How to Use FlowMattic Patcher to Install Patches

FlowMattic Patcher allows you to apply incremental updates and bug fixes between major plugin releases. Patches are small, focused updates that contain only the changed files — so you get fixes faster without waiting for a full release.

What Are Patches?

Patches are small updates delivered directly from the FlowMattic update server. They can include:

• Security fixes — Critical vulnerability patches
• Hotfixes — Urgent bug fixes
• Bug fixes — Regular bug corrections
• Improvements — Feature enhancements
• New features — New functionality additions
• Performance — Speed and efficiency improvements
• Compatibility — Third-party compatibility fixes

Patches do not affect your workflows, connections, settings, or any other data. They only update plugin files.

Accessing the Patcher

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to FlowMattic > Patcher.
2. The Patcher page automatically checks for available patches for your current FlowMattic version.

Understanding the Interface

Patch List

The Patcher displays all available patches in a table with the following columns:

Patch Type Badges

Each patch is categorized with a color-coded badge:

Action Buttons

Applying Patches

Important: Sequential Order

Patches must be applied in order. You cannot skip ahead — each patch may depend on changes from previous patches. The Patcher enforces this automatically by only enabling the next unapplied patch.

Method 1: Apply from Dashboard (Recommended)

Apply patches one at a time:

1. Navigate to FlowMattic > Patcher.
2. Review the first available patch (title, description, type).
3. Click the Apply Patch button.
4. Wait for the patch to download and install.
5. The button changes to Applied with a checkmark.
6. The next patch becomes available (if any).
7. Repeat until all desired patches are applied.

Apply all patches at once:

1. Navigate to FlowMattic > Patcher.
2. Click the Apply All Patches button at the top of the page.
3. Patches are applied sequentially in order.
4. Each patch shows as “Applied” as it completes.
5. A success message appears when all patches are applied.

Method 2: Manual Installation via FTP

If the dashboard method doesn’t work (e.g., server permission issues), you can apply patches manually:

1. Click the download icon next to the patch to download the ZIP file.
2. Extract the ZIP file on your computer.
3. Inside the extracted folder, locate the flowmattic-patch directory (or the patch files directly).
4. Connect to your server using an FTP/SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla, Cyberduck).
5. Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/flowmattic/.
6. Upload the extracted patch files to the plugin directory.
7. When prompted, choose Overwrite to replace existing files.
8. Verify the upload is complete.

Note: Patches applied manually via FTP are not tracked in the Patcher dashboard. The fixes will be active, but the dashboard may still show the patch as unapplied.

When No Patches Are Available

If no patches are available for your version, you’ll see:

All Caught Up! No patches are available for this version of FlowMattic.

This means your FlowMattic installation is fully up to date for the current version.

Patches and Plugin Updates

• Patches are version-specific — they only apply to the FlowMattic version you’re currently running.
• Major updates include all patches — when you update to a new FlowMattic version, all previous patches are already included.
• Patch tracking resets after updates — after a major update, the applied patches list resets since they’re bundled in the new version.

Troubleshooting

Patch fails to apply

Common causes:

• File permissions — Your web server needs write access to /wp-content/plugins/flowmattic/. Contact your hosting provider to verify permissions.
• Network issues — Your server must be able to reach updates.flowmattic.com. Check if your firewall or security plugin is blocking outbound requests.
• Disk space — Ensure your server has sufficient disk space for the patch download and extraction.

Solutions:

1. Click the patch button again to retry.
2. Temporarily disable caching plugins.
3. Use the manual FTP method as a fallback.
4. Contact FlowMattic support if the issue persists.

Patcher page shows an error

If the Patcher page shows an error loading patches:

1. Click the Retry button to fetch patches again.
2. Verify your internet connection is working.
3. Check if updates.flowmattic.com is accessible from your server.

Patches not showing after manual FTP install

Patches applied via FTP are not tracked by the Patcher. The fixes are active even if the dashboard still shows them as unapplied. You can safely ignore the status for manually applied patches.

Best Practices

• Back up before patching — While patches are designed to be safe, it’s good practice to back up your site before applying updates.
• Apply security patches immediately — Red “Security” badges indicate critical fixes that should be applied as soon as possible.
• Don’t skip patches — Even if a patch description doesn’t seem relevant, it may contain changes that later patches depend on.
• Check after applying — After applying patches, verify your workflows are running correctly.
• Use the dashboard method — The dashboard method is preferred because it tracks which patches have been applied.

Summary