Welcome to the changelog section of Freemius, here you'll find our weekly technical update notes. You can subscribe to all posts via Newsletter or follow us on Twitter to stay updated.
Following our recent rebranding, we’re rolling out UI cleanups and regression fixes for the Developer Dashboard. Most of these changes focus on fixing UI glitches and updating certain elements based on our design team’s improvements.
Font & Legibility fixes
We introduced font anti-aliasing for non-DPI screens to improve legibility.
We also identified contrast regressions in some lesser-seen UI areas and have fixed the ones found so far.
Alignment fixes
Some modal elements had alignment issues, which have now been fixed.
Data tables have been improved to ensure proper alignment of text and control elements.
We also noticed horizontal scrolling issues in some side navigation menus (sidenavs) and drawers—these have now been fixed.
There have also been various small and medium fixes and updates throughout the system. Stay tuned—we’re working on something exciting in the coming weeks! (Hint: it’s about mobile 😉).
With the release of WordPress SDK 2.11.0, we’ve revamped our SDK Integration UI to make it clearer and align with the latest WordPress.org guidelines.
Simply navigate to the SDK Integration page to check out the new UI. The first step now asks how you’d like to integrate the Freemius WordPress SDK into your project. You can choose from the following options:
Manual – You need to download the SDK from our GitHub repository and manage updates manually.
Composer – The SDK is downloaded and managed automatically through the package manager.
Once you make a selection, the UI will display the relevant instructions and code snippets.
Choosing Composer Integration
If you’re already using Composer for your project, it makes sense to use the same package manager to install the Freemius WP SDK. As of SDK version 2.10.1, Composer auto-loading is fully supported. To use Composer integration, ensure that you’re running at least this version.
If you’ve been using the old integration method (where the SDK is placed in the main folder of your plugin) and want to switch to Composer, please follow the instructions below.
Migrating from the old integration method
If you’ve been using Freemius for a while, you might have noticed that we now require placing the SDK inside the vendor/freemius directory. This change aligns with WordPress.org guidelines, which recommend placing all third-party code inside the vendor directory.
Previously, we instructed developers to place the SDK directly inside the main folder of their plugin/theme. This is now reflected in the UI, where a “Legacy” option is available in the dropdown.
Unfortunately, changing the SDK location isn’t straightforward due to a bug in SDK versions prior to 2.11.0. To update the SDK location in your product, follow these steps:
Release a version with the SDK location unchanged, but ensure you’re using SDK version 2.11.0 or later.
Release another version where you update the SDK location.
To make this process easier, the last version you deployed with SDK 2.11.0, where the SDK was located in the root of your product, is automatically marked as Incremental.
We’re excited to announce the immediate availability of a powerful new feature: Incremental Updates!
In the software industry, it’s common to follow a guided update path. For example, you may want all your customers currently on version 1.0.0 to first update to version 1.2.0 before moving to version 2.0.0. This structured approach allows you to manage data migrations, schema changes, or any other breaking changes without compromising your product’s usability.
With Freemius, managing such updates is now easier than ever—it’s just a matter of clicking a few buttons! Simply navigate to the Deployments page in your Developer Dashboard, where you’ll find a new column labeled “Incremental.” From there, you can designate a version as incremental with
Additionally, when releasing a new version, you’ll notice an improved modal that highlights the same option for added convenience.
For more technical details, check out our documentation.
We’ve rolled out a few small but important bug fixes and improvements to the Developer Dashboard, focusing on various checkout-related actions.
Fixed checkout URL for SaaS products under pricing
We identified a regression where clicking the “Checkout Link” button did not generate the correct URL for SaaS products on the Plans page. This issue has now been fixed.
New license action to copy payment method update link
You will now find a new option under the “Action” menu in Licenses to copy the payment method update link. This is particularly useful for customer support when you need to quickly share a payment update link—for example, when a customer’s credit card is expiring or their PayPal account is invalid.
Please note that this link is provided for your convenience only. Freemius still handles dunning and automatically sends payment-related emails for both card and PayPal issues. Additionally, buyers can update their payment method directly through the Customer Portal at any time.
We’re rolling out a set of improvements to enhance the checkout experience — both for users (UI/UX) and developers (DX).
Cart syncing issue with VAT number – fixed!
Freemius Checkout includes a built-in cart system to support various marketing automation features. We discovered an edge-case bug where, due to network errors, the VAT number could become out of sync with the cart, leading to lost information. Additionally, in some cases, the cart was not updating properly when the VAT number was entered or modified. We’ve fixed both issues to ensure seamless VAT handling.
