Updating Avada from Older Versions

Last Update: April 16, 2024

Why you should update regularly

A major reason to keep Avada and your plugins up-to-date is for security purposes. Keeping your site updated ensures that you have the latest security fixes, and that your site is following the latest security best practices available. For detailed information on security in WordPress, please see the Hardening WordPress article.

If you’ve fallen behind on updates, or you’re taking over a new project that hasn’t been updated in a while, this post will guide you in updating from older versions of Avada up to the latest.

Pre-Update Tips

  • Before processing any update, make sure to take a full site and database backup. That will ensure you’re able to revert to a working point in your site if anything unexpected happens.

  • It’s also very important that you ensure your server limits are at least at the required minimums for the update/theme install to complete seamlessly. Read our Requirements for Avada doc for more information.

  • When updating from old versions of Avada, we strongly recommend a staggered update path. Below, we’ll guide you through one major theme update at a time. This will make the process as smooth as possible for you. At the end of each section, there will be a link to download each theme version, as required for the update path.

Recommended Update Path:

With each new Avada update comes a set of new options, features and code improvements. Click on the version path that matches your current Avada version for detailed instructions

  • Avada 3.9 and older: If you’re below version 3.9, start with the steps in this section.

  • Avada 3.9.X: If you’re at version 3.9.X, start with the steps in this section.

  • Avada 4.0.X: If you’re at version 4.0.X, start with the steps in this section.

  • Avada 5.9.1: If you’re at version 5.9.1, start with the steps in this section.

Updating From Avada 3.9 And Older

Regardless of what version of Avada you have currently, if it’s before Avada 3.9, then 3.9.4 should be the first stage in the update. If you haven’t checked the Pre Update Tips section from above yet, click here for that important information.

If you’re updating from an Avada version before Avada 3.8 and you have custom CSS, you’ll need to check your custom CSS after the update, due to a CSS refactor in Avada 3.8. Because of the refactor, your custom CSS classes may also need updating, so they match the new classes used in Avada.

For information on custom CSS in Avada, please read our How To Make Custom CSS Changes doc.

If you have no customizations or custom CSS in your theme, then the update to 3.9.4 should be routine. For standard update information, please see our guide here.

After the update has completed, then clear your cache completely and check your site over to see if everything is working well. Since this is still an older version of Avada, it’s recommended that you have your plugins disabled, aside from the Avada Core plugin, while testing your site. This is to ensure any issues you see aren’t related to a plugin conflict. The primary goal here is to just ensure that the theme styling is how it should be, then on to the next update.

Updating From Avada 3.9.X

When updating from Avada 3.9.X, your next stage in the update chain will be 4.0.3. If you’re not at 3.9.X yet, follow the steps in the section above, before proceeding. If you haven’t checked the Pre Update Tips section from above yet, click here for that important information.

In Avada 4.0.X, the most notable change was the migration from the old Avada Global Options to the new Avada Global Options.

To be sure the Global Options migration completes correctly, you’ll want to double check your Avada System Status page and increase any limits that are showing a red notice (with the exception of max_input_vars as that will have no effect on the migration). Please see here for information on increasing your server limits and here for information on server requirements in Avada.

As an extra precaution, it’s recommended that you disable all non-Avada plugins (with the exception of WPML if in use), while the migration is being processed. This will ensure your Global Options migration isn’t hindered by a plugin conflict.

If you get get trapped in the migration (e.g. The migration steps are endlessly repeating, or are frozen.), then you can correct this with FTP access. If you didn’t disable your plugins, then you may have a plugin conflict. You can fix this by changing the name of the wp-content/plugins directory to something else temporarily. (e.g. wp-content/plugins-dis) That will disable all the plugins and allow the migration to complete.

Updating From Avada 4.0.X

If your current Avada version is 4.0.X, then your next stage in the update will be Avada 5.9.1. This will include the conversion of your shortcodes from the old Avada page builder to the new Avada Builder which was introduced in Avada 5.0.

If you’re not at 4.0.X yet, please reference the appropriate section above for your current Avada version, before proceeding. If you haven’t checked the Pre Update Tips section from above yet, click here for that important information.

Since the Avada Builder uses different shortcodes, any shortcodes generated by the Avada page builder prior to Avada 5.0 will not render elements and will only appear as plain text. There’s an automated conversion process which will occur to update your content to the new shortcode syntax.

Areas that are automatically converted by Avada include: pages, blog posts, portfolios, WooCommerce product content and excerpts, widgets, global options, Avada Sliders, Revolution Sliders and LayerSliders.

If after the update, your site is showing all shortcodes on the front end of the website, the conversion may not have completed correctly. Although it looks like a serious problem, it’s normally just due to low server limits causing the update process to be truncated. To fix this, you can manually trigger the shortcode conversion again at the top of the System Status page. If that doesn’t correct the issue, double check that the Avada Builder plugin is installed and activated.

Updating From Avada 5.9.1

If your current Avada version is 5.9.1, then your next stage in the update will be the latest version of Avada. The current latest version is Avada 7.11.11, which includes a new registration method. For more details about the registration, please see the Changes To the Avada Registration Method.

If you haven’t checked the Pre Update Tips section from above yet, click here for that important information.

If you have trouble with the update and you need additional help, please submit a support ticket to our support center and we’ll check into it ASAP. Please fill out all the requested fields in the ticket submission form to avoid delays.

Getting Additional Help

  • Sign up for your My Avada account and register your license to access support: click here.
  • If you already have registered and need assistance, please submit a support ticket here.
  • Purchases made before September 1st, 2015 are eligible for our Avada Grandfathered support. More information on Grandfathered support can be found here.
  • If your support account has expired, you can find information on renewing that here.

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