Updating MyListing manually

A manual update replaces the installed MyListing parent theme with the version in a new theme ZIP. Use this method when dashboard updates are unavailable or when you want direct control over the release you install.

Prepare a recovery path

Create and verify a full backup of the database and files before updating. Read the release notes, test major releases on staging, and use a maintenance window if an interruption would affect visitors.

What an update preserves—and what it replaces

A theme update replaces files inside wp-content/themes/my-listing. Direct edits, custom files, or renamed copies placed in that parent-theme directory can be lost.

The update does not replace:

• the active child theme in its separate directory;
• media and other files in wp-content/uploads;
• WordPress content and theme settings stored in the database; or
• separately installed plugins.

Keep custom PHP and template overrides in a MyListing child theme. A child theme still requires the My Listing parent theme to remain installed. Files in uploads and database settings normally survive a theme update, but they still need to be included in the backup because a failed update or later migration can affect the site as a whole.

Download the correct ZIP

Open your ThemeForest Downloads page, locate MyListing, and download Installable WordPress file only. Do not upload the complete ThemeForest package; WordPress will reject an archive that does not have the theme’s style.css at its root.

Replace the theme in wp-admin

1. Sign in to the WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme → Upload Theme.
3. Select the installable MyListing ZIP, then choose Install Now.
4. On the This theme is already installed screen, compare the installed and uploaded version details.
5. Choose Replace installed with uploaded and wait for WordPress to report that the theme was updated successfully.

Replacing the parent theme does not deactivate a MyListing child theme. Do not delete the parent theme while the child theme is active.

File manager or SFTP fallback

If the upload is blocked by a server limit, extract the installable package locally and replace the complete wp-content/themes/my-listing directory through your host’s file manager or SFTP. Do not merge a new copy over the old directory: files removed in a newer release could otherwise remain on the server.

Keep a recoverable copy of the old directory until the site has been checked. Avoid leaving two folders that both identify themselves as the MyListing parent theme.

Update plugins separately

The current MyListing package does not bundle premium plugin ZIP files. It registers Elementor and WooCommerce as required plugins and Contact Form 7 as recommended, but each plugin remains a separate installation with its own update process. Update compatible plugin releases under Dashboard → Updates or Plugins → Installed Plugins; a theme replacement will not update them.

MyListing 2.13 replaced its ACF Pro-based theme-options panel and stopped bundling ACF Pro. A site upgraded from an older release may still have ACF Pro installed. MyListing no longer supplies its updates, so maintain it under a separate license if other site code still uses it; do not remove it until that dependency has been checked.

After the update

1. Open Appearance → Themes, select My Listing, and confirm that the expected version is installed.
2. Check the home page, listing submission and editing, search, listing pages, account flows, checkout or booking flows in use, and relevant wp-admin screens.
3. If the release notes or an admin notice calls for a data migration, go to Theme Tools → Performance → Data Updates, choose Run or Run again for the named action, and keep the window open until it finishes.
4. After an upgrade to MyListing 3.0 or later, review the index status for each listing type under Listing Types → edit a listing type → Search Forms → Search Index. Use Create/Update table or Reindex listings only when the screen reports that the action is needed. Sites using the posts search index can review it under Posts → Search Index.
5. Clear the page, object, server, CDN, and browser caches that the site actually uses. If preview-card caching is enabled, regenerate it under Theme Tools → Performance → Preview Cards → Caching. Clear Elementor’s generated files and data if its styling remains stale.

Rollback and common failures

MyListing does not provide a separate rollback tool. Restoring the pre-update file and database backup is the safest rollback after a failed release. WordPress can also replace the parent theme with an older installable ZIP, but that only rolls back theme files; it does not undo database migrations, search-index changes, content edits, or plugin updates.

• “The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet” usually means the complete ThemeForest download was uploaded instead of Installable WordPress file only.
• Upload size or HTTP 413 errors mean the server rejected the ZIP. Ask the host to raise the applicable upload limits or use the file manager/SFTP method.
• Filesystem credentials or permission errors mean WordPress cannot write to the themes directory. Correct ownership and permissions with the host instead of repeatedly retrying.
• No replacement option appears on an older WordPress installation. Update WordPress if it is safe to do so, or use the file manager/SFTP method.
• The site remains in maintenance mode after an interrupted update. First confirm that no update process is still running, then ask the host to remove the stale .maintenance file from the WordPress root.
• A fatal error or blank page appears. Preserve the exact PHP error, restore the backup if the site is unusable, and check PHP and plugin compatibility before retrying.

REFERENCEReview the MyListing changelog →