My site is hosted on Microsoft Azure. The current version of X is 4.0.3 and I want to upgrade to the latest version. WordPress is 4.9.8.
Error Message
Could not establish connection. Please ensure your firewall is not blocking requests to theme.co
The error message occurs when I try to validate the API Key. Please let me know what I need to do.
Thanks!
Hello @bteague28,
Thanks for writing in! Your server maybe blocking the connections to our Theme.co server. Please check out this article for more details on how you can troubleshoot this: https://theme.co/apex/forum/t/troubleshooting-validation-connection-issues/201
Meanwhile, if you have access to your files and folder via ftp, you can manually update the theme instead. Please check out the guidelines on how to do so from here: https://theme.co/apex/forum/t/setup-updating-your-themes-and-plugins/62
Hope this helps. Please let us know how it goes.
This used to work, so I’m not sure what happened. I added a settings.ini file with the following:
allow_url_fopen=On
curl.cainfo="%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Git\bin\curl-ca-bundle.crt"
Can you guys create a FREE Microsoft Azure WordPress website and see why your Theme does not do automatic updates?
Hi @bteague28,
We’re not familiar with their hosting so even if we do create one, we probably won’t able to troubleshoot it. The best course of action is to contact your hosting provider to see what exactly causes this. Maybe they are just blocking the outgoing connection instead of SSL, there will be more possible causes.
They should allow outgoing connection to theme.co with the IP 34.199.208.181
BUT, if you’re referring to the site you have in your account/license then your only option is to manually update it through FTP (https://theme.co/apex/forum/t/setup-updating-your-themes-and-plugins/62). It’s because it has a very old version where it’s still pointing to old validation URL that doesn’t exist now.
I also recommend creating a staging/clone of your site and do the update there. It’s too old and you’re updating to the latest version where there will be feature gaps. It may have issues but once you fixed them in your staging/clone, you can simply migrate/move it back to your live site. You can create a staging or clone of your site by using All in one migration plugin, just export your site as a file using that plugin and import it into another existing Wordpress installation (sub-folder or sub-domain). Or if your hosting provider has staging feature, then please use it 
Thanks!
This is definitely a problem with Theme X. I just tested my SendGrid plugin and it works just fine. The SendGrid plugin works with the SendGrid API. How does Theme X do the update? Is it making an API call? If so, where are the settings? What version of TLS do you support?
Hi There,
It might be the PHP version issue. Could you please tell us which version you’re using?
Meanwhile, you can take a look at this ticket:
Hope it helps
Thanks! I am running PHP 7.0. I can update to 7.1 or 7.2 if I need to. Let me know.
Hey @bteague28,
I believe this has nothing to do with PHP version but you can try upgrading. Something in your server is blocking theme.co. This is not a problem with the theme. It’s a problem with your server’s connection to theme.co.
You will need to contact your host for this but I would recommend that you do a manual update. The link to the instruction was provided by Rad previously.
Thanks.
So far, at least two people have pointed the finger at the host instead of offering information on how Theme X actually works to do the update. The SendGrid Plugin works just fine. Why is that? What have they used in their Plugin that allows it to communicate with their API? If the SendGrid WordPress Plugin did not work, I would say there is some sort of a problem in how my WordPress install works with remote APIs. Since it works just fine, there is some sort of problem in how my old 4.0.3 version of Theme X communicates with the Theme X API. The API key was stored in the page, so this used to work. Now, when I try the update, it does not work and the API key is no longer stored.
Hi @bteague28,
As I said earlier, you have an old version of the theme where it’s connecting to old validation URL that is no longer exist.
And you can’t compare the SendGrid plugin since it’s not our plugin, it’s not connecting our server for validation and that’s why it works. And host security blocking the theme.co doesn’t mean it also blocks whatever server the SendGrid plugin is connecting to.
And it’s no longer API Key, the validation being used in the new system is your purchase key. Hence, your only option is to update your theme and cornerstone manually. Please do that and validate it again.
Thanks!
OK, I manually updated and now all the short codes appear to be busted. Wow!!!
Hi @bteague28,
You’re coming from very old version and you have updated to the latest version with a lot of feature gaps, that would happen that’s why I recommended doing it on staging/clone of your site. It’s common practice when you introduce any update, development, maintenance and any major changes to the site or any kind of software.
And if you’re referring to shortcodes for WPBAkery plugin, you must enable the X Integration in Admin > WPBakery Page Builder > General Settings > Legacy X Integration.
Thanks!
It’s common practice not to introduce major breaking changes into software without backward compatibility. Not too mention, it’s common practice not to simply remove an update URL. Typically, you would create a new endpoint for the new version off the software. This is so bush league.
What is the WPBakery Page Builder???
Hi @bteague28,
They should work and compatible if it’s not too complex (content and composition of the site). I’m just saying that issues may appear depending on your existing setup from those old versions. That’s why we recommend doing it on staging and it’s a common practice, but I’m not forcing you to do that , it’s just my personal recommendation.
WPBakery is a visual composer, I just mentioned it in case the shortcode you’re seeing is from them.
As for the endpoint, we did provide and it’s available from your forum dashboard and they are STABILITY RELEASE versions. But since you’re coming from very old versions, some Major differences are unavoidable. We did add backward compatibility but of course, just to give time for transitions so users will not be forced, but it’s not permanent and has to go (for allotted time) for security and performance. Even PHP and Wordpress have deprecated features that break theme and plugins, so the rest should follow including our theme and plugins.
Back to the issue, what shortcodes you’re seeing? Though, it will be harder to troubleshoot since you don’t have a working copy as you didn’t use a staging that we could use for comparison.
Thanks!
Wow, I went ahead and switched back to the old Theme. Now, every one of my custom CSS entries is now missing!!! I spent a lot of time and effort painstakingly adding CSS entries to dial this in. This is the worst upgrade experience I’ve ever had!!! You put absolutely no thought into how to upgrades are supposed to work. Unbelievable!!!
Hi @bteague28,
I still recommend doing it in your staging, restore your site to when it’s still working and create a staging from it. Then do the update on the staging and fix the issues.
Thanks!
Where are my CSS entries???
Hi @bteague28,
That’s WPBakery shortcodes, please follow the previous recommendation by toggling on the X Integration. And make sure your WPBakery plugin (the visual composer) is updated and active as well, as you already have updated the theme and cornerstone.
As for the CSS, I’m not sure since you don’t have a working site to compare it with, staging is still recommended. But new CSS section should be available in X > Theme Options > CSS instead Customizer of the old version of the theme.
Thanks!
I checked the box to make Visual Composer use legacy code, but it’s not working. The website is completely and totally messed up. Can someone contact me via email or phone to get this fixed? This is completely unacceptable!!!