How To Update Digishift

Keeping your theme updated is essential for accessing new features, improvements, and crucial security patches. You will receive a notification from ThemeForest when a new update is available.

Pre-Update Checklist: Best Practices #

Before you begin any update, follow this checklist to ensure a safe process:

1. Review Update Notes: Always check the changelog or update notes provided by the theme author to understand what changes, fixes, or features are included.
2. Create a Full Backup: This is the most important step. Back up your entire website—both your database and files (using a plugin like UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, or your hosting provider’s tool). This allows you to restore your site instantly if anything goes wrong during the update.
3. Use a Child Theme: Ensure you are using the Digishift Child Theme for any custom code. The child theme itself does not need to be updated and will protect your modifications. (See Section 1.5).

Method 1: How to Update via WordPress Dashboard #

This is the simplest and recommended method for most users.

Step 1: Update the Theme #

1. Download the latest digishift.zip file from your ThemeForest Downloads page. Ensure you select Installable WordPress file only.
2. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Themes.
3. Click the “Add New” button at the top, then click “Upload Theme”.
4. Click “Choose File”, select the new digishift.zip file, and click “Install Now”.
5. WordPress will detect the older version and prompt you to “Replace current with uploaded”. Confirm this action.

Step 2: Update All Plugins #

1. After the theme update, you will likely see notifications to update the required Digishift plugins (e.g., Digishift Core, Elementor).
2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
3. Select all Digishift-related plugins, choose “Update” from the Bulk Actions menu, and click “Apply”.

Final Step: Reset Caches #

1. Clear any caching from your site. This includes:
   • Caching Plugins: Clear the cache from your plugin (e.g., W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, LiteSpeed Cache).
   • Server-Level Cache: If your host uses a cache (like Varnish), purge it from your hosting control panel or ask your provider to do so.
   • Browser Cache: Do a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5 on Windows, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac`) on your browser.

Method 2: How to Update via FTP (Advanced) #

Use this method if you encounter issues updating through the WordPress dashboard.

1. Enable Maintenance Mode: Activate a maintenance mode plugin to show a temporary page to your visitors during the update.
2. Backup via FTP: Connect to your site via an FTP client (like FileZilla). Navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and download the existing digishift folder to your computer as a backup.
3. Delete the Old Theme: Delete the digishift folder from your server.
4. Upload the New Theme: Unzip the digishift.zip file you downloaded from ThemeForest. Upload the resulting new digishift folder to the /wp-content/themes/ directory on your server.
5. Complete the Update: Return to your WordPress dashboard. The theme will now be updated. Proceed to update all required plugins and reset all caches as described in Method 1.

Important Note on Customizations: If you made any changes directly to the parent theme’s files, they will be lost during this update process. This is why using a child theme is strongly recommended.