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Since version 4.4.1, MainWP Dashboard displays changelogs and plugin information for premium plugins when viewing available updates.
Animation showing premium plugin changelog display in MainWP Dashboard
If a premium plugin’s changelog does not appear, its vendor information may be missing or could not be retrieved. An available update does not guarantee that changelog content is available too.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why some premium plugins don’t show changelogs
  • Steps to troubleshoot missing changelog information
  • Alternative ways to find plugin changelogs
  • Technical details for plugin developers

Prerequisites

  • MainWP Dashboard version 4.4.1 or later
  • Premium plugin installed on child sites
  • Admin access to your Dashboard

Why Some Premium Plugins Don’t Show Changelogs

Premium plugin vendors supply their own update and changelog information. MainWP can show changelog sections received during sync or request plugin information from the child site. Missing vendor content or a failed request can leave the changelog unavailable.

Premium Updates Settings Do Not Supply Changelogs

MainWP Dashboard 6.2’s Settings > Premium Updates page improves update compatibility and lets you add custom identifiers. It does not create release notes or guarantee that a vendor supplies changelog content. Premium Updates settings for update compatibility and custom identifiers Use Premium Updates when an update needs compatibility support. If only the changelog is missing, continue with the checks below.

Troubleshoot Missing Changelogs

1

Verify Dashboard version

Go to MainWP > Info and check your MainWP Dashboard version. Keep MainWP Dashboard and MainWP Child current; premium plugin changelog support requires Dashboard 4.4.1 or later.
2

Sync the child site

Force a fresh sync from MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites to ensure MainWP has the latest plugin information.
3

Check plugin settings

Some plugins display changelog information in their own settings pages. Use Jump to WP Admin to access the child site and navigate to the plugin’s settings.
4

Contact the plugin author

If the changelog still does not appear, contact the vendor and ask:
  • Where to find the changelog for each version
  • Whether they plan to add WordPress-standard changelog support

Alternative: Find Changelogs Elsewhere

When changelogs don’t appear in MainWP, check these sources: Bookmark these pages for quick reference before running updates.

For Plugin Developers

MainWP first uses available sections from the child’s synced plugin update data. When those sections are unavailable, it asks the child site for plugin_information through WordPress’s plugins_api() function. Provide changelog content in the relevant sections['changelog'] response and verify both the update data and plugin-information response on a child site. Adding a download URL or new version alone does not supply a changelog, and implementing a single update-transient filter does not guarantee that every information request succeeds. WordPress’s get_plugin_updates() reads available update data. Vendors can provide a custom plugin-information response through the plugins_api filter; the plugin_information action expects an object. The premium compatibility identifier filters control which products receive extra update handling. They do not replace the vendor’s changelog response.

Self-Check Checklist

  • MainWP Dashboard is version 4.4.1 or later
  • Child site has been synced recently
  • Checked plugin’s settings page for changelog
  • Contacted vendor about missing changelog (if needed)
  • Found alternative source for changelog information