Can I upgrade plugins via FTP?

Short answer: yes you can upgrade your plugins via FTP.

  1. Download the new version of the plugin.
  2. Disable the plugin you are about to update.
  3. Upload files over the top of the plugin.
  4. Re-enable plugin

If the plugin is written well stats, settings and options should remain intact. As Rarst has already mentioned the automated upgrader just overwites files.

The reason for disabling the plugin first before upgrading is to stop regular site visitors running the plugin while files are being uploaded. If a plugin is run with only half of the correct files in place things can go wrong such as errors popping up and settings getting corrupt. Hence why you should disable the plugin first. When I say disable I do not mean delete.

Related Posts:

  1. How can I stop WordPress from prompting me to enter FTP information when doing updates?
  2. Upgrading WordPress 4.0 asks for FTP password
  3. Updates for a private plugin?
  4. to perform the requested action wordpress needs to access your web server. please enter your ftp
  5. Disable update notification for individual plugins
  6. What security concerns should I have when setting FS_METHOD to “direct” in wp-config?
  7. wordpress on localhost lamp doesn’t let me install plugins
  8. what is the correct way to update a plugin via tortoise svn to the repository?
  9. An unexpected error occurred. Something may be wrong with WordPress.org or this server’s configuration
  10. Can I upgrade a plugin to a specific version?
  11. How to implement WordPress plugin update that modifies the database?
  12. How to create custom message on plugin update
  13. What are the best practices for updating?
  14. Update plugin from personal API
  15. Why “Contact Form 7” doesn’t update PHPmailer library?
  16. Can’t install new plugins because of the error “Could not create directory”
  17. Removing the “Your backup folder MIGHT be visible to the public” Message Generated by the WP-DBManager Plugin
  18. How to create a WordPress plugin for another wordpress plugin?
  19. Managing WP Core & Plugin Updates for Clients
  20. Error when updating plugins by FTP “Unable to locate WordPress Content directory (wp-content).”
  21. Preventing a plugin from updating
  22. How to stop wordpress from changing default .htaccess permissions to 444
  23. Why does WordPress still not support SFTP?
  24. Why does WordPress require a ftp server to be running on the webserver to transfer plugins?
  25. Plugin update error message
  26. Customize plugin update “new version is available” text
  27. Get Latest Plugin Version from WP API
  28. Which files get updated in a plugin update?
  29. How wordpress detects a plugin update
  30. A Way to Auto update plugins using cron?
  31. Overwrite textdomain of plugins by default – Lost Translation
  32. Plugin updates are not shown
  33. Filter Hook on plugin update
  34. Updating WordPress – the best approach (updating wp core, plugins and db)
  35. Remove update messages for deactivated plugins
  36. How get list of updates of wp site?
  37. WP Config for FTP credentials
  38. plugin wants to update to wrong plugin
  39. How to update WordPress plugin readme.txt description page without triggering a plugin update?
  40. How to notify users of blog updates a la Admin Plugin Update notifications?
  41. WordPress error – PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function register_block_type_from_metadata()
  42. How can a plugin run a script after being updated in MultiSite?
  43. Automatic updates not working/plugins not installing
  44. How to update plugin without overwrite custom code
  45. Hook (upgrader_process_complete) running moment
  46. What Triggers a Plugin Update Alert
  47. WordPress plugin search does not work and updates are not shown, VPS install
  48. How do I prevent Plugin updates from clobbering user edits?
  49. Force wordpress to request for FTP Info on theme/plugin install/update
  50. Why would WordPress request FTP information when it can write to the file server?
  51. Under which circumstances is the .maintenance file not deleted?
  52. Why users disable the WordPress update?
  53. Plugin child folder?
  54. Plugins won’t update when WordPress says they’re updated
  55. Standard permissions for wordpress; Plugin installation asks for FTP credentials
  56. How to check if WordPress is updating plugins?
  57. All Updated Plugins Disappeared
  58. Do extra plugin files get deleted during an upgrade?
  59. Override plugin functions in functions.php
  60. Skip file when plugin updated
  61. Could not create directory
  62. How to migrate from Mark Jaquith’s Subscribe to Comments plugin to Gurken’s new version?
  63. How to import 55k images (uploaded via FTP) into WordPress Media libary? [closed]
  64. Can I check plugins and themes for PHP 5.6 ahead of global PHP server Update
  65. Moving WordPress from host without FTP?
  66. Can’t use the built-in wordpress install/upgrade plugin feature [closed]
  67. How can we deal with unmaintained plugins with vulnerabilities?
  68. Function to see how many plugins on a site need updating
  69. How to create a plugin that notifies for updates?
  70. Where to access the available plugin/WordPress updates?
  71. ‘Customize’ button in admin bar for CSS
  72. Are there hooks for WordPress updates?
  73. How to make my plugin able to be updated from admin panel?
  74. How to update WordPress plugins to latest using SVN
  75. Restored WordPress on new Server – Can’t auto-update plugins
  76. Elementor\Scheme_Typography’ not found [closed]
  77. Force Plugin Updates: “Update Failed: Plugin update failed.” after update one plugin
  78. Theme and plugin install or update display error in localhost
  79. What is the correct way to update both WP/plugins/themes without breaking the site?
  80. Can’t update/install plugins or WordPress
  81. Pushing out updates to multiple installs?
  82. How to update plugins with database updates if I use svn
  83. Prevent WordPress installing plugins and themes via Admin
  84. custom changes removed after plugin update
  85. Display update notification messages like ‘What’s New’
  86. Plugin updates from a specific location
  87. What keys are needed when passing the icons array to plugins_api()?
  88. Install (enable) plugins on multisite, on localhost
  89. Two problems on my WordPress installation [closed]
  90. Linux Permissions and Ownership for WordPress
  91. `plugins_api()`: why does a commercial plugin changelog link result in a tailing plugins repo check and 500 error? [closed]
  92. get 404 when accessing wp-admin/plugin-install.php
  93. After upgrade to php 7 plugin/them updates broke [closed]
  94. transfer a file from one domain to another via wp
  95. Problem with updating a plugin
  96. Updating plugins asks for FTP information, why? (this is a new one)
  97. Programatically update non-wordpress repository hosted (self-hosted) plugins
  98. Procedural Question on Plugin Installation
  99. Some recent plugin updates have failed “Could not create directory”
  100. Call specific plugin update
Hata!: SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied for user 'divattrend_liink'@'localhost' (using password: YES)