How to Roll Back a WordPress Plugin to an Older Version

The plugin updated overnight, and this morning the booking calendar shows the wrong dates, or the product filter has stopped filtering. Everything was fine yesterday. The quickest way back to yesterday is usually to roll back a WordPress plugin to the version that worked, and there are two reliable ways to do it.

Rolling back buys you time. It is not the fix. The developer still has to correct the bug, and until they do you are running older code on purpose. So the plan has four parts: when going back is sensible, how to do it, how to stop the plugin updating straight back, and how to get back onto the current version safely.

When going back a version makes sense

Roll back when all three of these are true:

• The problem started right after one particular plugin updated, and you can point to that update.
• The broken feature matters enough that you cannot wait days for a fix.
• The new version did not fix a security problem.

That third point is the one people skip. If the changelog for the new version mentions a security fix, going back reopens a hole the developer has just publicly described. Read the notes first; our post on reading a plugin changelog shows where to find them and which words to watch for. In that situation, it is often better to disable the broken feature for a few days, or to look for a quick patch from the developer, than to downgrade.

Also hold back if you are not sure which update caused the trouble. If several plugins, the theme and WordPress itself all updated at once, rolling back one of them at random can add a second problem to the first. And if the whole site shows a critical error and you cannot reach the dashboard, the steps are different, and our page on a site broken after an update covers them.

Before you roll back a WordPress plugin

1. Take a backup of files and database, even though the site is misbehaving. You want a way back from the rollback too.
2. Write down the current version number. It is shown under the plugin’s name on the Plugins screen.
3. Find the last version that worked. Usually it is the one just before the update. The changelog, or your update emails, will show what you had.
4. Check for a database update. Some larger plugins, such as shop, form and page builder plugins, upgrade their database tables after an update and show a notice asking you to run it. If that already happened, an older version may not understand the new structure. In that case, test the rollback on a staging copy first, or restore a full backup from before the update instead.

Method one: the WP Rollback plugin

WP Rollback is a free plugin in the WordPress.org directory, and it is the simplest route for any plugin that also comes from the directory.

1. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin, search for WP Rollback, install and activate it.
2. Return to the Plugins screen. Directory plugins now show a Rollback link in their row.
3. Click it on the plugin that broke. WP Rollback opens a screen listing earlier versions it can fetch from the directory.
4. Choose the last version that worked and confirm.
5. WP Rollback installs that version in place of the current one. Your settings stay, because they live in the database, not in the plugin’s files.
6. Check the feature that broke, then check your main pages and forms.

WP Rollback is built around plugins and themes from the WordPress.org directory; the exact screens change between its versions, so follow what it shows you. For a plugin you bought from a developer’s own site, the second method is the dependable one.

Method two: upload the older zip yourself

This works for any plugin, as long as you can get the older file.

Getting the older version

• Directory plugins: open the plugin’s page on wordpress.org and look for its advanced view, which has usually included a previous-versions download near the bottom. The directory’s layout changes from time to time, so if you cannot find it, WP Rollback is the easier route.
• Paid plugins: log in to your account on the developer’s site. Some vendors offer earlier versions in the downloads area; others will send one if you ask their support. If you keep the zip of each version you install, you will never need to ask.

Replacing the current version

1. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin and click Upload Plugin.
2. Choose the older zip and click Install Now.
3. Recent versions of WordPress notice the plugin is already installed and show the current and uploaded versions side by side.
4. Check that the uploaded version is the one you meant, then click Replace current with uploaded.
5. Confirm the plugin is active and test the feature.

If you cannot reach the dashboard at all, the same swap can be done through your hosting file manager or FTP: rename the plugin’s folder in wp-content/plugins so WordPress stops loading it, upload the older version’s folder in its place, then remove the renamed one once the site is working.

Keep it from updating straight back

As soon as you are on the older version, WordPress will offer the newer one as an update again. If automatic updates are on for that plugin, it may reinstall the broken version within hours.

• On the Plugins screen, find the Automatic Updates column and click Disable auto-updates for that plugin.
• Check whether anything else updates plugins for you: your host’s control panel, a management dashboard, or a maintenance provider. Tell them which plugin is held back and why.
• Leave the “new version available” notice where it is. It is a useful reminder, as long as nobody clicks it on autopilot. If others have admin access, tell them too.

The cost of staying on an old version

Every day on the older version is a day without whatever else the new release fixed. Most releases are small, but if a security problem is fixed later and you are still held back, you may miss it entirely. Our explainer on plugin vulnerabilities covers why published fixes attract attention from attackers quickly.

There is also a drift problem. The older version was written for the WordPress and PHP versions of its time. The longer you stay, the more likely a later WordPress or PHP update clashes with it. Treat the rollback as a short pause, measured in days or a few weeks, with a date to review it.

Report it, then plan the way forward

Developers fix what they hear about. For a directory plugin, open its page on wordpress.org and go to the support forum. Read recent threads first, since someone may already have reported the same bug and the developer may have replied with a fix or a date. If not, post a new thread with:

• the version that broke and the version that works
• what happens, in plain words, and how to make it happen
• your WordPress and PHP versions, which you can copy from Tools → Site Health → Info
• other plugins that touch the same feature, if you know them

For a paid plugin, use the developer’s support desk. Then watch for the next release. When it arrives, read its changelog for your bug, test it on staging if you can, update, check the feature, and switch automatic updates back on if you use them.

Holding back a plugin is a decision worth recording, alongside your other update choices, which is part of the routine set out in our WordPress management guide. The overview of WordPress plugins explains where updates sit in the life of a plugin.

Frequently asked questions

Will rolling back a plugin delete my settings or content?

Normally not. Settings, form entries and other data are stored in the database, and both methods replace only the plugin’s files. The exception is a plugin that upgraded its database during the update, because an older version may then misread its own data. That is why the backup comes first.

The Rollback link does not appear for one of my plugins. Why?

WP Rollback works with versions it can fetch from the WordPress.org directory, so paid plugins and custom plugins usually have no Rollback link. You also need an administrator account. For those plugins, get the older zip from the developer and use the upload method instead.

How long is it safe to stay on the older version?

There is no fixed limit, but think in days or a few weeks rather than months. Check the plugin’s changelog and support forum regularly while you wait. If a release fixes a security issue, move to it promptly, even if that means living without the broken feature for a while.

Can I roll back WordPress itself in the same way?

Not with WP Rollback, which handles plugins and themes. Going back to an older WordPress release is riskier, because the database may already have been upgraded. If a WordPress update breaks something, the cause is usually a plugin or theme, so look there first, and restore a full backup if you truly need the older version.

If you have rolled back and the problem is still there, or you would rather someone else tracked the cause down, our WordPress bug fixing service is priced from ₹1,499 per incident onwards. You are told what is actually wrong, and what it will take, before any fix goes ahead.

Next in this series: How to Replace a WordPress Plugin Without Breaking Things