Did you know plugin vulnerabilities represent 60% of the known entry points for website attacks? Learn how Smart Plugin Manager uses machine learning & visual regression testing to automate plugin updates and keep your site secure. Bonus: get a preview of exciting platform enhancements launching in the next coming months.
5. Plugins at WP Engine by the numbers.
Average number of plugins on
a WP Engine site
Plugin vulnerabilities in the
last six months
§Average minutes customers spend
updating plugins manually
16 251 8
6. WP Engine protects at scale.
Plugin updates automated by
WP Engine
Screenshots taken over the
last 6 months
16 251
7. What we heard from customers.
I'd gladly pay extra per month,
per site to know that you're
keeping all my plugins up-to-
date because every plug-in
that's not up to date is an
exposure, right?
I don't trust the WordPress
plugin ecosystem. I believe it's
a necessary evil. I don’t feel
there is enough rigor in a lot of
the 3rd party plugins, in terms
of the way that they get
security around them.
9. Smart Plugin
Manager.
§ Automatically updates
Plugins
§ Delivers success criteria with
visual testing
§ Sites rollback if success
criteria fails to keep sites
secure
10. Why visual
regression
testing?
Some visual changes can be
difficult to identify:
§ Broken or misplaced CTAs and
forms means a broken site!
§ Small pixel changes can
dramatically alter a site’s
experience
It’s not reasonable and is too
costly for a human to:
§ Identify all possible visual changes
on a site
§ Check multiple pages of a website
11. How we use
visual
regression
testing.
How it works
1. We take a screenshot
immediately before and
immediately after updates
2. Pixel-by-pixel comparison to
identify areas of change
3. Machine learning-based model to
classify visual changes as
“significant” or ”insignificant”
Significant Change Insignificant Change
13. Improved
visual
verification.
Investing in our visual testing
§ Higher accuracy in identifying
visual changes
§ Better classification of animations
and dynamic content
§ Faster plugin updates!
OldScreenshotEngineNewScreenshotEngine
Screenshot #1 Screenshot #2
14. Revamped
user
experience.
§ Guided “Getting Started”
experience to configure your
site(s)
§ Configure settings for one,
dozens, or hundreds of sites
with a few clicks
§ Manage Smart Plugin
Manager directly in WP
Engine’s user portal
Intuitive onboarding and
bulk site management
15. Customer-
inspired
features.
§ Weekly update frequency, in
addition to daily updates
§ Support for custom plugins
hosted in private Git repos
§ Checks for SEO tag changes
after updates
Adapting to our
customers’ needs
17. Looking ahead.
What’s coming next for Smart Plugin Manager
Usability & User
Experience
More visibility and insights
Visual Regression Testing
Enhancements
Smarter identification of changes
Agency-Focused
Capabilities
Features to Empower Agencies
• Update results + visual comparisons in user
portal
• Historic update data + insights about your
plugins
• Visibility into when your next updates will
occur + plugins that will be updated
• More investment in site element
identification
• Faster verification = less maintenance time
• Customization options to check (or not
check) specific visual changes
• Client-facing reporting
• More granular update windows
• Comprehensive multiple site, bulk plugin
management
18. Now included
with Premium
plans!
Available now for existing
customers!
§ One managed site for all WP
Engine Premium plans
§ Available in perpetuity
§ Unrestricted and fully functional!
Try it for free, for life!