Problem Overview
Since October 17, 2019, users in mainland China have reported access issues with the official WordPress website (wordpress.org). All pages return a 429 Too Many Requests error.
This problem disables core, plugin, and theme update functionality in the WordPress admin dashboard, as the update servers connect to wordpress.org. Some users can access the site normally via proxies, suggesting regional access restrictions may be involved.
In reality, access is not completely blocked but is highly unstable—intermittently available, often requiring multiple refreshes to succeed once. This state is effectively unusable for normal operations.
Solutions
Regardless of the cause, until stable access to the official site is restored, users can bypass this limitation by installing specific plugins to restore admin update functionality. Here are recommended plugins:
1. Kill 429
A lightweight plugin designed specifically to solve this issue. It works by redirecting update API requests from the official api.wordpress.org to an available mirror or proxy address, bypassing the 429 error.
Installation:
- Download the "Kill 429" plugin ZIP file from a trusted third-party repository or source.
- Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, select the ZIP file, install, and activate.
- Usually no additional configuration is needed; the plugin takes effect automatically. Try checking for updates.
Note: Always obtain plugins from trusted sources to ensure security.
2. WP-China-Yes
A more comprehensive localization and acceleration plugin. It not only resolves the 429 error but also replaces official update sources (core, plugins, themes) and translation servers with domestic mirrors, significantly improving access and update speeds within mainland China.
3. Manual Hosts File Modification (Advanced Users)
For users who prefer not to install plugins, modifying the system's hosts file to point domains like api.wordpress.org and downloads.wordpress.org to a working IP address is an option. This method requires technical knowledge, and IP addresses may change, requiring ongoing maintenance.
Summary & Explanation
"429 Too Many Requests" is an HTTP status code indicating the client has sent too many requests in a short period, triggering server-side rate limiting. For mainland Chinese users, this issue with WordPress.org is more likely due to intermediate network nodes or regional access policies rather than excessive individual requests.
Using the plugins above is currently the most convenient and effective solution. We also hope WordPress official services will optimize accessibility for the mainland China region soon.