SavedPixel Update Disabler

Control WordPress update behavior, outbound HTTP requests, and wp_mail() from one staging-focused settings page.

What It Does

SavedPixel Update Disabler centralizes several lock-down controls that are often scattered across constants, filters, or environment-specific config. It can suppress update checks, turn off core auto-update channels, disable wp_mail(), block external HTTP requests, and keep a log of blocked outbound calls.

Key Workflows

• Disable core, plugin, theme, and translation update activity for controlled environments.
• Disable only selected plugin updates instead of turning off every plugin update.
• Turn off development, minor, and major core auto-update channels independently.
• Block external HTTP requests globally or only when they originate from specific plugins or themes.
• Review the blocked-request log to see what the network rules are stopping.

Features

• Disable WordPress core update checks and update UI.
• Disable plugin updates globally.
• Disable updates only for selected plugin basenames.
• Disable theme update checks.
• Disable translation update offers and background language-pack updates.
• Disable development, minor, and major core auto-update channels.
• Disable all mail sent through wp_mail().
• Block all external HTTP requests while still allowing localhost and same-site loopbacks.
• Block plugin-originated requests unless the plugin is on an allowlist.
• Block theme-originated requests unless the theme is on an allowlist.
• Best-effort request-origin detection using the PHP stack trace.
• Global admin notice when all outbound requests are blocked.
• Blocked request log with rule labels, origin labels, and pagination.
• Clear-log action from the settings page.

Admin Page

The settings page is organized into update controls, outbound request controls, per-plugin update exceptions, plugin and theme outbound allowlists, and the blocked request log. The UI also explains when a sub-setting is currently inactive because a broader global toggle overrides it.

Requirements

• WordPress 6.5 or later
• PHP 8.1 or later

Installation

1. Upload the savedpixel-update-disabler folder to wp-content/plugins/.
2. Activate the plugin from the WordPress Plugins screen.
3. Open SavedPixel > Update Disabler.
4. Enable only the controls that match your staging, demo, or locked-down environment.

Usage Notes

• This plugin is best suited to staging, demos, and controlled client handoff environments.
• Global outbound blocking can break plugin installers, license checks, remote APIs, and background jobs.
• Selective plugin/theme request blocking is best-effort; requests with no clear stack-trace caller are allowed.

Author

Byron Jacobs
GitHub

License

GPL-2.0-or-later