RobArt Update Guard

An update can break a site long after the problem first appeared. Find the warning signs before they become failures.

Your plugins may still rely on functions, classes, hooks or core files that WordPress has retired. A newer PHP version can also remove functions or reject coding patterns that used to work. These problems are easy to overlook until a WordPress or hosting update exposes them.

RobArt Update Guard scans your installed plugins for known WordPress deprecations and PHP 8.0–8.4 compatibility issues. It shows where a problem occurs, why it matters and, when known, what to use instead. No external service, no AI, no changes to your code.

Why use Update Guard?

• Find outdated code before your next update. Identify known retired WordPress APIs and PHP changes affecting installed plugins.
• Know exactly where to look. Results include plugin, file path, line number and suggested replacement where available.
• Prioritise the real risks. High, Medium and Low severity ratings explain the likely impact of each finding.
• Separate your code from someone else’s. Mark which plugins you maintain to see ‘You fix it’ and ‘Theirs to fix’ badges, with your own plugins listed first.
• Tell plugin authors quickly. Copy a ready-made finding report for a third-party plugin and open its support forum.
• Keep your code private. Scans run on your server, on demand, without sending code anywhere.

Three tools in one

1. Deprecation and compatibility report

Scan installed plugins for known deprecated WordPress functions, classes, core files and hooks, alongside PHP functions, constants, directives and selected coding patterns affected by PHP 8.0–8.4. Results are organised into separate WordPress and PHP tabs, showing file and line information, severity, ownership and suggested next steps. Switch off PHP checks when you want a quicker WordPress-only scan.

2. Appearance exposure checks

See where plugins depend on WordPress admin styling. This is a heads-up for areas worth checking visually after a core design change, not a claim that those screens are broken.

3. Searchable deprecation lexicon

Explore APIs deprecated by your installed WordPress version and PHP changes grouped by release. Use the reference to understand an issue or research an alternative without leaving your dashboard.

Designed for developers and site maintainers

Whether you develop your own plugins, manage client sites or maintain an established WordPress installation, Update Guard helps turn a vague compatibility concern into a specific, reviewable finding. The scan is read-only, so you remain in control of any fixes.

How the scanning works

For WordPress, Update Guard reads deprecation markers from the WordPress core files installed on your own site and checks installed plugin PHP files for matching usage. That means its WordPress reference follows the core version you actually run.

For PHP, it uses a bundled compatibility reference covering PHP 8.0 through 8.4, based on official migration guides. A bundled PHP parser (nikic/php-parser, BSD-3-Clause) also identifies certain patterns that a plain text search would miss, while avoiding matches that appear only in comments or strings.

No external lookups are needed. Scans run only when requested, with results cached for a day.

What it checks

• WordPress deprecated functions and classes.
• Deprecated WordPress actions and filters.
• Retired WordPress core files referenced by plugins.
• PHP functions, constants and php.ini directives removed or deprecated across PHP 8.0–8.4.
• Selected PHP usage patterns, including reversed implode() arguments, no-argument get_class(), optional parameters before required parameters and implicitly nullable parameters.
• Plugin reliance on WordPress admin styling, reported separately as appearance exposure.

Scope note: The code report examines installed plugins and references deprecations found in WordPress core. It does not claim to perform a complete source scan of all theme files or all WordPress core code for defects.

Important limitations

Update Guard is a targeted static scanner, not a runtime debugger or a guarantee that an update will work. To avoid misleading results, it does not attempt to reliably identify deprecated class methods without runtime type information, or changes in behaviour where an API keeps the same name. jQuery matches are intentionally conservative. Minified or bundled code and third-party dependency folders such as vendor/ and node_modules/ are excluded.

A clean report means the scanner found no known issues within its supported checks. It does not mean your plugins or site are guaranteed compatible with every future update.

Privacy and control

Your code stays on your server. Scanning is local and read-only. Update Guard does not upload source files, use AI or automatically edit plugin code. The bundled PHP parser also runs locally. See the External services section for details of optional information and support links.

Uninstall

Update Guard cleans up after itself. When you delete the plugin from the Plugins screen, it removes everything it stored:

• Its options (install date, last-scan record, and onboarding state).
• Its cached scan reports (stored as transients).

It creates no custom database tables, writes nothing outside your own site, and leaves no orphaned data behind. Deactivating the plugin keeps your settings and last report; only deleting the plugin runs the clean-up.

External services

Update Guard performs all of its scanning locally on your own server. It makes no automatic network requests and sends no data anywhere.

The plugin displays a few ordinary links to information pages for other Rob Art plugins, hosted at robart-illustration.eu. These are plain links you may choose to click; the plugin never contacts any external service on its own, and no data is transmitted unless you follow a link.

Support and review links point to WordPress.org, which is governed by the WordPress.org privacy policy.