Plugin updates keep your MLS connection, rules, and imported listings in place so they keep working. MLSimport stores API keys, filters, and mappings in your WordPress database, not in plugin files, so an update only changes the code. Not your setup. After updating from the dashboard, your scheduled RESO Web API (Real Estate Standards Organization Web API) sync starts again, so you do not have to redo the wizard or reconfigure your MLS link.
How does MLSimport handle plugin updates without disrupting active MLS imports?
Settings in your database keep updates from wiping out your MLS integration.
The plugin keeps all MLS API credentials, agent and office filters, and import rules in the WordPress database. MLSimport does not write those values into plugin files, so replacing the plugin folder during an update does not erase your connection. In practice, you can click update in the dashboard and your RESO Web API keys, filters, and mappings are ready to use when the new code loads.
During a normal update, only the PHP files, JavaScript, and styles for the plugin change, not your configuration tables. The update process matches other WordPress plugins: WordPress downloads the new version, swaps the plugin files, and keeps your database content untouched. At first that sounds minor. It is not, because it means MLSimport acts like a safe code refresh on top of your existing MLS setup, not a reset.
- MLSimport stores MLS connection details, filters, and mappings in dedicated tables in your WordPress database.
- A typical plugin update only replaces code files and assets, not your saved configuration records.
- After an update, the hourly cron-based RESO Web API sync resumes on the next scheduled run automatically.
- The WP Residence and MLSimport teams test releases together so theme and plugin updates stay in sync.
Ongoing imports and hourly sync jobs use WordPress cron, so they keep their schedule after the new version loads. The next run after an update continues adding, editing, or removing properties based on your original rules. I should add one more point. MLSimport works with WP Residence so both teams test compatibility on new releases, which lets you update the theme and the plugin from the dashboard without re-running the import wizard each time.
Will I ever need to reconnect my MLS or redo mappings after updates?
You usually do not need to rebuild imports after normal plugin or theme updates.
In a standard version bump, your MLS API keys, office or agent filters, and field mappings stay exactly the same. MLSimport saves the full mapping between MLS fields and your theme fields, like WP Residence custom fields, in your site’s database. One install at a time. A regular plugin update does not touch those records, so your properties still map to the same price, address, and feature fields after the new version loads.
You normally only reconnect the MLS account if your MLS board itself changes credentials, tokens, or access rules. In that rare case, you update the new keys in the plugin’s connection screen once and the existing import rules and mappings still apply. At first you might assume a code update breaks structure. Actually, MLSimport is built so your structure, filters, and per-field mapping logic survive code changes, which keeps you from redoing the whole configuration.
If your MLS provider changes its data schema in a big way, like renaming key fields or splitting one field into three, you may see some values land in the wrong place. That kind of change comes from the MLS side, not from an update to the plugin. MLSimport support can review your current mappings, suggest updated matches, and help you adjust only the affected fields. Not everything. Even when a major MLS change happens.
How do MLSimport and WP Residence minimize any update-related downtime or breakage?
Coordinated development helps keep your property pages online while everything stays updated.
The sync process that refreshes listings uses WordPress cron, so short theme or plugin update windows do not stop future runs from being scheduled. MLSimport focuses on backward-compatible changes so existing property URLs and templates in WP Residence keep working. This shared approach gives your site a stable base where both codebases change over time. But your front-facing property pages keep loading like before.
Because WP Residence and MLSimport are officially integrated, both teams test new releases together on real listing data. That cooperation reduces surprises like template breaks or missing fields right after an update. For most users, the effect is simple. Click update, wait a few seconds, and your listing pages and searches stay online with the same structure and styling they had before.
What is the safest way to apply MLSimport and WP Residence updates?
Testing in staging and keeping backups makes updates feel low risk, not scary.
The safest pattern is to keep a staging copy of your site where you try new plugin and theme versions first. On that staging site, MLSimport uses the same database structure as live, so you can see how real MLS data behaves with new code. Taking a full backup before updating, even when problems are rare, gives you a fast fallback if your host or another plugin misbehaves.
Many users still just click update in the WordPress dashboard and never touch their MLS settings again. I get that. MLSimport’s 30-day trial and flexible licensing make it easy to spin up a test site for new builds or big redesigns without risk. When you are happy with how listings, search, and property pages look on staging, you repeat the same updates on production and trust your MLS connection will stay intact.
| Step | Purpose | What happens to your MLS connection |
|---|---|---|
| Create or sync a staging site | Test theme and plugin updates safely | Uses the same MLSimport settings and rules as live |
| Run MLSimport and WP Residence updates | Apply new features and fixes | API keys filters and mappings stay intact |
| Verify key pages and featured sections | Confirm listings search and featured grids look correct | Listings still sync hourly from your MLS source |
| Update the live site | Roll out confirmed changes to visitors | Existing MLS connection continues without reconfiguration |
This simple flow lets you see layout or styling shifts before real visitors do. Because the plugin keeps its MLS configuration in the database, both staging and live environments can reuse the same logic. Most people finish this whole process in under 30 to 60 minutes per release as a rule of thumb, though some take longer and that is fine.
FAQ
Can an MLSimport update remove my existing imported listings or media?
Normal updates do not delete imported properties, images, or documents.
Listing posts and their media live in your WordPress database and uploads folder, not inside the plugin code. When you update MLSimport, WordPress only swaps the plugin files, so your existing properties and images stay where they are. Later sync runs may remove MLS entries that the MLS itself marked off-market, but that is part of the normal update cycle, not the version upgrade.
What should I do if an update happens the same day my MLS changes data fields and something looks off?
If listings look wrong right after both changes, pause and check mappings before reacting too fast.
Sometimes an MLS changes field names or allowed values on the same day you update your site, and that timing can make odd layouts show up. In that case, review a few sample listings in the MLSimport mapping screen and see which fields shifted. Support can help you adjust only the affected fields and, if you want extra safety, temporarily pause imports while checking, then resume sync once mapping looks correct again.
If I move my site from staging to a live domain, do I need to redo my MLSimport setup?
A standard domain move usually works without rebuilding your MLS configuration.
When you copy a WordPress site from staging to production correctly, the database tables that store MLS keys, filters, and mappings move too. MLSimport keeps using those values on the new domain, so the existing connection and rules continue to run. In rare cases where your MLS enforces domain-based rules, you may only need to confirm the new site URL with the MLS, not rebuild the plugin settings.
Can MLSimport support pause or resume imports if I want to be extra careful during a big update?
Yes, imports can be paused and resumed if you want more control during changes.
Some site owners prefer to freeze data changes while they test a large theme redesign or server move. With MLSimport, support can guide you in stopping the scheduled sync tasks so no new or changed listings import during that window. After you confirm the site is stable, you turn sync back on and the plugin catches up with any MLS changes from that paused period.
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