Automatic Update Version Data 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 version field is missing for <version> in the packages.json patches section.
Cause
The packages.json entry for this release is missing required version data.
Solution
You don’t need to do anything. This indicates a data problem with WHMCS’s package feed, not with your installation. The system retries automatically on the next run of the Automatic Update Run system cron task.
If this failure occurs on all three attempts, the update permanently fails. For more information, see Permanent Automatic Update Failures.
Last modified: 2026 September 30