FAIR

Federated and Independent Repositories

Git Updater

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Git Updater

by Andy Fragen

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Description

This plugin was originally designed to simply update any GitHub hosted WordPress plugin or theme. Currently, plugins or themes hosted on Bitbucket, GitLab, Gitea, or Gist are also supported via additional API plugins. Additionally, self-hosted git servers are supported.

Your plugin or theme must contain a header in the style.css header or in the plugin's header denoting the location on GitHub. The format is as follows.

GitHub Plugin URI: https://github.com/afragen/git-updater

or

GitHub Theme URI: https://github.com/afragen/test-child

...where the above URI leads to the owner/repository of your theme or plugin. The URI format is https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>. You must not include any extensions like .git.

API Plugins

API plugins for Bitbucket, GitLab, Gitea, and Gist are available. API plugins are available for a one-click install from the Add-Ons tab.

Sponsor

Purchase a license at the Git Updater Store. An unlimited yearly license is very reasonable and allows for authenticated API requests. There is an initial free trial period. After the trial period Git Updater will not be able to make authenticated API requests.

You can sponsor me on GitHub to help with continued development and support.

Headers

The following headers are available for use depending upon your hosting source.

GitHub

  • GitHub Plugin URI
  • GitHub Theme URI
  • GitHub Languages

Go to git-updater.com to download and install the latest version.

Knowledge Base

Comprehensive information regarding Git Updater is available in the Knowledge Base.

Slack

We now have a Slack team for Git Updater. Please click here for an invite. You will be automatically added to the #general and #support channels. Please take a look at other channels too.

Translations

If you are a polyglot I would greatly appreciate translation contributions to GlotPress for Git Updater.

[unreleased]

12.23.1 / 2026-02-12

  • add guard to release asset development download link in REST API
  • fix potential race condition when saving cache to multi-server/clustered environments #1133, thanks @Ipstenu

12.23.0 / 2026-02-11

  • guard on ReflectionProptery::setAccessible() deprecated for PHP 8.5 and included in PHP 8.1+
  • case-insensitive matching for alpha|beta|RC
  • make Language_Pack::update_site_transient() a static
  • fix REST API to return correct download link depending upon development channel

12.22.0 / 2026-01-13

  • added gu_dev_release_asset filter for dev release assets
  • added channel query arg for dev release assets when using update-api REST endpoint
  • send a saved access token with update-api REST API if one exists
  • omit non-shared packages from REST API

12.21.0 / 2025-12-31 🎆

  • remove git_updater_plugin_updates and git_updater_theme_updates options, see #1119
  • add gu_plugin_name() to return plugin name, slug or slug-didhash
  • change can_update() check to manage_options for DISALLOW_FILE_MODS constant
  • MIT to GPL-3.0-or-later because of distributed components, etc
  • cast $response elements to object in parse_contents_response()

12.20.2 / 2025-12-08

  • harden REST API data for versions if relesase_assets and tags are empty -- this can happen if too many tags are created that aren't semver format
  • limit REST API to return last 20 versions
  • update REST API conditional logic for setting release asset download link
  • add guard for missing/empty assets in Readme_Parser
  • move some phpcs:disable to package header
  • update to erusev/parsedown": "dev-master#0b274ac959624e6c6d647e9c9b6c2d20da242004" for PHP 8.5 compliance, thanks @thefrosty
  • standardize to composer lint and composer format

12.20.1 / 2025-11-26

  • initialize $created_at variable, possibly fixes PHP Error
  • update actions/checkout
  • update mu-loader.php

12.20.0 / 2025-11-24

  • move tag sort outside of loop
  • use auth key for REST endpoint to flush repository cache for possible abuse
  • added Screenshots section to plugin modal
  • get created_at per release asset
  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • Cache Add-Ons for 7 days

12.19.0 / 2025-09-29

  • setup for Gitea release assets
  • use mcaskill/composer-exclude-files to exclude autoload of freemius/wordpress-sdk/start.php
  • harden parse_meta_response()
  • modify dot org check for package added to mirror like AspireCloud
  • don't overwrite requires and requires_php data from readme.txt if already exists
  • correctly parse for multiple release assets per release
  • update POT GitHub Action
  • refactor add_accept_header()
  • set release_assets and release_asset_download for latest release asset

12.18.1 / 2025-08-06

  • data check on release assets

12.18.0 / 2025-08-04

  • update cache delete and don't use wp_cache_flush
  • always show download link in REST endpoint
  • improved reverse sort for branch/tag versions
  • get all release assets from GitHub API and pick release asset download from release assets array, other APIs get latest release asset only
  • update parse_tag() and sort_tags()
  • update branch switching tags

