Will updates or disabling Pro delete my Drecha data?

Short answer

Normal plugin updates and Pro deactivation do not delete your Drecha content. Free owns the shared operational core, while Pro adds entitled services and editing controls.

Keep the required Free plugin installed and active. Deactivate Pro when you need to test the Free fallback; do not delete Free as a dependency test.

What remains when Forms Pro is disabled?

Forms, published embeds, entries, Free email notifications, uploads, templates, CSV export, and other Free features remain available. Stored Pro integration configuration and delivery history are retained, but new Pro-only integration work requires valid Pro access.

Reactivating Pro and its valid license makes the retained premium settings available again.

What remains when Events Pro is disabled?

Free one-time activities, appointments, bookings, capacity, customers, attendance, and basic reports keep working. Existing Pro records are retained.

Recurring activities remain readable. Free refuses to save a recurring record through its one-time editor, protecting the stored recurrence from accidental replacement. New membership, pass, waitlist, automation, recurrence, and advanced-allocation changes wait until Pro returns.

Update safely

1. Back up the WordPress database and private uploaded files.
2. Confirm that the backup can be restored.
3. Read the release notes and dependency requirements.
4. When both editions have updates, update the Free core first and Pro second.
5. Test a published form or calendar, create a controlled submission or booking, and inspect the stored record.
6. If you update manually, use WordPress's replace-current-version ZIP flow rather than installing a renamed duplicate copy.

WordPress updates replace plugin files without running the normal uninstall flow. Do not enable data-removal constants or use database-cleanup tools as part of an update.

If something fails after an update

1. Record the exact error and plugin versions.
2. Purge WordPress, hosting, CDN, and PHP opcode caches as appropriate.
3. Confirm that the Free core is active and compatible with the Pro release.
4. Deactivate Pro temporarily and test the same Free workflow.
5. Restore the verified backup if a rollback is genuinely required.

Installing an older ZIP is a manual downgrade, not an automatic rollback. Database migrations may not reverse simply because older PHP files are restored.

Deactivation is not uninstallation

Deactivation stops a plugin's runtime hooks. It is not a request to erase stored content. Deleting a plugin and explicitly enabling a product's data-removal option is a different operation.

For Drecha Forms, uninstall data removal runs only when DRECHA_FORMS_REMOVE_DATA is explicitly defined as true. Do not set that constant during troubleshooting or routine updates.

Continue with the detailed guides

Use the Knowledge Base navigation on this page to open these linked guides:

• Update Drecha WordPress plugins safely.
• Keep Events working when Pro is unavailable.
• Fix Drecha plugin installation, activation, and compatibility problems.