Dashboard - License Activation
The main control center for activating your GPL Times license
Enable beta updates
Receive beta, alpha, and RC versions
Your license is active. Enjoy automatic updates and premium features.
| Field/Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Username / Email | Your GPL Times account username or the email address you registered with | ✓ Required |
| Password | Your GPL Times account password (same as website login) | ✓ Required |
| Enable beta updates | When ON, you'll receive beta, alpha, RC, and dev versions of plugins/themes. When OFF, only stable releases are shown. | Optional (default: OFF) |
| Activate Button | Validates your credentials with GPL Times server and activates your license on this domain | Click after entering credentials |
| Deactivate Button | Removes your license from this domain, clears saved credentials, and stops receiving updates | Click to disconnect your license |
How to Activate Your License
- Go to GPL Times → Dashboard in WordPress admin
- Enter your GPL Times username or email in the first field
- Enter your account password in the second field
- Optionally toggle "Enable beta updates" if you want pre-release versions
- Click the blue "Activate" button
- Wait for verification - the Status Card will change to green "Activated"
- You'll now see available updates in Dashboard → Updates
How to Deactivate Your License
- Click the red "Deactivate" button
- A confirmation modal will appear - click "Yes, Deactivate"
- Your license will be removed from this domain
- Credentials will be cleared from the database
- You can reactivate anytime by entering credentials again
License Status Card: Shows your current activation status. Green "Activated" = License is active and you can receive updates. Gray "Inactive" = You need to activate to receive updates.
Beta Updates Warning: Only enable beta updates if you're comfortable testing pre-release software. Beta versions may contain bugs and are not recommended for production sites.
Disable Updates
Control which products receive updates from GPL Times
| # | Plugin Name | Version | Disable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementor Pro | v3.18.1 | |
| 2 | WP Rocket | v3.15.4 | |
| 3 | Advanced Custom Fields Pro | v6.2.4 |
What is this page for? This page lists all GPL Times products installed on your site. You can selectively disable updates for specific plugins or themes if you want to manage them separately.
| Option | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle ON (Blue) | Disables updates for this plugin/theme from GPL Times | This item will NOT appear in WordPress Updates and will not receive updates from GPL Times |
| Toggle OFF (Gray) | Enables updates for this plugin/theme (default) | This item WILL receive updates from GPL Times normally |
| Select All | Bulk action to disable ALL plugins/themes at once | Turns all toggles ON (disables all updates) |
| Deselect | Bulk action to enable ALL plugins/themes at once | Turns all toggles OFF (enables all updates) |
| Save Changes | Saves your current toggle selections | Changes take effect immediately after saving |
How to Disable Updates for Specific Items
- Go to GPL Times → Disable Updates
- Find the plugin or theme you want to manage in the list
- Click the toggle switch to turn it ON (blue) to disable updates
- Repeat for any other items you want to disable
- Click "Save Changes" to apply your selections
How to Re-enable Updates
- Find the disabled plugin/theme (toggle is blue/ON)
- Click the toggle to turn it OFF (gray)
- Click "Save Changes"
- The item will now appear in WordPress Updates again
When to disable updates:
- You purchased a license directly from the original developer
- You want to receive updates from the official source instead
- You need to stay on a specific version for compatibility
- You want to test updates manually before applying
Note: Only GPL Times products are listed here. Regular WordPress.org plugins/themes are not affected by this setting.
Whitelabel Settings
Customize the plugin branding with your own identity - perfect for agencies and developers
What is Whitelabeling? Whitelabeling allows you to rebrand GPL Times with your own company name, logo, and details. This is ideal for agencies who want to present the plugin as their own solution to clients.
Displayed in WordPress admin
Short description for the plugin
Recommended: 32×32 pixels
How to Whitelabel the Plugin
- Go to GPL Times → Whitelabel Settings in WordPress admin
- Enter your custom Plugin Name (e.g., "MyAgency Updates")
- Add a short Description for the plugin
- Enter your Author Name (your name or agency name)
- Add your Author URL (link to your website)
- Upload a Custom Logo (32×32 pixels recommended)
- Click "Save Changes" to apply your branding
| Field | Description | Where It Appears |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin Name | Custom name to replace "GPL Times" | Admin menu, plugins list, page headers |
| Description | Short text describing the plugin | Plugins list page |
| Author | Your name or agency name | Plugins list, plugin details |
| Author URL | Link to your website | Clickable author link in plugins list |
| Custom Logo | 32×32 pixel icon image | Admin menu icon |
Hide this settings page
To access again, deactivate and reactivate the plugin
When to Hide the Whitelabel Page
- After you've finished customizing all branding settings
- When you want to prevent clients from seeing or modifying the whitelabel options
- Toggle "Hide this settings page" to ON
- Click "Save Changes"
- The Whitelabel Settings menu item will disappear
How to restore access: If you've hidden the Whitelabel Settings page, simply deactivate and then reactivate the plugin. The page will become visible again with all your customizations preserved.