12.17.3 / 2025-07-31

  • add new Security header with value of email or URI

12.17.2 / 2025-07-26

  • update GU_Freemius for FAIR installation

12.17.1 / 2025-07-20

  • add remote data for did, slug_hash if added via Additions
  • use Bearer for token with GitHub API

12.17.0 / 2025-07-14

  • un-escape stuff, more uses of use
  • add License header info
  • add Update URI header info
  • add get_did_hash() to get hash of DID
  • add get_file_without_did_hash()
  • simplify check for rename_on_activation()
  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk

12.16.1 / 2025-06-12

  • add DID
  • update rollback sort
  • update banner image

12.16.0 / 2025-06-09

  • change callback from new REST_API() to $this
  • collect Author URI from headers.
  • add action hook to Base::get_remote_repo_meta
  • get all versions of release assets, similar to tags/rollbacks
  • add compatibility check for AspireUpdate and FAIR Package Manager

12.15.1 / 2025-05-20

  • update stability of composer requirements

12.15.0 / 2025-05-20

  • update to correct format of readme tags
  • add correctly formated date/time for update-api REST endpoint
  • remove deprecated hooks from v10 and earlier
  • add error checking to parse_contents_response()
  • update Freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • add support for Plugin ID and Theme ID headers for FAIR
  • update composer.json

12.14.0 / 2025-02-26

  • make sure proper release asset headers are added even if access token not set
  • ensure short description is 150 characters or less

12.13.0 / 2025-02-21

  • update caching
  • add versions to REST endpoint for {plugins|themes|update}-api
  • update generate POT workflow

12.12.1 / 2025-02-12

  • revert uninstall back to Freemius

12.12.0 / 2025-02-10

  • save source with Additions
  • update Additions::deduplicate()
  • update Base::upgrader_source_selection() rename to allow for AJAX installation, thanks @costdev
  • add git-updater-collectionsto Add-Ons
  • make list table show all elements
  • add Private Package option for Additions, these private packages are not to be shared with aggregators
  • switch to standard uninstall.php as issue with calling Freemius during their after_uninstall hook
  • add early exit in get_repo_slugs() during AJAX installation for Add-Ons
  • remove soft match in get_repo_slugs()
  • removed Add_Ons::upgrader_source_selection no longer needed
  • save/export tags from readme.txt for REST endpoint

12.11.0 / 2025-02-02

  • update Additions to add additional listings
  • more updates for possibly passing null
  • update REST_API::get_api_data
  • update Theme to add theme_uri to update transient
  • update to pass complete data for multiple uses of gu_additions hook

12.10.1 / 2025-01-30

  • fix issue with release asset
  • add guard to Add-Ons
  • remove git-updater-federation from Add-Ons

12.10.0 / 2025-01-29

  • refactor Add_Ons to use plugins-api REST endpoint and standard plugin card
  • added features by @costdev for AJAXifying
  • added parsing of Update URI and Requires Plugins headers
  • increase requirements to PHP 8+
  • added REST endpoint to export data from Additions
  • added REST endpoint to export Update API data from Additions
  • update Freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • change 'API Add-Ons' to 'Add-Ons'

12.9.0 / 2025-01-07

  • add API get for repo root contents for efficiency
  • add feature to virtually add repos via Additions tab to server REST update-api endpoint
  • switch to getting most data via API calls and not from locally installed files
  • add REST endpoint to individually flush repo cache
  • fix Basic_Auth_Loader::get_slug_for_credentials() to get slug for gist
  • update $release_asset_parts in Basic_Auth_Loader::unset_release_asset_auth() for AWS download link
  • improved release asset handling

12.8.0 / 2024-12-21

  • update GitHub release asset parsing
  • update REST_API for Bitbucket update link
  • update REST_API for update-api route

12.7.2 / 2024-12-18

  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • use mcaskill/composer-exclude-files to exclude autoloading start.php from Freemius, issues arise
  • update REST_API::get_api_data() to always get current release asset redirect as appropriate

12.7.1 / 2024-12-02

  • use get_file_date() to return plugin version
  • fix API::get_dot_org_data() to work with WPE mirror

