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MainWP supports premium themes that use the standard WordPress Update API. When premium theme updates aren’t detected, it’s typically because the theme uses a custom update mechanism that requires additional configuration.

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What You’ll Learn

  • Troubleshoot missing premium theme updates
  • Determine if the issue is with WordPress or MainWP
  • Add custom filters to improve detection
  • Handle multiple problematic themes

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Prerequisites

  • MainWP Dashboard installed and activated
  • Premium theme installed on child sites
  • Admin access to Dashboard and child sites

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Troubleshooting Steps

1

Check WordPress detection

Log in to the child site and go to Dashboard > Updates. Check if WordPress detects the available theme update.
2

Evaluate the result

Based on what you see:
WordPress Shows UpdateAction
YesResync your sites in MainWP. If still not showing, see Enhance Compatibility below.
NoTry refreshing the Updates page on the child site. If updates still don’t appear, contact the theme author.
3

Resync sites

In MainWP, go to MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites and sync the child site. Check if the theme update now appears in MainWP.
If updates show in WordPress but not in MainWP after syncing, use the compatibility filters below.

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Enhance Compatibility

MainWP provides two custom filters for themes that use non-standard update APIs:
FilterPurpose
mainwp_detect_premium_themes_updateImproves detection of available updates
mainwp_request_update_premium_themesImproves the update process

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Add the Compatibility Filters

1

Install Custom Dashboard Extension

If not already installed, go to MainWP > Extensions and install the Custom Dashboard Extension.
2

Add the code snippet

Go to the Custom Dashboard extension settings and add this code to the PHP Section:
// Improves detection of available updates for premium themes
add_filter( 'mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update', 'hook_mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update' );
function hook_mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update( $premiums = array() ){
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug';
    return $premiums;
}

// Improves the update process of premium themes
add_filter( 'mainwp_request_update_premium_themes', 'hook_mainwp_request_update_premium_themes' );
function hook_mainwp_request_update_premium_themes( $premiums = array() ){
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug';
    return $premiums;
}
3

Replace the theme slug

Replace theme-slug with the actual slug of the problematic theme. To find the slug, check the theme’s folder name in /wp-content/themes/ or contact the theme author.
4

Save and resync

Save the code snippet and resync your sites.

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Multiple Themes

If you have multiple themes with detection issues, add each slug to the arrays: 
// Improves detection of available updates for premium themes
add_filter( 'mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update', 'hook_mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update' );
function hook_mainwp_detect_premium_themes_update( $premiums = array() ){
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-1';
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-2';
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-3';
    return $premiums;
}

// Improves the update process of premium themes
add_filter( 'mainwp_request_update_premium_themes', 'hook_mainwp_request_update_premium_themes' );
function hook_mainwp_request_update_premium_themes( $premiums = array() ){
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-1';
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-2';
    $premiums[] = 'theme-slug-3';
    return $premiums;
}

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Alternative: functions.php

If you prefer not to use the Custom Dashboard extension, add the code to the functions.php file of your Dashboard site’s active theme.
Adding code to your theme’s functions.php will be lost if the theme is updated. The Custom Dashboard extension is the recommended approach.

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When Updates Still Don’t Work

Some theme authors use completely custom update APIs that aren’t compatible with WordPress standards. In these cases:
  1. Open a support ticket with MainWP
  2. Contact the theme author to request WordPress-standard update support
  3. Consider updating the theme manually on child sites

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Self-Check Checklist

  • Verified WordPress detects the update on the child site
  • Resynced child sites in MainWP
  • Added compatibility filters (if needed)
  • Replaced theme-slug with actual theme slug
  • Theme updates now appear in MainWP