Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

WordPress Update Failed: Download Failed. Unauthorized

If you're a WordPress user, you may have encountered an issue with updating your site. Sometimes, when attempting to update WordPress themes or plugins, you may see an error message that reads "Update Failed: Download failed. Unauthorized." This error message can be frustrating, especially if you don't know what caused the error.

The "Update Failed: Download failed. Unauthorized" error typically occurs when WordPress is unable to download and install updates. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common cause is permission issues. If your WordPress site doesn't have the proper permissions, it won't be able to download and install updates.

To fix this issue, you'll need to take a few steps to ensure that your WordPress site has the proper permissions. Here's what you need to do:

Step 1: Check file permissions

The first step is to check the file permissions on your WordPress site. You can do this by using an FTP client or by logging into your WordPress site and using the file manager. Check that the files and folders for your WordPress site have the correct permissions.

Typically, folders should have a permission level of 755, and files should have a permission level of 644. If the permissions are incorrect, you can change them using your FTP client or file manager.

Step 2: Check user permissions

The second step is to check the user permissions for your WordPress site. Make sure that your WordPress site is being run by a user with the necessary permissions to download and install updates. If you're not sure which user your WordPress site is running under, contact your web host or server administrator for help.

Step 3: Update WordPress manually

If the above steps don't fix the issue, you may need to update WordPress manually. To do this, you'll need to download the latest version of WordPress from the official WordPress website. Once you've downloaded the latest version, you can manually upload the files to your WordPress site.

Updating WordPress manually can be a bit more complicated than a standard update, but it can solve the "Update Failed: Download failed. Unauthorized" error.

In conclusion, encountering the "Update Failed: Download failed. Unauthorized" error in WordPress can be frustrating, but it's usually fixable by adjusting file and user permissions or updating the platform manually. With these steps, you'll be back to updating your site in no time.