WordPress makes building websites a breeze- it’s free, easy to use, and offers great customization! While building WordPress sites is a kid’s play, keeping things up-to-date is not. If you think updating WordPress is a piece of cake, think again.
Implementing a WordPress update is beyond adding features or WordPress core updates, and pushing everything to live. A lot more goes into a successful WordPress upgrade.
Skip a single step and be ready to be bombarded with hassles like the risk of losing data, breaking things beyond repair, and even losing crucial SEO ranking.
This is why understanding the best practices for WordPress updates is essential. In this blog, we’ll talk about what you should do and what shouldn’t do to make the ‘how to update WordPress safely ‘ journey smooth and hassle-free.
Following these will save you headaches down the road—that’s a guarantee!
Table of Contents
An Intro to WordPress Update
Before we jump to the do’s and don’ts, let’s talk about what’s included in a WordPress update. Updating WordPress mainly covers six aspects:
WordPress Core Update
WordPress core update refers to updating the WordPress software itself. It’s like updating the operating system on your phone or computer. They can range from minor bug fixes and security patches to major new feature releases.
Core updates are released periodically by the WordPress team. Implementing these is important for boosting your site’s security and optimized performance.
To know more about ‘how to update WordPress core’, check this out.
WordPress Theme Update
WordPress themes control the visual appearance and layout of your website. That’s the reason you should always update the WordPress themes, used in your website. Doing so will improve your website’s design and functionality (meaning bug fixes or compatibility adjustments for the latest WordPress core updates).
WordPress Plugin Update
WordPress plugins add extra features to your WordPress site. For example, some plugins improve your site’s security, while others improve WordPress SEO. Updating WordPress plugins can give you new features and improved functionalities.
You need to update WordPress plugins frequently because dated plugins can become a security risk. However, just like themes, you will be dependent on the developers for updates, which will vary in frequency.
WordPress PHP update
A WordPress PHP update involves upgrading the PHP version on your web server.
Think of this update like you’re making the engine of your website better—after all, PHP is the programming language that WordPress is built on. The result is that your website can run faster, be more secure, and also work better even with new features and plugins.
WordPress PHP version updates depend on two things: the release schedule of the PHP community and your web hosting provider’s policy on supporting new versions.
They don’t happen as often compared to plugin and theme updates, but when one is available, rest assured that it’s really important. Keeping the WordPress PHP version up-to-date is key for keeping your website safe from hackers and making sure it runs smoothly.
With managed WordPress hosting, updating PHP isn’t your burden to carry as the provider takes care of it. But it’s good to check in and make sure you’re using a recent PHP version.
Translation Updates
If your site is using languages other than English, you can also update translation files. This way, you can be sure that words, phrases, and languages used in your site are accurate and up-to-date. Your regular, non-English speaking visitors will appreciate you keeping these updated so that they can continue to use your site.
Security Patches
Occasionally, WordPress releases specific updates to address security vulnerabilities. These are often part of core updates but can also apply to themes and plugins. Don’t delay applying these to protect your site from known vulnerabilities.
We have a crisp guide that talks about WordPress security in detail.
In short, updating WordPress can mean any, or even all, aspects of WordPress development. Staying on top of these updates helps keep your site running well, looking great, and secure from threats.
Does Updating WordPress Affect My Website?
Well, this is one of the most frequently asked questions by WordPress developers and the answer is – yes, updating WordPress can affect your website. But, mostly for good. With each WordPress update, a site is likely to experience a boost in its security, performance, and functionality as related aspects are upgraded after a successful WordPress upgrade.
However, you can bag all of this only when you know how to safely update WordPress and what are the best practices to follow. If not handled properly, upgrading WordPress can also lead to compatibility issues, errors, or downtime.
Now that this has been cleared up, let’s get to the heart of the article- What are the do’s and don’ts of Updating a WordPress Website?
