How to Update SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base Safely
How to Update SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base Safely
Keeping SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base up to date gives you the latest fixes, improvements and WordPress compatibility changes.
Updating the plugin should not remove your knowledge base articles, categories or settings. These are stored in the WordPress database rather than inside the plugin folder.
Even so, it is always sensible to create a backup before replacing plugin files.
Before updating the plugin
Before installing a new version, check that:
- You have administrator access to WordPress
- Your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active
- You have downloaded the latest plugin ZIP file
- You have a recent backup of the website
- WordPress and PHP meet the current plugin requirements
- You are able to access the website files if something goes wrong
It is also worth opening the knowledge base before the update and checking that the homepage, one category and one article are working correctly.
This gives you something to compare against after the update.
Create a website backup
Create a backup of both:
- Your WordPress files
- Your WordPress database
The database is particularly important because it contains your articles, categories, settings and analytics information.
Many hosting accounts include a backup option in their control panel.
Make sure the backup has completed before continuing with the update.
Download the latest plugin version
Download the newest SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base ZIP file from the location provided with your subscription.
The filename may include a version number, for example:
softwareroad-knowledge-base-v2.x.x.zip
Do not extract the ZIP file when updating through the WordPress dashboard.
Save it somewhere easy to find, such as your computer’s Downloads folder.
Update through the WordPress dashboard
To replace the current plugin with the new version:
- Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Open Plugins > Add New Plugin.
- Select Upload Plugin.
- Select Choose File.
- Choose the latest SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base ZIP file.
- Select Install Now.
- WordPress should detect that the plugin is already installed.
- Select Replace current with uploaded.
- Wait for WordPress to finish replacing the plugin files.
- Select Go to Plugins page.
SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base should remain activated after the update.
Your existing articles, categories and settings should still be in place.
Check that the plugin is active
Open:
Plugins > Installed Plugins
Find SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base and confirm that it is active.
If you see an Activate link underneath it, select it.
You should also check that the Knowledge Base menu is still visible in the WordPress dashboard.
Check the licence status
Open:
Knowledge Base > Licence
Confirm that the page shows:
- Licence active
- The correct purchase email
- A masked product key
- The correct Monthly or Yearly plan
The saved licence should normally remain active after an update.
If the activation screen appears instead, enter your purchase email and product key again.
Check the knowledge base homepage
Open your main knowledge base page and confirm that it loads correctly.
Check that:
- The title and tagline appear
- The search box works
- Category cards are displayed
- Recently updated articles appear
- Sidebar sections display correctly
- The page layout has not changed unexpectedly
Clear your website cache if the page still appears to be using files from the older plugin version.
Test an article and category page
Open at least one published article and one category.
On the article page, check:
- The article title
- Article content
- Breadcrumbs
- Back link
- Table of contents
- Reading time
- Helpful voting
- Recommended article
- Sidebar
- Social sharing buttons
On the category page, check:
- The category title
- Description
- Icon or image
- Article list
- Category contents panel
- Search box, if enabled
You only need to check the features that are currently enabled on your website.
Test the knowledge base search
Enter a few words from one of your published article titles into the search box.
Make sure that:
- Search results appear
- The correct article is included
- Selecting a result opens the article
- No JavaScript error appears
- Search analytics continue to record searches, if enabled
It is also useful to test one search that should return no results.
Check the settings
Open:
Knowledge Base > Settings
Move through each tab and make sure your saved options are still present.
Pay particular attention to:
- Knowledge Base Page
- Homepage sections
- Search settings
- Article features
- Design colours
- SEO settings
- Privacy settings
- Article and category URL bases
Select Save Changes only if you have changed something.
Refresh WordPress permalinks
Most plugin updates will not require this step, but refreshing the WordPress permalink rules can help if articles or categories return a 404 error after an update.
To refresh them:
- Open Settings > Permalinks.
- Do not change the selected structure.
- Select Save Changes.
WordPress will rebuild its rewrite rules.
Return to the knowledge base and test the article and category URLs again.
Clear website and browser caches
Cached files can make it look as though the update has not worked.