Smarter sandbox prefill
The Prefill button in sandbox checkout is now more intelligent. It adapts based on the full context of the checkout session. For example, if a license is already associated with the checkout, the system will no longer attempt to prefill the email field — ensuring a more accurate experience.
Improved UI responsiveness
We’ve made subtle tweaks to improve the responsiveness of checkout line items, ensuring they adapt better to different container widths for a cleaner, more consistent layout across all the languages our Checkout app supports.
At Freemius, we offer a robust Affiliate Platform for all our makers. Our system automatically generates and tracks affiliate links and calculates affiliate payouts every month. We already send an email notification when payouts are due, so you know when it’s time to reward your affiliates.
To further enhance the system — especially for makers with many affiliates — we’re introducing a new webhook: affiliate.payout.pending. Each month, as our system calculates pending affiliate payouts, it will trigger this webhook event. You can subscribe to this webhook to automate various tasks, such as:
Create automated payment flows within your own system
Notify your accounting department
…and more!
To get started, visit the Custom Webhooks page and look for the affiliate.payout.pending event. Check out our documentation for more details on how our webhook mechanism works.
This week, we’re deploying some minor improvements to our Developer Dashboard. Please find the details below.
Fixed regression in the secret key UI component
We identified a regression where the copy button for the secret key component on the profile page wasn’t functioning. This has now been fixed.
Please note that since we do not load the Developer’s secret key (not even in memory), you will need to click the “Reveal” button before the copy button is displayed.
Other fixes
We addressed console errors caused by incorrect interpolation of SVG icons.
We also fixed an issue where the feature ordering wasn’t working correctly for certain products.
We’re excited to share the latest UI/UX improvements we’ve made to our Checkout application! At Freemius, we deeply value conversion optimization—because your success is our success. Here’s a look at what’s new.
Mobile UI/UX improvements
We’ve resolved form label alignment issues on mobile and small-screen devices for certain languages. Long labels are now truncated instead of overflowing or wrapping to the next line, with a tooltip added to display the full text. This update ensures the billing form maintains a clean and consistent visual hierarchy.
We also identified a glitch in the language selector UI on mobile devices where the flag failed to render, displaying a placeholder text like ‘flag-us’ instead. To simplify the user experience, we’ve opted to remove the flag on mobile and display only the language label. On desktop devices the UI still renders with flags as before.
Lastly, we addressed a visual glitch in the upsell component. The switch was not rendering correctly, either appearing shrunken or overflowing onto two lines. This issue has now been resolved.
Improved asset loading
We noticed that the Checkout was incorrectly making network calls for certain assets, resulting in 404 errors and increased loading times. We’ve identified the root cause and resolved the issue.
We’ve also updated the Freemius logo to align with our recent rebranding.
Improved Credit card 3DS flow
We’ve improved error detection for credit card payments when the issuer requires 2FA authentication. Our Checkout now handles edge-case errors more effectively, ensuring a smoother experience for buyers in these scenarios.
Fixed discount for lifetime trials
We identified an edge case where coupon discounts were not properly applied to lifetimetrials. The root cause has been resolved, and a fix has been deployed.
Fixed issue with the coupon UI
We also discovered an edge case where the coupon UI wasn’t updating correctly after entering a license, particularly during renewals of migrated licenses. This issue occurred when the pro-rated discount and the product’s renewal discount exceeded the coupon value. Given the various configurations a coupon can have during a license renewal or update, we’ve carefully addressed the root cause and deployed a fix.
The Freemius WordPress SDK includes an opt-in mechanism that allows users to decide whether to connect their site with Freemius. To prevent misuse, this mechanism incorporates an email verification process.
We recently discovered that certain misconfigurations in a WordPress site could lead to the verification email being sent multiple times, causing confusion for buyers.
To address this, we have improved the system on our end to identify and prevent duplicate messages. No changes to the SDK are required for this update to take effect.
Just as we were about to wrap up our data liberation project, we received an exciting request from our makers that we couldn’t ignore. In addition to exporting affiliate payments, they asked for the ability to export the list of affiliates as well.
We’re thrilled to announce the immediate availability of this feature! Simply navigate to the “Affiliates” tab under the “Affiliate Program” page, where you’ll find a Download button. This allows you to export all your affiliates along with details such as their name, email, CTR, earnings, and more.
If you haven’t already, be sure to explore our Affiliate Platform feature to grow your business.
We use tools, such as cookies, to enable essential services and functionality on our site and to collect data on how visitors interact with our site, products and services. By clicking CONTINUE, you agree to our use of these tools for advertising, analytics and support