12.7.0 / 2024-11-30

  • fix missing/incorrect textdomains
  • look for __() functions loading in hooks before init
  • remove load_plugin_textdomain()
  • add git host icon to single site theme description
  • don't save to GitHub.com access token from single repo remote install
  • fix PHP 8.1 creation dynamic variable from class REST_API
  • update REST API response to return plugins_api() or themes_api() style response

12.6.0 / 2024-10-13

  • check existence of FS__RESOLVE_CLONE_AS before setting
  • add filter hook gu_api_domain to set domain for default API updating
  • add filter hook gu_ignore_dot_org to completely ignore updates from dot org. Works as if every plugin/theme is in the gu_override_dot_org hook

12.5.0 / 2024-08-16

  • update class-parser.php
  • update Requires PHP to 7.4 for class-parser.php
  • update Requires WP to 5.9
  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • update printf() in class Branches
  • fix old git-updater-pro and git-updater-additions textdomains
  • update Base::upgrader_source_selection() when trying to update $source and $new_source when destination directories are identical
  • remove unused parameters in certain functions

12.4.0 / 2024-03-04

  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • update class-parser.php
  • use is_wp_version_compatible() and is_php_version_compatible() in GU_Trait::can_update_repo()
  • update gu-loader.php with generic loader
  • update Readme_Parser::trim_length

12.3.1 / 2023-10-19

  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • WPCS 3.0.0 linting
  • popup on icon for "Updates via Git Updater", thanks @BrianHenryIE

12.3.0 / 2023-08-10

  • update Bitbucket Add-on message for consistency
  • ensure Shim available during register_activation_hook()
  • add conditional to get_remote_api_branches() to ensure $response is not a scalar
  • use null coalescing operator
  • update for PHP 8.2

12.2.3 / 2023-06-27

  • composer update
  • get gu_disable_cron hook result once per repository
  • ensure git class is instantiated when checking waiting_for_background_update()
  • add check for $response->error to API::validate_response()
  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk to 2.5.10

12.2.2 /2023-05-22

  • add back Network only activate for multisite, may cause issue where post-license activation Freemius doesn't re-direct to network admin
  • update anonymous functions as static functions for better performance
  • composer update

12.2.1 / 2023-04-21

  • ensure $wp_filesystem set for Bootstrap::rename_on_activation()
  • uninstall tested to function correctly

12.2.0 / 2023-04-20

  • update freemius/wordpress-sdk
  • update afragen/wp-dismiss-notice
  • don't save unused data from API_Common::parse_release_asset()
  • don't use Freemius uninstall, use previous uninstall.php
  • more PHP 8.2 compatibility
  • composer update
  • update REST_API::get_plugins_api_data() to return response without download link using boolean value in download query arg
  • hide Freemius menus with gu_hide_settings filter
  • more specific hiding of Git Updater settings

12.1.3 / 2023-03-20

  • improved setting/default of $options['bypass_background_processing']
  • improved setting/default of $options['branch_switch']
  • display upgrade notice on update-core.php
  • composer update afragen/singleton for PHP 8.2 compat

12.1.2 / 2023-02-08

  • fix for webhook updating issue if $branches not defined, thanks @awunsch

12.1.1 / 2023-02-07

  • remove force of Network activation, messes up Freemius license activation on multisite
  • composer update

12.1.0 / 2023-02-06

  • further limit log of HTTP errors, trying for only once per plugin
  • eliminate Freemius clone resolution popup
  • update Shim:move_dir() for improved error messaging
  • update comparison in Base::upgrader_source_selection of $source and $new_source

12.0.4 / 2023-01-27

  • update to use str_contains()
  • log HTTP errors only hourly
  • update Shim::move_dir() to exit early if source and destination differ only by case or trailing slash

12.0.3 / 2023-01-19

  • update Shim for move_dir() and wp_opcache_invalidate_directory()
  • composer update

12.0.2 / 2023-01-12

  • PHP 8.1 compatibility fix, thanks @chesio
  • other PHP 8.1 fixes
  • declare class API variable $type, avoid future PHP issues, thanks @chesio

12.0.1 / 2023-01-02

  • cleanup parsing of GitHub release assets
  • composer update to fix dependency conflict

12.0.0 / 2022-12-12

  • ensure $wp_filesystem is available
  • re-integrate Git Updater PRO
  • integrate Git Updater Additions
  • add git logo to subtab, hide for now
  • load API tabs of installed/active API plugins
  • set Git Updater to auto-update with new $db_version
  • replace Appsero SDK with Freemius SDK
  • suspend Freemius plugin updating for Git Updater
  • fix uninstall.php for Freemius
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