Keeping WordPress core, your plugins, and your themes updated is the single most important thing you can do to keep your website secure. Outdated software is the leading cause of compromised WordPress sites.
Why Updates Matter
WordPress updates contain security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements. Running outdated versions leaves known vulnerabilities unpatched and available for automated scanners to exploit.
Before You Update
Always create a backup before applying updates. See Taking a Backup for step-by-step instructions.
For significant updates, consider testing on a staging environment first. See Using Staging Environments.
Updating WordPress Core
- Log in to your WordPress admin at
yourdomain.com/wp-admin - Go to Dashboard > Updates
- If a new version of WordPress is available, click Update Now
The update will download and install automatically. Your site will be briefly unavailable (typically under a minute) during the process.
Minor WordPress updates (for example, 6.5.1 to 6.5.2) are security and maintenance releases. These are low risk and should be applied promptly. Major version updates may require more testing.
Updating Plugins
- Go to Dashboard > Updates
- Review the plugins listed under "Plugin Updates"
- Select all or individual plugins
- Click Update Plugins
Updating Themes
- Go to Dashboard > Updates
- Scroll to the Themes section
- Select the themes to update and click Update Themes
If you have customised your theme directly (editing theme files rather than using a child theme), updates will overwrite your changes.
Enabling Automatic Updates
For minor WordPress releases and trusted plugins, you can enable automatic updates:
- Core: Go to Dashboard > Updates and click Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress
- Plugins: From Plugins > Installed Plugins, click Enable Auto-Updates for individual plugins
Automatic updates are a good default for security patches. For major updates, prefer to review and apply manually so you can test for any issues first.
After Updating
After applying updates:
- Visit your website and click through key pages
- Test any forms, checkout flows, or interactive features
- Check the WordPress admin for any new error notices
If something breaks after an update, restore from your pre-update backup and then investigate the cause.