Update Drecha WordPress plugins safely

Know the two update channels

Drecha Free and Pro are separate packages with independent version numbers.

• Free plugins use the standard WordPress.org update channel when released there.
• Pro plugins use private update metadata from drecha.com and require a usable license and active installation before a protected package is offered.

Do not expect Free and Pro version numbers to match. Compatibility comes from their declared dependency and release metadata, not identical numbers.

Prepare every update

1. Create a current backup of the WordPress database and files.
2. Confirm that the backup can be restored.
3. Record the installed Free and Pro versions.
4. Review the release notes and WordPress/PHP requirements.
5. Confirm that the matching Free core is active before updating Pro.
6. Complete the update during a low-traffic period when practical.

Forms and entries, or activities and bookings, are stored by the Free core. Pro deactivation must not be used as a substitute for a backup.

Use the native WordPress updater

1. Open Dashboard > Updates or Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Select Check again if the expected notice is absent.
3. Review the product name, target version, compatibility details, and release notes.
4. Update the Free core first when both Free and Pro have updates.
5. Update Pro after Free completes.
6. Keep the browser open until WordPress reports success.

Drecha Pro asks its private endpoint whether a newer published release exists. The response uses version comparison and a short-lived protected package URL. A missing, invalid, expired, or mismatched license means WordPress cannot receive that Pro package through the private updater.

Drecha Forms Pro additionally requires the package size and SHA-256 checksum from update metadata. It downloads the ZIP to a temporary file and refuses installation if the size or hash differs. Drecha Events & Bookings Pro uses the protected signed package URL but its current plugin-side updater does not perform the same explicit pre-install size-and-hash check.

Verify the completed update

1. Return to Plugins > Installed Plugins and confirm the new version.
2. Confirm that both Free and Pro remain active.
3. Open the plugin License screen and read its status.
4. Open an existing form or activity and confirm its saved content.
5. Run one low-risk workflow: submit a test form, or view and test a draft/test booking flow.
6. Check WordPress Site Health and recent PHP logs for new errors.

Update manually from an authorized ZIP

Use a manual update when the WordPress update notice is unavailable but the portal has the intended published release.

1. Generate a fresh ZIP download from the verified Drecha customer portal.
2. Keep the original ZIP name and do not unzip or modify it.
3. In WordPress, open Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin.
4. Choose the ZIP and select Install Now.
5. When WordPress recognizes the existing plugin, review the current and uploaded versions.
6. Select Replace current with uploaded only when the product and target version are correct.
7. Return to Installed Plugins and perform the verification steps above.

Never upload the Pro ZIP as the Free plugin, rename its internal directory, or copy individual PHP files over a live installation. Free and Pro must remain separate installed plugins.

Handle dependencies and update order

Drecha Forms Pro declares drecha-forms as its required plugin. Drecha Events & Bookings Pro declares drecha-events as its required plugin. WordPress and the Pro runtime both depend on those Free cores.

When both editions change, update in this order:

1. Back up the site.
2. Update and verify Free.
3. Update and verify Pro.
4. Run one stored-data and one public-output check.

If Pro becomes inactive, do not uninstall Free. Reactivating Pro after resolving its dependency or license should find the previously saved premium configuration.

Recover from an update problem

If the site remains accessible, capture the exact error and installed versions before changing anything. Check PHP and WordPress compatibility, clear page/object caches, and retry only after identifying whether the failure was download, integrity, extraction, dependency, activation, or runtime related.

If WordPress recovery mode activates, use its link to reach administration. Restore the verified backup when the update changed data or the previous files cannot be reinstalled safely.

Installing an older ZIP is a manual downgrade, not an automatic rollback. Database migrations may be forward-only, so do not downgrade without release-specific instructions and a restorable backup. Never delete plugin data merely to make an older binary start.

Troubleshoot updates

No Pro update appears

Confirm that Pro is active, the license is valid on this installation, outbound HTTPS to drecha.com works, and a newer published release exists. Select Check again after fixing the cause.

WordPress asks for credentials or cannot write files

This is a hosting filesystem configuration issue. Follow the host's supported update method; do not weaken file permissions broadly.

Drecha Forms reports missing integrity information

Refresh Dashboard > Updates so the updater can fetch a fresh signed package URL, checksum, and size. Do not bypass the check or install an unverified file.

The integrity check fails

The downloaded size or SHA-256 hash did not match and the temporary file was deleted. Retry once with a fresh update check. If it repeats, stop and contact support with versions and the exact error, but not the license key.

Pro says Free is missing after the update

Install or reactivate the matching Free core. Confirm its standard plugin directory was not renamed. Your shared data belongs to Free and should remain intact.

A cache still serves old output

Purge the relevant page, object, and opcode caches after confirming the installed version. Do not repeatedly reinstall a correct update to solve stale cached HTML.