Automatic Update Connectivity Errors
Problem
This information only applies to self-hosted WHMCS installations. WHMCS Cloud updates WHMCS for you automatically.
An unattended automatic update displays a Failed status in the Update History table, and the Activity Log at Configuration () > System Logs shows the following error:
The system failed to fetch the packages.json file: the response was empty. Check your CDN connectivity.
Cause
Your server could not reach the WHMCS content delivery network to retrieve the list of available updates.
Troubleshooting
To confirm the connectivity issue, run the following command on the server that hosts your WHMCS installation:
curl -v https://releases.whmcs.com/v2/packages.json
If this command does not return a 200 status code, work with your hosting provider or system administrator to investigate the connectivity problem between your server and the WHMCS content delivery network.
Solution
Make certain that your server can make outbound connections to releases.whmcs.com.
For help, contact your hosting provider or system administrator.
The system automatically retries the update on the next run of the Automatic Update Run system cron task, typically within five minutes after your server can reach the content delivery network.
Last modified: 2026 September 30