Automatic Updating

If you are running WHMCS 7.0 or later, you can use the built-in Automatic Update utility. To do this:

  • Navigate to Utilities > Update WHMCS to begin the process.
  • Click Update Now.
  • Follow the prompts through the update process.
UpdateAvailable.png
  If we released an update recently, you may need to click Check for Updates before the update will display.

For more information about the Automatic Updater and troubleshooting, see Automatic Updater.

Performing a Manual Update

Watch the video tutorial for this feature  

To update WHMCS manually, follow the steps in the section below. Some updates may require steps in addition to the standard update steps below. We provide this information in the Release Notes. Always refer to the release notes for a version before attempting any update.

A Full Release distribution contains all the files of a WHMCS product installation. You can use it to perform a new installation or update an existing installation (regardless of previous version).

Patch Sets contain only the files that have changed between the immediate previous version and the latest version (for example, a patch set for version 1.1.2 is valid for a 1.1.1 installation and nothing else). We provide these to make updating both quicker and easier for those of our customers who stay current and up-to-date with the latest WHMCS releases. By including only the changed files, patch sets have less files to upload, which makes the update process quicker and simpler for you to perform.

For more information on our release types and distribution types, see our Releases page. Advanced users can also perform upgrades from the command line.

Update Steps

For a Full Release Version

A full release version includes _full within the .zip folder filename and "Distro Type: Full Version" within the included README.txt file. If the .zip filename contains _patch, see the Patch Set update Steps section below.

Make a Full Backup. We cannot stress enough how important it is to always create a full backup before attempting any kind of update, both for WHMCS and for any other software you use. In your full backup, include both the WHMCS files and the database.

To update for a full release version:

  1. Make certain that your system meets our system requirements.
  2. Obtain the latest full release download of WHMCS from http://download.whmcs.com/ or, if you use a reseller, from your license provider.
  3. Unzip the contents of the downloaded WHMCS .zip file to a folder on your computer.
    Custom Admin Directory?
    If you have renamed your "admin" directory, rename the /whmcs/admin directory in the new files to match.
    Custom Cron Directory?
    If you have customised the location of the /crons/ directory, be sure to upload that to the custom location.
    Custom File Permissions?
    If you have customised the permissions on any of the files (for example, /crons/pipe.php). You must reapply these changes after the update is complete.
  4. Upload the new files to your existing installation folder, replacing any existing folders and files.
  5. Visit your WHMCS installation. The system will automatically direct you to the update process. If the system doesn't auitomatically redirect you, visit the installation page directly at yourdomain.com/whmcs/install. If you see a message that states that you have not installed WHMCS, you may have overwritten the configuration.php file for your installation. Stop and restore that file from your backup before continuing.
  6. Agree to the WHMCS End User License Agreement and follow the prompts to update your database.
  7. When the system prompts you, delete the installation folder from your server.
  8. Your update is now complete.

We recommend that you check the release notes for the version you just installed here. If you have custom template files, you will also need to review and make any necessary changes to your custom templates. For more information, see the Template Changes section of the Release Notes.

For a Patch Set

A patch set version includes _patch within the .zip folder name and "Distro Type: Patch Set" within the included README.txt file.

IMPORTANT: Before you begin, make sure you are running the version that the patch requires. Patch Sets contain only the files that have changed between the previous release and the Patch Set Version. Only apply them if you are running the immediately-previous version.

The previous release version that we designed these patch sets for is part of the first and smaller number in release notices providing the patch set download link.

To update using a patch set:

  1. Download the patch set from http://download.whmcs.com/.
  2. Unzip the patch set files.
    Custom Admin Directory?
    If your patch set includes changes to the admin directory and you have renamed your "admin" directory, rename the /whmcs/admin directory in the new files to match.
  3. Upload the files from the /whmcs/ directory to the root directory of your WHMCS installation.
  4. Visit the admin area of your WHMCS installation to trigger the version number increment and complete the process.

This method doesn't require an install or update process.

Confirming a Successful Update

To confirm that an update applied successfully, log in to your WHMCS admin area. Then, check to make sure that the version number on either the admin homepage (in the sidebar of all default templates) or in Configuration () > System Health is the version that you attempted to apply. If it has not incremented, then one or more of the files has not uploaded successfully. Check your file permissions and attempt the steps again from the beginning.

Helpful Hints

Top Tips for A Seamless Update

Preparation helps to ensure a seamless updating experience. For more information, see our recommendations for preparation, testing and execution of WHMCS updates.

Database Privileges

Updating requires that the database user have access to the following privileges:

  • ALTER
  • CREATE
  • DROP
  • INDEX

Additionally, you will want to ensure that the database user have access to all of the privileges on the Further Security Steps page.

Customisations

If you have customised templates, make sure to follow the recommended method for creating a custom template folder to ensure your changes aren't overwritten during updates. Similarly, for language file customisations, make sure that you use the Language Overrides feature instead of editing the language files directly.

Bad Formatting

If, when you first log in, you see a mixed or unclear formatting, your browser may not have updated. Try clearing your browser cache or performing a hard refresh (typically Ctrl + F5) and delete the contents of the template cache directory (templates_c by default) to ensure that you see the new templates and styling.

What to do if you get a Down for Maintenance or update in Progress message after uploading a patch set

If, after uploading the files from a Patch Set, you see a "Down for Maintenance" or "update in progress..." warning message, then this indicates that the patch set files you attempted to apply are not compatible with the version of WHMCS you were previously running. To complete the update you will need to download the latest Full Release version and update using the regular update process above.

We're here to help

We offer a professional update service where our staff will update your WHMCS installation for you. For more information and to order services, see https://www.whmcs.com/services/upgrade-service/.

Our support team is always available to answer any questions or concerns you might have when performing updates. Open a ticket at http://www.whmcs.com/get-support/ and a member of our team will assist you.

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