Release Channels
Flavor ships updates on two streams you can choose from:
- Stable — production-ready releases. Recommended for any live site.
- Beta — pre-release builds (for example
9.2.0-beta.1) for testing upcoming versions on a staging or development site.
Every site is on Stable by default. Beta is opt-in.
Beta builds may contain bugs and unfinished features. Use them on staging or test sites only, never on a site with active customers.
How Beta access works
Beta needs two things enabled:
- Approval from us — the Flavor team enables beta access on your license (per license, on request).
- Opt-in on the site — you select the Beta channel in Flavor → Settings and confirm the warning.
If either is missing, the site stays on Stable — even if you've selected Beta locally. This prevents an accidental beta build reaching a production site.
Requesting Beta access
Beta access is granted per license by the Flavor team. To join beta testing, contact support and tell us:
- Which license keys should get beta access
- Whether to enable it on your test/staging sites only, or also on production (we recommend test only)
We'll enable it, and it appears on your site's Settings page after the next check — or immediately if you click Refresh from Hub.
Switching a site to Beta
Once your license has beta access enabled:
- Open Flavor → Settings.
- If the Beta option is greyed out, click Refresh from Hub to pick up the latest license state.
- Select Beta. A warning panel appears with a confirmation checkbox.
- Tick the checkbox to confirm you understand this is a non-production setting.
- Click Save Channel Preference.
The site now receives beta updates on its next check. The confirmation is one-time — it only reappears when you switch from Stable to Beta again.
Switching back to Stable
You can return to Stable any time, no confirmation needed:
- Open Flavor → Settings.
- Select Stable.
- Click Save Channel Preference.
The site receives Stable updates from then on. If you were on a beta build, that version stays in place until the next Stable release rolls you forward.
Subscription State
The Settings page shows a Subscription State table so you can see the live channel status at a glance:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Selected channel | What you chose on this site (Stable or Beta). |
| Effective channel | What the site actually receives. Matches Selected unless beta access is closed on our side. |
| Beta access (Hub) | Whether at least one of your licenses has beta access enabled. |
| Plugin license / Theme license | Per-license beta status. |
| Last channel change | When you last switched. |
If Selected says Beta but Effective says Stable, beta access has been turned off on your licenses and the site has fallen back to Stable. Contact support if that's unexpected.
Beta version numbers
Beta builds use standard pre-release suffixes:
9.2.0-beta.1— first beta of the upcoming 9.2.09.2.0-beta.2— second beta (replaces beta.1)9.2.0-rc.1— release candidate (final build before stable)9.2.0— the stable release (suffix dropped after it ships)
Because activations are per site, you can run one site on Beta and another on Stable under the same license. Use this to validate a beta on staging before switching production over.
Frequently asked questions
Will my beta site auto-update to stable when the stable version ships?
Yes. When 9.2.0 stable ships, a site on 9.2.0-beta.5 sees it on the next check and moves to 9.2.0 stable. Old betas are hidden once their stable version is out.
Can I report bugs from beta builds?
Yes — please do. That's the point of beta testing. Open a ticket through your Hub portal and include the beta version (for example 9.2.0-beta.3) so we can match it up.
What happens to my settings when I switch channels? Nothing. Your data, options and configuration stay exactly as they are — only the version of the code changes.
Can I go back to an older stable from a beta? Not through the normal update flow. If you need to, contact support and we'll provide the older stable build. (For returning to your previous version, see Rolling back.)
Want to join beta testing? Contact support with your license keys and the sites you'd like enrolled.