If you’re running out of time, we have a quick way to help you with best practices for WordPress updates.
| Do’s | Don’t |
| ✅ Take a Backup of the Site Before Updating | ❌ Do Not Rush To Update |
| ✅ Test Updates In A WordPress Staging Environment | ❌ Don’t Ignore Updates |
| ✅ Update WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins Regularly | ❌ Don’t Use Unsupported Themes and Plugins |
| ✅ Check Compatibility | ❌ Don’t Update all Plugins at Once |
| ✅ Review Update Notes | ❌ Don’t Forget to Update Site URLs in Case of Migration |
| ✅ Use Version Control (Git) for Development | ❌ Don’t Forget to Review and Optimize After Updates |
| ✅ Regular Check-Ups and Maintenance Tasks | |
| ✅ Monitor the Site After Updates |
Do’s of Updating WordPress
Let’s move on to the things you should be doing when you plan to safely updating WordPress.
✅Do Take a Backup of the Site Before Updating
Before initiating your updating WordPress journey, take a backup of your WordPress site, which involves creating a copy of all files, content, and the database. This is done to ensure that if something goes wrong during the WordPress update, you can restore your site to its previous state.
If you’re wondering ‘how to backup a site’, use backup plugins that will store backups in cloud storage. You can also use InstaWP’s InstaWP Connect, a free migration plugin for WordPress that gives you an actual copy of your site. The cheery on the cake is that it’s free to use!
No matter what method you choose, don’t forget to do this step before making any WordPress updates, whether a major WordPress version upgrade or even just a minor plugin update. Better safe than sorry!
✅Do Test Updates In A WordPress Staging Environment
The biggest fear of any developer is, “Will updating WordPress break my site?” And trust us, that nightmare can come true if you apply updates directly to your live site. To avoid chaos, always test your updates in a WordPress staging environment– a clone of your live website.
WordPress staging sites give you the power to safely test updates and identify issues without affecting your live site. If something goes wrong during an update, no harm is done—you can fix it before it ever reaches your visitors.
Never had a chance to set up a staging site? Check this out.
Here’s a video that breaks down staging sites in the simplest way possible.
Many managed hosting providers for agencies offer staging integrated with hosting, making things sail so smoothly.
✅Do Update WordPress Core, Themes, And Plugins Regularly
As mentioned above, while you shouldn’t rush into updating WordPress, you should do it eventually. This ensures you have the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches. Speaking of security patches, you should prioritize those.
Put a reminder on your calendar so that you can remember to update things. Also, try updating on downtimes of web visitors as much as possible. This way, you won’t affect your site traffic.
Did You Know: You can enable auto updates in WordPress for core, plugins, and themes.
✅Do Check Compatibility
To ensure WordPress update is not a never-ending tug-of-war between your can plugins/themes, you should check the compatibility of existing plugins/themes with the new WordPress version. This information is usually available on the plugin or theme’s page or in update notes.
Of course, don’t rely on the developers’ notes and set up staging sites to check if they are compatible. Pay special attention to custom plugins or themes, as they are more likely to have compatibility issues, if any.
✅Do Review Update Notes
Before you start updating WordPress, read the release notes to understand what changes will come into force post an update. This will help you avoid any last-minute surprises and even reduce the odds of breaking your live site.
Pay extra attention to the plugin or theme changelogs to understand how updates will affect the site.
✅ Do Use Version Control (Git) for Development
For websites developed by a team or on larger projects, do use Git for version control during a WordPress update process. This allows you to track changes, roll back if needed, and collaborate efficiently with other developers.
Git helps you manage and track changes in the website’s code over time and merges change seamlessly, preventing conflicts and confusion.
You don’t have to constantly think about ‘will updating break my site’ with Git as you have rollback capabilities. If an update or change breaks the website, you can easily roll back to a previous stable version. This saves time and prevents potential issues from affecting the live site.