Reset to Default: Click the "Reset" button to clear all whitelabel settings and restore the original GPL Times branding.
Auto-Updates Scheduling
Configure automatic updates to run on a schedule - set it and forget it!
What are Auto-Updates? Auto-Updates allow GPL Times to automatically update your plugins and themes in the background without manual intervention. You can schedule when updates run, set safety rules, and receive email notifications.
When enabled, GPL Times will automatically update your plugins and themes based on the schedule below.
Enable Auto-Updates Toggle
- ON (Blue) = Auto-updates are active and will run on schedule
- OFF (Gray) = Auto-updates are disabled; all updates must be done manually
- Toggle this switch to enable or disable the entire auto-update system
Daily
Weekly
MondaysCustom
Choose daysTimezone: America/New_York (Current: 10:30 AM)
| Option | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Updates run every day at your selected time | Sites that need the latest security patches immediately |
| Weekly | Updates run once per week on Mondays at your selected time | Most websites - balances freshness with stability |
| Custom | Choose specific days of the week for updates to run | Sites with specific maintenance windows or traffic patterns |
| Update Time | The hour when updates will be executed (uses server timezone) | Choose low-traffic hours (e.g., 3 AM) to minimize impact |
How to Set a Schedule
- Click on Daily, Weekly, or Custom to select frequency
- If you chose Custom, click on the days you want updates to run (highlighted = active)
- Select the Update Time dropdown to choose when updates should run
- Tip: Choose early morning hours (2-5 AM) when traffic is lowest
- Click "Save Changes" to apply your schedule
Minor updates only
Skip major versions (3.x → 4.x)
Skip beta versions
No beta, alpha, or RC versions
| Option | What It Does | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Minor updates only | Only applies minor/patch updates (3.1.0 → 3.1.1 or 3.2.0). Skips major version jumps (3.x → 4.0). | ✓ Recommended ON - Major updates often have breaking changes |
| Skip beta versions | Ignores any version containing "beta", "alpha", "RC", or "dev" in the version number. | ✓ Recommended ON - Beta versions may be unstable |
| Max updates per run | Limits how many plugins/themes can be updated in a single scheduled run. Remaining updates happen in the next run. | 5-15 is ideal. Lower = safer but slower. Higher = faster but riskier if something breaks. |
On successful updates
Email when updates complete
On failed updates
Email when any update fails
| Option | What It Does | When to Enable |
|---|---|---|
| On successful updates | Sends an email summary after updates complete successfully, listing all updated items with version changes. | Enable if you want to stay informed about what's been updated |
| On failed updates | Sends an alert email if any update fails during the scheduled run, including error details. | ✓ Always recommended - Know immediately if something breaks |
| Notification Email | The email address where notifications are sent. Defaults to WordPress admin email. | Set to your preferred monitoring email |
| Plugin/Theme | Current → Available | Auto-Update |
|---|---|---|
| Elementor Pro | v3.18.1 → v3.19.0 | |
| WP Rocket | v3.15.4 | |
| Astra Pro | v4.5.0 → v4.6.0 |
| Option | What It Does | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | This plugin/theme will be updated automatically when a new version is available (respecting safety rules) | For most plugins that are stable and well-tested |
| Manual | This plugin/theme will NOT be auto-updated. You must update it manually from the WordPress Updates page. | For critical plugins you want to test first, or plugins with known compatibility issues |
| Set All Auto | Bulk action to set ALL listed plugins/themes to "Auto" mode | Quick setup when you trust all your plugins |
| Set All Manual | Bulk action to set ALL listed plugins/themes to "Manual" mode | When you want full control over every update |
Complete Auto-Updates Setup Guide
- Go to GPL Times → Auto-Updates
- Toggle "Enable Auto-Updates" to ON
- Choose your Schedule (Daily, Weekly, or Custom)
- Select the Update Time (recommend low-traffic hours)
- Configure Safety Rules (recommend keeping both ON)
- Set Max updates per run (5-15 is safe)
- Enable Email Notifications and enter your email
- Review Per-Item Control and set critical plugins to "Manual"
- Click "Save Changes"
Tip: Enable the Rollback feature (Section 5) before enabling auto-updates. This allows you to easily restore a previous version if an auto-update causes issues.
View Update History: Check the Update Log page to see all past auto-updates, including what was updated, when, and whether it succeeded or failed.
Rollback Feature
Restore plugins and themes to previous versions if something goes wrong
What is Rollback? Rollback creates automatic backups of your plugins/themes before updates. If an update causes issues, you can instantly restore the previous working version with one click.
Important: Rollback settings are configured in GPL Times → Settings, but to actually perform a rollback, you must go to WordPress Admin → Plugins (or Appearance → Themes). The "Rollback to vX.X.X" link appears next to each plugin/theme that has a backup available.
