Knowledge Base

Smart Update fails: unable to correctly clone your website for further analysis

This is most probably a bug, therefore, next time it is reported, please, fill a third line so it can be properly investigated.

Symptoms

WordPress Toolkit Smart Update fails with one of the following error messages:

PLESK_ERROR: Smart Update was unable to correctly clone your website for further analysis. Please try again later.

PLESK_ERROR: Unable to perform Smart Update on this website. Smart Update has detected that your .htaccess file is customized in a way that could prevent the creation of a properly functioning website clone. Please check and adjust .htaccess file customizations, then try running Smart Update again.
The domain has Rewrite rules in one of the following locations:
- On an .htaccess file in the main public website folder
- Domains > example.com > Apache & Nginx Settings > Additional Apache directives
- Domains > example.com > Apache & Nginx Settings > Additional nginx directives

Cause

Some rewrite rules can conflict with the WordPress Toolkit Smart Update verifications due to Smart Update cannot verify that the content has been updated successfully.

Resolution

Choose one of the following options:

Click on a section to expand

Disable temporarily the Rewrite rules

Log in to Plesk GUI
Make sure there aren’t conflictive Rewrite rules placed in the following locations:
- On an .htaccess file in the main public website folder
- Domains > example.com > Apache & Nginx Settings > Additional Apache directives
- Domains > example.com > Apache & Nginx Settings > Additional nginx directives
Run the WordPress Toolkit Smart Update
Once the WP instance has been updated successfully, consider enabling again the Rewrite rules that were disabled

Disable the Smart Update initial check

Warning: This initial check is an essential part of Smart Update functionality and disabling it might affect Smart Update results

Log in to Plesk GUI
Install Panel.ini Editor extension
Go to Extensions > My Extensions > Panel.ini Editor > Open > Editor tab > Place the following configuration and click Save to apply the changes:
```
[ext-wp-toolkit]
smartUpdateInitialCheckEnabled = false
```