How to Send an Email When WordPress Core Is Updated

WordPress installs minor and security releases on its own by default, so your site's version can change without you doing anything. Zapify emails you when WordPress core is updated, with the old and new version and whether the release was major or minor. It uses the free WordPress is updated trigger and the Send an email action.

What this automation does

The automation is one trigger plus one action:

• Trigger: WordPress is updated (WPADMIN_CORE_UPDATED, WP Admin)
• Action: Send an email (WP_SEND_EMAIL, WordPress)

When WordPress core is updated, Zapify emails the address you set with the version it moved from and to.

A major release changes the first two numbers (6.8 to 6.9). Anything else is minor (6.8.1 to 6.8.2). Set the trigger's Release type field to hear only about one kind.

Before you start

• A working email setup on your site.

How to build the automation

Step 1: Create a new automation

1. In the WordPress admin, go to Zapify → Automations.
2. Click Add New to open the builder.
3. Name it clearly, such as Email me when WordPress is updated.

Step 2: Add the "WordPress is updated" trigger

1. Click Add Trigger.
2. Choose WP Admin as the app.
3. Select the trigger WordPress is updated.
4. In the Release type field, choose Major release (such as 6.8 to 6.9), Minor release (such as 6.8.1 to 6.8.2), or Any release.

Step 3: Add the "Send an email" action

1. Click Add Action.
2. Choose WordPress as the app.
3. Select Send an email.

Step 4: Write the email

Use the {} token button beside any field to insert the details of the event.

Field	Required	What it does
To	Yes	Type the address that should get the alert. Separate several addresses with commas.
Subject	Yes	The subject line. Tokens are allowed.
Format	Yes	HTML (default) or Plain text.
Body	Yes	The message. Tokens are allowed.
Cc / Bcc	No	Extra recipients.
From name / From email	No	Override the sender.
Reply to	No	Where replies go.

For example:

• To: you@example.com
• Subject: WordPress updated to {New version}
• Body: WordPress was updated from {Old version} to {New version} ({Release type} release). Automatic update: {Automatic update}. Check the front end and your key plugins.

Step 5: Set the steps Live and save

1. Set both the trigger and the action to Live. A new automation starts as Draft and will not run until its steps are Live.
2. Click Save.

Tokens you can use

Token	What it holds
Old version	The WordPress version before the update.
New version	The WordPress version after the update.
Release type	major or minor.
Automatic update	yes when WordPress updated itself, no when someone did it by hand.
Actor user ID / Actor username	The logged-in person who did it. Empty (and 0) when nobody was logged in, as with an automatic update.

How to test it

1. Core updates cannot be triggered on demand, so test on a staging copy of the site: open Dashboard → Updates and update WordPress when a new version is offered.
2. Check the recipient's inbox for the email.
3. If nothing arrives, open Zapify → Logs to see whether the run fired.

Reinstalling the same version does not run the automation, because the version did not change.

Conclusion

With the free WordPress is updated trigger and the Send an email action, you always know which WordPress version your site is on and when it changed. For a team channel, see posting to Slack when WordPress is updated.

FAQs

Does it run for automatic minor updates?

Yes. Automatic update holds yes, and Actor user ID and Actor username are empty because nobody was logged in.

How do I only hear about major updates?

Set the trigger's Release type field to Major release. It is free, because filtering the trigger is free.

Does it run when I reinstall WordPress?

No. The automation runs only when the version number changes.

Is this feature free?

Yes. WP Admin is a free Zapify integration, and both the trigger and the Send an email action are included in the free plan.

Why didn't the email arrive?

Open Zapify → Logs. If the run succeeded but no email arrived, the cause is usually the site's mail configuration. An SMTP plugin resolves most delivery problems. Check the spam folder too.

Do I need to write any code?

No. Everything is configured in the Zapify visual builder.