. Upload over the top instead.
Do I need to deactivate the plugin first?
No. WordPress handles the swap while the plugin is active and leaves it active afterwards. Deactivating first is harmless but pointless, and it's easy to forget to switch it back on.
The upload fails with "413 Request Entity Too Large". What now?
Your web server is refusing the file before PHP ever sees it. The Lite zip is around 1.5 MB and the nginx default limit is 1 MB, so this is common on nginx hosts. Ask your host to raise client_max_body_size to 8m or more. If you see "The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive" instead, that's PHP, and the fix is to raise upload_max_filesize and post_max_size. Both are one-line changes any host can make.
There is no "Add Plugin" or "Upload Plugin" option in my dashboard.
Some managed hosts lock plugin installs by setting DISALLOW_FILE_MODS in wp-config.php. WordPress then hides the whole install screen and refuses uploads, and Quick Updater refuses them too. Ask your host to allow plugin installs, or upload the plugin over SFTP instead: unzip the file on your computer, then upload the wp-multitool-lite folder from it into wp-content/plugins/ and let it overwrite the existing files. Keep the folder name exactly wp-multitool-lite. WordPress identifies an active plugin by its path, so the plugin stays active and your settings stay put.
WordPress asks for FTP credentials when I click Install Now.
That screen appears when WordPress can't write to wp-content/plugins/ as the web server user, so it falls back to FTP. Entering working FTP details will complete the update. If you don't have them, ask your host to fix the file ownership on wp-content. That's the real problem, and it'll come back on every plugin update until someone fixes it.
Should I take a backup first, and what if the site breaks afterwards?
Take one. Any update can go wrong, and this plugin touches the database. A full backup from your host or a backup plugin is enough. If you have SFTP access, a copy of wp-content/plugins/wp-multitool-lite/ is the quickest insurance, because putting that folder back restores the exact version you were on. If the site errors out after the update, rename that folder over SFTP - WordPress deactivates a plugin whose files have vanished, the site comes back, and your settings survive. Then email support@wpmultitool.com with the version you upgraded from and the version you upgraded to.
I run a multisite network. Where do I upload the zip?
In Network Admin, not on the individual site. WordPress only grants the install capability to super admins on multisite, so a per-site admin won't see the upload screen at all. Go to Network Admin > Plugins > Add Plugin > Upload Plugin and follow the same steps. If WP Multitool Lite is network-activated, the update applies to every site at once.
Can I use the Quick Updater module to do this?
Yes. Quick Updater is included in Lite and enabled by default. It has no menu page of its own - it adds a drop zone to the Plugins page itself, so you drag the zip straight onto that screen instead of going through Add Plugin. Same job either way, so use whichever you prefer. You still have to download the zip from your account first.
I bought Lite with a different email and cannot sign in.
The portal only finds purchases attached to the exact address used at checkout. Check the receipt Polar sent you - the address it was delivered to is the one that works. If you no longer have access to that mailbox, email support@wpmultitool.com and I'll move the purchase over.
Is there a way to stop doing this by hand?
Upgrade to the Full edition - that's any plan above Lite at wpmultitool.com/pricing/, and they all include a license key. The key switches the Auto Updater on, and from then on updates arrive in the normal WordPress update screen like any other plugin. Your Lite settings carry over untouched.
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