The plugin looks right for the job, but when you open its details WordPress shows a warning that it has not been tested with your current version of WordPress. Or the search result card says “Untested with your version of WordPress” while the ones around it say “Compatible”. It sounds serious, and nothing on the screen tells you how serious.
Usually it is less alarming than it looks. A plugin not tested with your version of WordPress may work perfectly; the label only reports what its developer last wrote in one line of a file. Below is what the warning means, what it does not mean, and the few checks that tell you whether to install, update, wait or look elsewhere. Reading labels like this calmly is part of what our beginner’s guide to running WordPress is for.
Where the warning appears
- Plugins → Add Plugin. Each plugin card in the search results ends with a compatibility line: “Compatible with your version of WordPress”, “Untested with your version of WordPress”, or “Incompatible with your version of WordPress”.
- The details pop-up. Clicking a plugin’s name or More Details opens a window that starts with a warning that the plugin has not been tested with your current version of WordPress.
- The plugin’s page on wordpress.org. The sidebar shows a “Tested up to” version. When a plugin has gone untested for several major WordPress releases, the directory adds a stronger notice at the top suggesting it may no longer be maintained.
These are three views of the same piece of information, which comes from the plugin itself.
What “untested” really means
Every plugin in the directory has a readme file. In it, the developer fills in a line called Tested up to, naming the newest WordPress version they have checked the plugin against. WordPress compares that number with the version on your site. If yours is newer, you see the warning.
Nobody at WordPress tests the plugin. The label is the developer’s own statement, and it lags behind reality for ordinary reasons. A new major WordPress release comes out, the plugin keeps working fine, and the developer simply has not yet updated the readme. For a while after every major release, plenty of perfectly healthy plugins show “Untested”. In practice, minor maintenance and security releases usually do not trigger it, because the directory treats a plugin tested with a major version as tested with that version’s point releases too.
What the warning does not tell you
- It does not mean the plugin is broken. WordPress puts a lot of effort into keeping older code working; breakage happens, but it is the exception.
- It does not mean the plugin is insecure. Security depends on the code and how quickly the developer fixes problems, not on a label.
- It does not, on its own, mean the plugin is abandoned. But a “Tested up to” version far behind the current one, along with no updates for a long time, is one of the signs. Our post on abandoned WordPress plugins covers how to read those signs together.
- “Compatible” is not a promise either. A developer can update the label without checking every feature, and compatibility with WordPress says nothing about clashes with your other plugins or theme.
A warning is not the same as a requirement
The readme can also say Requires at least (the oldest WordPress version the plugin supports) and Requires PHP (the oldest PHP version). Recent versions of WordPress treat these as rules, not advice. If your site does not meet them, you will see “Incompatible”, the install button is disabled, and an update that needs more than you have cannot be applied from the dashboard.
So the two cases point in opposite directions. “Untested” usually means the plugin’s information is out of date. “Incompatible” means your site is behind. If it is your PHP version that falls short, that is a hosting setting worth fixing for its own sake; our post on the WordPress PHP version update explains what to check before changing it.
How to check a plugin not tested with your version of WordPress
Five quick checks, all on the plugin’s page in the directory, tell you more than the label does.
- Last updated. If the plugin was updated recently, the developer is active and the label will probably catch up soon.
- The support forum. Open the support tab and read threads posted since the current WordPress version came out. If people report problems, you will see them there. If threads are being answered and nobody mentions trouble, that is reassuring.
- The changelog. Look for mentions of the current WordPress version, or of fixes for compatibility. Our guide to reading a plugin changelog shows where it is and what to look for.
- The developer’s own site. Larger plugins often announce compatibility in a blog post or release notes before the readme changes.
- How much the plugin matters to you. A plugin that adds a small display feature carries little risk. One that runs your checkout, bookings or logins deserves more care.
Test it where nobody can see
The only certain answer is trying it on your own site setup, with your theme and plugins. A staging copy of the site is the right place. Install or update the plugin there and work through the features you rely on: submit the form, add to cart, make a booking, check the pages where it appears on a phone and a computer. Then look at Tools → Site Health for anything new.
Without staging, install it on the live site at a quiet time, straight after a fresh backup, and test immediately. If anything misbehaves, deactivate it and you are back where you started.
Install, update, wait or look elsewhere
- New plugin, active developer, quiet forum: go ahead, and test it after installing.
- New plugin, no updates for a long time, unanswered forum threads: the warning is part of a bigger picture. Look for an alternative before you build anything around it.
- Plugin you already use, site working after the WordPress update: nothing to do. Keep updating it as new versions come, and look again if the label stays out of date for a long time.
- Plugin you already use that runs something vital: before a major WordPress update, check the forum and changelog for that plugin first. If there is real doubt, test the WordPress update on staging. How to approach core, plugin and theme updates in general is covered in our post on WordPress core, plugin and theme updates.
If you do find a genuine problem, post it in the plugin’s support forum with your WordPress and PHP versions (both listed under Tools → Site Health → Info) and a plain description of what goes wrong. A developer who sees a real report is far more likely to fix the plugin and update the label.
For how plugins fit into the rest of your site, from choosing to removing, see the owner’s guide to WordPress plugins.
Frequently asked questions
Will the untested warning go away on its own?
It goes away when the developer updates the Tested up to line in the plugin’s readme, which they often do in their next release. You do not need to do anything. If the warning stays for many months while WordPress moves on, treat that as a reason to look more closely at whether the plugin is still looked after.
Does the warning matter for a plugin that is already installed and working?
Not much. Your own site is the best test there is: if the plugin has worked properly since the WordPress update, the label is simply behind. Keep it updated, keep an eye on its forum, and check its important features after each major WordPress release.
Should I delay a WordPress update because of one untested plugin?
For minor and security releases, no; they rarely change anything a plugin depends on, and delaying them leaves known problems unfixed. For a major release, a short wait while you check the forum for a vital plugin is reasonable. Testing the update on a staging copy is better than waiting indefinitely.
Can I contact the developer about the warning?
Yes. A short, polite post in the plugin’s support forum asking whether the plugin has been checked with the current WordPress version is normal, and active developers tend to reply. Include your WordPress version and mention any problem you have actually seen, rather than the label alone.
A warning label is rarely an emergency; a plugin that actually stopped working after a WordPress update can be. For that second case, our bug fixing service for WordPress starts by working out whether the plugin, the update or something else is at fault.
Next in this series: A WordPress Plugin Audit Routine You Can Repeat