✅Do Regular Check-Ups and Maintenance Tasks
Apart from updates, regular WordPress maintenance is crucial. This includes optimizing your database, checking for broken links, and monitoring site performance. Implement security best practices, like using strong passwords, implementing two-factor authentication, and using a security plugin.
In addition to the above, consider using advanced tools like InstaWP’s 2-way sync feature for efficient site management. This feature allows you to track and merge only the changes from your staging site to your live site and vice versa, without completely overwriting your live site. This event-based tracking system ensures that only the changes are merged, leaving existing data untouched.
You can check out the complete details on how to use this here, but here’s a quick overview:
- Create a Staging Site: Start by installing the InstaWP (which you can find on the WordPress dashboard) connect plugin and creating a staging site.
- Switch on Event Tracking: Enable the “Sync” feature so the plugin starts listening to the events happening on your site, ready to merge later.
- Make Changes Safely: You can make changes and test them on the staging site without affecting your live site’s user experience.
- Sync Changes Back to Live Site: Once you’ve made all necessary changes and tested them, you can merge them with your live site in just one click.
- Track Everything: Monitor which changes were merged and which weren’t, ensuring your site has everything it needs.
By doing these, you can ensure that your site remains up-to-date, secure, and performs optimally, while also lowering the risk of disrupting your live site during updates and changes.
✅Do Monitor the Site After Updates
The job is half done once the WordPress update is complete. You need to monitor the site to ensure that everything is functioning as expected (e.g., front-end, back-end, and all interactive elements). You can use error logs or tools like Query Monitor to automate the process.
Don’ts of Updating WordPress
In no particular order, let’s start with some of the things you shouldn’t even consider doing when you’re updating WordPress sites. Why? Well, just because you might be doing some of these already—and if you are, stop before you do your site or sites any more harm.
❌Do Not Rush To Update
We’ve all been there. WordPress has announced a new version or your theme maker has released updates to the theme—you’re being notified on your WordPress dashboard. You just press update and you’re done, right?
Well, that’s a bad idea. Why? Because there are many factors to consider.
For example, are your website plugins and themes compatible with the new WordPress version? Or is the version of WordPress complete or is it merely a beta one, which means it’s just a preview of the upcoming actual release?
In short, if you rush to update, you might find out the hard way that parts or even all of your website are not ready for the new version. Your site may start to have errors or worse, break down completely.
Avoid this by waiting for a short period to update when any version is released. Look for feedback on forums or Twitter. And of course, test updates in a staging environment first, which we will take up when we get to the Do’s.
❌Don’t Ignore Updates
Just as you shouldn’t rush updating, it’s also not a good idea to NOT update. Why? Well, for one thing, outdated versions of WordPress, themes, and plugins are usual targets for hackers, since these old versions have vulnerabilities that they can take advantage of.
Another thing to consider during a WordPress update is that older versions might not be optimized for current web standards. That can lead your website to perform much more slowly, and will not be a pleasant experience for your visitors.
Remember, WordPress updates are there for a reason, so when you can, implement them.
❌ Don’t Update WordPress Manually
Updating WordPress manually means digging your own grave as it’s tedious, erroneous, risky, and inefficient. For each manual WordPress update step, you’ve logged in to the admin individually, check for available updates, click on the update buttons one by one, and wait for each WordPress update to complete.
This might work when if you have two or three client sites to manage. But, when you’ve multiple sites in your kitty, updating WordPress this way means wasting a decade on WordPress core updates alone.
One of the best practices for WordPress updates in this case is upgrading WordPress automatically. This saves time and effort while ensuring a smooth WordPress website is updated.
❌Don’t Use Unsupported Themes and Plugins
There are what are called retired themes and plugins. While you can use them for the lifetime of your site, they will no longer receive updates. That means they may not work well with new versions of WordPress and/or other newer themes and plugins—and that means visitors may not have a good experience when they pop over to your site.