Enable Rollback Feature
Create automatic backups before auto-updates for easy rollback
| Option | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Rollback Feature | When ON, automatically creates ZIP backups of plugins/themes before any update (auto or manual) | ✓ Recommended ON - Essential safety feature |
| Backup Retention | How long to keep backup files before automatically deleting them. Options: 7, 14, 30, 60, 90 days | 30 days is ideal for most sites |
| Max Backups Per Item | Maximum number of backup versions to keep per plugin/theme. Oldest are deleted when limit is reached. Options: 1-5 | 3 versions balances safety and storage |
| Backup Stats Badge | Shows total number of backups and total storage used (displayed in header) | Monitor this to ensure you have space |
| Delete All Backups | Permanently removes ALL backup files from the server to free up space | Use with caution - cannot be undone |
How to Enable Rollback
- Go to GPL Times → Settings
- Find the Rollback Settings section
- Toggle "Enable Rollback Feature" to ON
- Set your preferred Backup Retention period (recommend 30 days)
- Set Max Backups Per Item (recommend 3 versions)
- Click "Save Settings"
Where to Find the Rollback Option
- Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins page (not GPL Times settings!)
- Look at the action links below each plugin name
- If a backup exists, you'll see "Rollback to vX.X.X" link
- For themes, go to Appearance → Themes and click on theme details
How to Perform a Rollback
- Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins (or Themes)
- Find the plugin/theme you want to rollback
- Look for the "Rollback to vX.X.X" link in the action row
- Click the link - a confirmation dialog will appear
- Click "Yes, Rollback" to confirm
- The plugin will be restored to the previous version and reactivated automatically
- A success message will confirm the rollback completed
What gets rolled back: Only plugin/theme FILES are restored. Your database settings, configurations, and content are NOT affected. If the plugin stored data in the database, that data remains intact.
No rollback link? The rollback link only appears if a backup exists for that plugin/theme. Backups are created when updates occur AFTER enabling the rollback feature.
Storage Location: Backups are stored in wp-content/gpltimes-backups/. This folder is protected and not publicly accessible.
Settings Page
Visibility options, export/import, and advanced configuration
What's on the Settings page? This page contains advanced options for controlling menu visibility, exporting/importing configurations, and managing rollback settings.
Hide 'Disable Updates' Menu
Hide the disable updates menu from plugin settings
Hide 'Auto-Updates' Menu
Hide the auto-updates scheduling menu
Disable All Admin Notices
Hide all WordPress admin notices across the dashboard
| Option | What It Does | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hide 'Disable Updates' Menu | Removes the "Disable Updates" submenu item from GPL Times menu. The feature still works, just hidden. | When you don't want clients/users to accidentally disable updates |
| Hide 'Auto-Updates' Menu | Removes the "Auto-Updates" submenu item from GPL Times menu. Existing schedules continue to work. | When you've configured auto-updates and don't want users to change them |
| Disable All Admin Notices | Hides ALL WordPress admin notices site-wide (from all plugins, not just GPL Times) | When the dashboard is cluttered with notices and you want a clean interface |
How to Hide Menu Items
- Go to GPL Times → Settings
- Find the Visibility Settings section
- Toggle ON any menu items you want to hide
- Click "Save Visibility Settings"
- Refresh the page to see the menus disappear
- To restore menus, return to Settings and toggle OFF
✓ Visibility Settings
✓ Rollback Settings
✓ Auto-Update Settings
Drop file or click to browse
.json files only| Option | What It Does | File Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Export Settings | Downloads all your GPL Times configurations as a single JSON file | Whitelabel branding, visibility settings, rollback config, auto-update schedules & rules |
| Import Settings | Uploads a previously exported JSON file and applies all settings | Overwrites existing settings with imported values |
How to Export Settings
- Go to GPL Times → Settings
- Scroll to the Export / Import section
- Click the blue "Download JSON" button
- A file named
gpltimes-settings-[date].jsonwill download - Save this file securely as a backup
How to Import Settings
- Go to GPL Times → Settings
- Scroll to the Export / Import section
- Click the drop zone or drag your JSON file onto it
- Click the green "Import" button
- All settings will be applied immediately
- A success message will confirm the import
Export / Import Use Cases:
- Backup settings before making major changes
- Clone configuration to another WordPress site
- Share settings with team members or clients
- Restore settings after reinstalling the plugin
- Standardize settings across multiple agency sites
Note: Import will OVERWRITE your current settings. Always export your current settings first if you want to keep them as a backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions and troubleshooting tips
- Verify credentials by logging into GPL Times website
- Use your email or username (not display name)
- Check for special characters in password
- Logged in Update Log with error message
- Email notification sent (if enabled)
- Item stays on current version
- Next run will retry
- Ensure plugin is activated with valid credentials
- Check updates aren't disabled for those products
- Click "Check Again" on WordPress Updates page
- Verify your GPL Times membership is active
- Verify email address in Auto-Updates settings
- Check spam/junk folder
- Ensure WordPress can send emails
- Check hosting provider email limits
Changelog
Version history and release notes for GPL Times plugin
Live Changelog: This changelog is fetched directly from the GPL Times server and shows the latest version history.
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