Want to stop those automatic email notifications after WordPress updates your site? By default, WordPress sends alerts to the admin email following minor security and core updates. Recently, a reader asked us for a straightforward way to turn them off. As WordPress experts managing dozens of sites, we'll show you two reliable methods to disable these notifications while keeping your site secure.
WordPress, as open-source software supported by a global developer community, receives frequent updates to patch security vulnerabilities, fix bugs, and introduce new features.
Always run the latest version to protect your site. WordPress auto-installs minor releases immediately and notifies the admin email upon completion.
These emails confirm your site is current, but if you manage multiple sites, they can flood your inbox.
Let's dive into disabling them easily.
This no-code approach is ideal for beginners and requires no technical tweaks.
Install and activate the Disable WordPress Core Update Emails plugin. See our detailed guide on how to install a WordPress plugin for steps.
It activates instantly with zero configuration, blocking post-update emails right away.
Add this snippet to your theme's functions.php file or a site-specific plugin. New to this? Read our beginner's guide on how to paste code snippets into WordPress.
add_filter( 'auto_core_update_send_email', 'wpb_stop_auto_update_emails', 10, 4 );
function wpb_stop_auto_update_emails( $send, $type, $core_update, $result ) {
if ( ! empty( $type ) && $type == 'success' ) {
return false;
}
return true;
}This filter prevents emails specifically after successful core auto-updates.
WordPress doesn't auto-update plugins/themes by default, which can be tedious for multi-site admins.
Bulk-manage updates with plugins—check our guide on how to best manage WordPress auto-updates.
WordPress also lacks a central dashboard for email notifications, and some may go unnoticed.
Use plugins to control and customize emails. Learn more in our guide on how to add better custom notifications in WordPress.
That's it! Now you can disable auto-update emails hassle-free. For more, see our roundup of 24 must-have WordPress plugins for business websites.
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