automatic-updates

By default WordPress automatically updates itself, plugins, and themes. If your WordPress install doesn’t do that then you probably have something that disables this. You can check your theme for something like this add_filter(‘auto_update_plugin’, ‘__return_false’); add_filter(‘auto_update_theme’, ‘__return_false’); And/Or in your wp-config.php define(‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, true); define(‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, false); If your WordPress is not on a local machine and … Read more

Saving this data persistently seems like excessive approach. Since there is no human input (only logic), there is no benefit to storing results – just keep the logic. More so if logic changes next week you won’t need to re-save everything. Basically I would instead during output check is post has value and if not … Read more

You can do it with this plugin http://wordpress.org/plugins/automatic-updater/ and this tricks : http://optimwise.com/exclude-plugins-advanced-automatic-updates-wordpress-plugin/

Automatic updates are automatic. The basic, default behavior in WordPress 3.7 is automatic update of core for minor versions (i.e. X.Y.Z to X.Y.Z+1.) No configuration options are exposed in the UI. To change the behavior, you’ll need to modify your wp-config.php file, or add some filters: Easy Disabling Add the following to wp_config.php: define( ‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, … Read more

Checking the codex you could try this with a filter too like add_filter( ‘auto_update_core’, ‘__return_false’ ); to add: in the themes functions.php of course, not in the wp-config.

Are automatic background plugin updates for non-WP.org plugins possible?

Yes, it will work. For Updates, WP reaches out to the update servers, there is no incoming request that is necessary. Your WP doesn’t even have to be publicly reachable at all, you can have it behind a NAT router and (auto-) updates will still work just fine.