Siteligent's Automation Rules let you control how updates are handled across your connected websites. Instead of using the same update behavior for every site, you can create rules and assign them to the sites that need them.
This is useful when, for example, you want security updates to run quickly on some sites while keeping more control over updates on production or business-critical websites.
Create an Automation Rule
To create an update automation rule:
Go to Dashboard → Automation.
Open Automation Rules.
Create a new automation rule.
Give the rule a clear name so you can easily identify what it is used for.
Configure the update behavior for the rule.
Assign the rule to the sites where you want it to apply.
Save the rule.
You can create different rules for different groups of sites depending on how much automation you want.
For example, you could have one rule for development or staging sites where updates can be applied more quickly, and another for production sites where updates should be handled more carefully.
Configure What Gets Updated
Automation Rules can be configured for different parts of your WordPress installation.
WordPress Core
Configure how Siteligent handles WordPress Core updates, including:
Major releases - Larger version changes that may introduce significant changes.
Minor and patch releases - Smaller releases generally focused on fixes, security, and stability.
This lets you take a different approach to major releases compared with routine updates.
Plugins
You can enable or disable automated plugin updates for sites assigned to the rule.
You can also exclude specific plugins from automation when you want to review and update them manually.
This can be useful for plugins that are particularly important to a site's functionality, such as an eCommerce plugin, page builder, or custom plugin.
Themes
Configure whether themes should be updated automatically. This applies to the themes installed on the site, allowing you to decide whether theme updates should be handled automatically or manually.
Exclude Specific Plugins
If there are plugins that you don't want Siteligent to update automatically, add them to the rule's exclusion list. An excluded plugin is skipped by the automation process, allowing you to test or update it manually when you're ready.
For example, you may want to exclude:
WooCommerce
A page builder
A custom-developed plugin
A plugin with a known compatibility dependency
You can keep the rest of the site's updates automated while retaining manual control over the plugins you've excluded.
Assign Rules to Your Sites
Automation Rules are useful because you don't have to apply the same update behavior to every website. Create a rule based on the type of site or the level of control you need, then assign it to the relevant sites. For example:
Staging sites
More frequent automated updates
Fewer exclusions
Faster update handling
Production sites
More conservative update behavior
Important plugins excluded
Updates scheduled during an appropriate maintenance period
This gives you more control as your number of managed sites grows.
Use Automation for Different Update Needs
You can create multiple Automation Rules when different sites require different update strategies.
For example, a security-focused rule could be assigned to sites where keeping software patched quickly is a priority, while a more conservative rule could be assigned to a production store where every update needs additional consideration. The important part is that each rule can be assigned to the sites where that particular behavior makes sense.
Review Your Automation Rules
As your sites and update requirements change, review your Automation Rules periodically. You may need to:
Add or remove sites from a rule.
Change which updates are automated.
Add or remove plugin exclusions.
Adjust how major and minor Core updates are handled.
Create a separate rule for a new group of sites.
Keeping the rules organized makes it easier to understand how updates are being handled across your portfolio.
Have Questions or Need Help?
If you're unsure how to configure your update automation or need help deciding how a rule should be set up, our support team is here to help.
Create a Support Ticket and share what you're trying to configure, and our team can help you get it set up correctly.