WordPress 429 Too Many Requests Error: Methods for Updating Themes and Plugins

Recently, webmasters who have installed WordPress websites on domestic servers must have encountered the429 Too Many Requests error, which prevents the WordPress website from opening. Installation failed: Download failed. too many requestsIf the WordPress website cannot be opened, you cannot normally upgrade the WordPress version via the Admin Dashboard, nor can you download and update WordPress themes and plugins. This article sharesmethods for updating and downloading WordPress after encountering the 429 Too Many Requests error. If you want to learn about one from scratchWordPress InstallationFor the process, please refer to:WordPress Installation Tutorial_Server Environment Configuration Requirements_Failure Reasons

Causes of 429 Too Many Requests

In the HTTP protocol, the response status code 429 Too Many Requests indicates that a user has sent too many requests within a certain period, exceeding the „rate limit.“ A user raised this issue in the WordPress forum, asking if the official site was blocking access from China. The official response was that there is no block; it was triggered by Nginx„s limit module. Original link:https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-wordpress-org-restricting-visits-from-china-region/Unofficial rumors suggest that there may have been some traffic from China attacking WordPress servers recently, triggering the CDN system's protection measures, resulting in a 429 Too Many Requests error limiting request frequency.

How to Update WordPress Version Under 429 Error

So, does that mean if the 429 Too Many Requests error persists, we cannot update the WordPress version? The answer is, of course not. We can still use the followingtwo methods to update the WordPress version。

Method 1: Download Offline Package for Manual Update

You can download the new version of the WordPress installation package yourself and then manually update it. For downloading the offline installation package of the new WordPress version, you can refer to this article:WordPress New Version Simplified Chinese Local DownloadAfter downloading,the method for manually updating WordPress is:：

• ①. Extract the downloaded installation package and delete the wp-content folder inside;
• ②. Use FTP to deletethewp-admin and wp-includes folders on the server;
• ③. Upload the remaining local files to the server, overwriting all files;
• ④. Log in to the WordPress website Admin Dashboard to see if there is a request to update the database. If there is, update it; if not, the update is already complete.

For detailed upgrade methods, please refer to:Several Methods for Automatic and Manual WordPress Updates

Method 2: Update Using a Plugin

Update:Plugins can be directly usedWP Downgrade, allowing you toinstall old or new versions of WP. The blogger "I Love Boiled Fish" created a plugin for a Chinese download mirror. The plugin automatically switches the download mirror to the specified URL in the plugin when you upgrade to the Chinese version of WordPress. After the upgrade, simply disable the plugin.Plugin code is as follows:

updates as &$update) {
		if($update->locale == 'zh_CN'){
			$update->download	= 'http://www.xintheme.cn/download/wordpress-zh_CN.zip';
			$update->packages->full	= 'http://www.xintheme.cn/download/wordpress-zh_CN.zip';
		}
	}

	return $value;
});

Plugin Usage Method:Save the above code as a PHP file, upload it to the wp-content/plugins directory on the server, enable the plugin in the Admin Dashboard, and then click the update button. You can alsoclick here to downloadthe plugin file saved by Naibabiji, and directly upload the zip package via the website Admin Dashboard to install, enable, and update the plugin.Plugin Notes:The download address provided in the plugin is not very fast (it may time out during updates, causing failure). You can upload the installation package to your own server and modify the link for faster downloads.

Method 3: Update Using Code + Compressed Package

This method comes from the Long Xiaotianxia blog and is similar to Method 2, appearing even simpler and more convenient. It can alsoresolve429 Too Many Requests error，The specific usage method is as follows:

1. Download the WordPress installation package file and rename it to wordpress.zip
2. Upload wordpress.zip to your website's root directory
3. Copy the code below into the Theme's functions file
4. Click Update in the Admin Dashboard
5. After the update is complete, delete the function code

/**
 * 临时更改WordPress程序包地址以便WP在线更新成功 - 龙笑天下
 * https://www.ilxtx.com/how-to-update-wordpress-successfully.html
 */
function lxtx_site_transient_update_core( $value ){
    foreach ($value->updates as &$update) {
        $update->download = home_url( 'wordpress.zip' );
        $update->packages->full = home_url( 'wordpress.zip' );
    }
    return $value;
}
add_filter('site_transient_update_core', 'lxtx_site_transient_update_core');

If you don't know how to add code to the Theme's functions file, you can use the following Plugin for assistance.Safe method to add code to the functions.php file: Code Snippets

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How to Update Themes and Plugins Under 429 Error

429 Too Many RequestsThe error also prevents you from normally installing and updating Themes and Plugins from the website Admin Dashboard. Similarly, you can use manual update methods to update Themes and Plugins.Method for manually updating WordPress Themes:If a Theme prompts you to update, download the new version of the Theme zip package and overwrite the original Theme files via FTP. (You can also delete the old version of the Theme first, then re-upload and install the new version via the Admin Dashboard.) When updating Themes, remember to back up to avoid overwriting modified files.Method for manually updating WordPress Plugins:

• ①. Find a way to download the new version of the Plugin installation package from the WordPress official website (use a proxy or a foreign server).
• ②. Deactivate and delete the old version of the Plugin in the Admin Dashboard (note if there is an option in the Plugin settings to clear data upon deactivation).
• ③. Upload and install the new version of the Plugin via the Admin Dashboard (you can also consider directly overwriting via FTP; Naibabiji always uploads via the Admin Dashboard).

For detailed upgrade methods, you can refer to:Manual Plugin Update_Method for Manually Upgrading WordPress PluginsAdditionally, during the update process, you may encounter situations where the update fails and the website becomes inaccessible. In such cases, you only need to delete the .maintenance file in the website root directory. Reference:Solutions for Failed WordPress Version or Plugin Upgrades

A More Perfect Solution for the 429 Error

1. Domestic users can install directlyKill 429This plugin solves the issue of 429 errors when installing plugins. 2. UseEasy Theme and Plugin Upgradesthis plugin 3. Added a more useful plugin:WP China Yes

Proxy Download of New WP Theme/Plugin Installation Packages

If you are unable to download the latest version of the WordPress installation package from the official WordPress website, you can ask Naiba to download it for you. Join group 774633089 and contact the group owner.

• WordPress Latest Chinese Simplified Version Local Download_Installation Package

The above isSolve 429 Too Many Requests ErrorSolution for manually updating the version when the WordPress website cannot be opened. If you have further questions, join the group to discuss and exchange with more website owners.