Updating Existing Installations

The Simple Auctions package retains the plugin folder woocommerce-simple-auctions, main file woocommerce-simple-auctions.php, and text domain wc_simple_auctions. WordPress may display the plugin name as WooCommerce Simple Auction.

Before updating

1. Back up the full database and plugin and theme files.
2. Reproduce the store on staging, including custom auction extensions and child-theme overrides.
3. Replace the existing Simple Auctions package through the normal plugin update workflow. Keep its original directory name.
4. Keep only one auction plugin active. Deactivate Auctions for WooCommerce before activating Simple Auctions if it is installed on the same site.
5. Review settings, an existing auction and its bid history, customer lists, cron processing, winner orders, and payment behavior before updating production.

Replacing Auctions for WooCommerce with Simple Auctions is not an automatic migration between products. Their options and bid/participation tables have different names. This upgrade workflow applies to existing Simple Auctions installations.

Data and settings

The package preserves Simple Auctions product metadata, simple_auction_log, simple_auctions_seats, and legacy settings, including exceptions such as woocommerce_auction_page_id and wsa_default_auction_orderby. Table names include the site’s WordPress database prefix.

The historical setting simple_auctions_curent_bidder_can_bid has a trailing space. The upgrade copies its value to simple_auctions_curent_bidder_can_bid only when the corrected setting is absent, retaining the old value as rollback data.

Auction visibility synchronization

The current package has database version 4.0.0, tracked separately from release version 4.0.0. Its upgrade rebuilds managed auction_visibility terms from existing auction state in batches.

If older auctions are missing from lists, review visibility settings first, then use Auctions → Settings → Tools → Re-sync Auctions Visibility. Re-sync Lots Visibility is a separate tool for lot visibility.

Auction synchronization updates visibility terms. It does not close auctions, place bids, charge customers, or send auction lifecycle emails. It preserves unrelated terms, including lot membership. A synchronization failure should be investigated and retried; a displayed countdown is not proof that the upgrade finished.

Custom templates and integrations

Compare overrides with the current templates. The maintained public auction hook prefix is woocommerce_simple_auctions_. Selected older hooks are forwarded through a deprecated-hook compatibility module; this does not guarantee every historical integration contract.

Review custom extensions against the exact generated Simple Auctions package. Test the actual event and arguments rather than replacing hook prefixes blindly. See Hooks & Integration and Shortcodes for current examples.

After moving a site, check license activation for its new URL.