After updating, clear any cache provided by:
- WordPress
- Your web hosting account
- Your server
- Your browser
You may also need to refresh the page using a hard reload.
On Windows, this is usually:
Ctrl + F5
On macOS, this is usually:
Command + Shift + R
Updating manually through your hosting account
If the WordPress upload method is unavailable, you can replace the plugin files through your hosting file manager or FTP.
Before doing this, create a complete backup.
Then:
- Extract the new SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base ZIP file on your computer.
- Open the WordPress plugins folder on the server.
- Find the existing SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base plugin folder.
- Replace the files inside it with the files from the new version.
- Keep the same plugin folder name.
- Sign in to WordPress.
- Confirm that the plugin is still active.
The WordPress plugins directory is normally:
/wp-content/plugins/
Do not upload the new folder inside the existing plugin folder, as this can create a duplicated folder structure.
Will updating remove my articles?
No. Updating the plugin files should not delete your knowledge base articles.
Articles and categories are stored in the WordPress database.
Your saved plugin settings and analytics information are also stored in the database.
Deleting the plugin files and replacing them with a newer version is different from deleting your content.
However, a backup is still recommended in case the update is interrupted or the website has an existing database problem.
Will updating remove my licence?
The saved licence should remain in place because it is stored in the WordPress database.
After updating, open Knowledge Base > Licence and confirm that it is still active.
If the licence is no longer shown, enter your purchase email and product key again.
Keeping your Monthly or Yearly subscription active gives you continued access to plugin updates, WordPress compatibility improvements, new features and SoftwareRoad support.
Fix “Destination folder already exists”
When uploading the new ZIP file, WordPress should normally offer to replace the current plugin.
If it only shows a destination folder error:
- Confirm that you are using a recent version of WordPress.
- Check that the existing plugin is listed under Installed Plugins.
- Try the upload again.
- Update the plugin manually through your hosting account if WordPress does not offer the replace option.
Do not create a second SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base folder with a different name.
Fix a blank page after updating
A blank page can be caused by a PHP error, an incomplete upload or a compatibility problem.
If you can still access the WordPress dashboard:
- Open Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Deactivate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base.
- Download a fresh copy of the latest plugin ZIP.
- Install the files again.
- Reactivate the plugin.
If you cannot access WordPress, use your hosting file manager to rename the plugin folder temporarily.
This will deactivate the plugin and should allow WordPress to load again.
You can then restore the correct folder and upload a fresh copy.
Check your hosting error log for the exact PHP error before making further changes.
Fix missing styles or icons after updating
If the knowledge base loads but looks incorrect:
- Clear all website caches
- Clear your browser cache
- Check that all plugin files uploaded correctly
- Confirm that the browser can load Bootstrap Icons
- Check for blocked CSS or JavaScript files
- Upload a fresh copy of the plugin if files are missing
A partly completed upload can leave older and newer plugin files mixed together.
Replacing the complete plugin folder with a fresh copy usually resolves this.
Fix articles returning 404 errors
If the homepage works but articles or categories return a page not found error:
- Open Settings > Permalinks.
- Select Save Changes.
- Clear the website cache.
- Test the URLs again.
- Check the article and category URL bases under Knowledge Base settings.
Also make sure that another WordPress page is not using the same slug as the knowledge base article or category base.
Roll back to the previous version
If a new version causes a problem that prevents you from using the knowledge base, restore the backup created before updating.
You can also replace the new plugin files with your previous SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base ZIP file, provided you still have a copy.
Avoid changing or removing database information unless you know that the update changed the database structure.
After restoring the previous version:
- Check the licence
- Refresh permalinks
- Clear all caches
- Test the homepage, an article and a category
- Contact SoftwareRoad support with the details of the problem
Include the WordPress version, PHP version and any error message shown.
Do not include your complete product key in a public message.
Update checklist
After installing the update, confirm that:
- SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is active
- The licence is still active
- The main knowledge base page loads
- Categories are displayed
- Articles are displayed
- Search works
- Article URLs work
- Category URLs work
- The settings are still saved
- Helpful voting works, if enabled
- Analytics continue to update
- The layout works on mobile
- Website caches have been cleared
Once these checks are complete, the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base update is finished.