And just like outdated versions, unsupported products that do not receive updates can lead to security issues. It’s better to replace unsupported items with alternatives that you know are maintained regularly. It might be hard to say goodbye to some of them, especially if you’ve been using them for a long time, but it’s good for you in the long run.
❌ Don’t Update all Plugins at Once
If you wish to have a safe updating WordPress experience, avoid updating all the installed plugins in one go. This will create chaos if you have a complex site to manage. Imagine seeing all the crucial plugins like security plugins, caching plugins, or performance optimization plugins go rogue after a WordPress update. No one can stop your site from breaking.
The ideal practice here is to update one plugin at a time and test it to see if it causes any issues. This will allow you to isolate problems if they arise.
❌ Don’t Forget to Update Site URLs in Case of Migration
Forgetting this can lead to broken links or issues accessing the site after updates.
After migrating or updating the WordPress site, ensure the site URLs are correct (e.g., siteurl and home settings in the database).
❌Don’t Forget to Review and Optimize After Updates
Say you updated in a safe environment, and you’ve tested everything thoroughly, and everything is working. Does that mean your work is done?
Well, not necessarily. It’s best to be doubly sure. For instance, look for broken features, display issues, or any changes in site performance. This is because updates can sometimes affect site speed and performance.
To be safe, optimize your site post-update by clearing caches, optimizing images, and checking for any resource-heavy plugins or themes. Also, regularly monitor your site’s performance and security. After all, your website is an important part of your business—treat it that way!
Conclusion
To recap what we’ve discussed in this article, updating WordPress sites is not just about hitting the update button. It’s an important task that requires attention and care. Remember to always back up your site, test updates in a staging environment, and regularly update WordPress core, themes, and plugins.
Rushing WordPress updates without testing can lead to problems, just as ignoring updates can leave your site vulnerable. By following the do’s and don’ts we’ve outlined, you’ll ensure your site remains secure, efficient, and up-to-date. This not only improves your site’s performance but also provides a better experience for your visitors and gives you plenty of peace of mind.
In short, treat your WordPress updates with the importance they deserve. It’s not something you will ever regret.
FAQs
1. Why is it important to update my WordPress website?
Updating the WordPress website is crucial for several reasons such as fixing bugs, having the latest features, and deploying recent security patches. All these aspects will help you keep your site updated. optimized, and protect it from vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.
2. What should I do before updating my WordPress site?
Before performing any WordPress updates, it’s essential to use a staging site and create a complete backup of your website. Make sure you take the backup of the WordPress database, media uploads, plugins, themes, and configuration files and store this backup in a secure location.
3. How can I update my WordPress site?
There are two primary methods for updating your WordPress site:
- Automatic Update: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Dashboard > Updates, and click the Update Now button if a new version is available.
- Manual Update: If automatic updates fail or you prefer manual control, download the latest version of WordPress from the official website. Use an FTP client to upload the new files to your server, replacing the existing core files in the
wp-adminandwp-includesdirectories.
4. What are some common issues that can occur during updates?
Common issues that you may encourage during updating WordPress include:
- Plugin Conflicts: Sometimes, outdated plugins may conflict with new WordPress versions.
- Site Downtime: Your site may go into maintenance mode temporarily during updates.
- Database Errors: After an update, you might need to update your database schema if prompted.
5. Should I deactivate my plugins before updating WordPress?
Yes, it’s recommended to deactivate all plugins before performing a major update. This precaution helps prevent potential conflicts between outdated plugins and the new version of WordPress. After updating, you can reactivate your plugins one by one to ensure compatibility.
6. How often should I update my WordPress site?
You should update your WordPress site whenever a new version is released—typically for major releases, security updates, or when plugins and themes receive updates.
7. What if I encounter an error during the update process?
If you encounter an error during the WordPress update process:
- Check your internet connection.
- Ensure that your hosting environment meets the minimum requirements for the latest version of WordPress.
- Restore your site using the backup you created before starting the update.
- Consult with your hosting provider or seek help from WordPress support forums if issues persist.
