The Ultimate Guide to Updating WordPress Securely
Keeping your WordPress website up to date is extremely important. It is necessary for security, speed, and new features. If you’re a new site owner or a more experienced one, updating WordPress can be easy — if you follow a few simple steps. In this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to safely update WordPress and ensure everything works properly.
Why Update WordPress?
Regular updates ensure:
Improved Security: Addresses vulnerabilities that attackers could take advantage of
Better Performance: Most updates also come with optimizations that can improve your site speed
Compatibility: Ensure that plugins and themes work together well
Have Questions?
Need assistance with securing your WordPress website, contact us today!
Preparation Before Updating
Backup Your Website
Back up your site before making any updates. That will make sure you can restore it if something goes wrong.
Backup WordPress Database: Save your WordPress database using a plugin like UpdraftPlus or WP Database Backup.
Full Site Backup: This will back up all the files, including media, plugins, and themes. Use a plugin such as Duplicator or BackupBuddy, or through your web host’s hosting control panel.
Check Compatibility
Read the release notes for the update to ensure your plugins and theme are compatible with the new version.
This also means that in terms of security, you’re always best off updating plugins and themes first.
How to Update WordPress Core
Automatic Updates
WordPress can automatically install minor releases in some situations (e.g., from 6.1.1 to 6.1.2). For major releases, you will do the following:
- Manual Updates
- Log in to Your Dashboard
- Go to Dashboard > Updates
Don't Have Time to Keep WordPress Updated? We've Got You Covered
Keeping WordPress, your plugins, and your themes up-to-date is one of the most important things you can do for your website’s security and performance — but it can also feel like a full-time job. One missed update can leave your site vulnerable to hackers, malware, and downtime.
At Simply Web Services, our WordPress maintenance plans handle updates, backups, security monitoring, and more — so you never have to worry about your website falling behind. We keep your site running safely and smoothly while you focus on running your business.