The Essential Guide to Updating WordPress

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Are you a website owner trying to wrap your head around updating your WordPress site? Don’t worry, plenty of beginners find it intimidating and overwhelming. 

However, updating WordPress is really important for your website’s security and functionality. 

That’s why we’ve put together this no-nonsense guide for both beginners and advanced users. We’ll cover why updating WordPress matters, when and how to get it done, and share some useful tips and best practices. 

By the end, you’ll be ready to update your WordPress site like a pro and keep it running smoothly.

Why Update Your WordPress Site?

Making sure your WordPress site is always up to date is like keeping your digital space in top shape – safe, speedy, and in line with the latest web trends. 

Security

There are a few key reasons why staying updated is not just a good idea but vital for your website’s well-being. First, security is a big deal. With each update, WordPress tackles and fixes vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. 

It’s a digital battlefield, and these updates act as your armor, protecting your site against any unwelcome guests. 

Performance

Performance enhancements are another critical reason to hit that update button. 

Just like fine-tuning an engine, each WordPress update can significantly boost your site’s speed and efficiency, ensuring your visitors enjoy a seamless browsing experience. 

No one likes a slow-loading page, and updating ensures your site isn’t left in the digital dust. 

Then there’s the matter of features. The digital world is ever-evolving, and with each update, WordPress rolls out new features and improvements. 

Updating your site means you have access to the latest tools and enhancements, keeping your site modern and functional. 

Compatibility

Lastly, compatibility is an important aspect.  The ecosystem of themes and plugins you rely on to enhance your site’s functionality also receives updates. Keeping WordPress updated means everything works together smoothly, preventing conflicts and bugs.

Regularly updating your WordPress site is a non-negotiable aspect of website management.  

It’s all about protecting your online presence, ensuring top-notch performance, leveraging new features, and keeping your online ecosystem running smoothly.

When Is the Right Time to Update WordPress?

It’s important to choose the right time to update WordPress to keep your site running smoothly. You want to balance enjoying the improvements with keeping everything stable. 

What’s the difference between major and minor WordPress updates?

Understanding the difference between major and minor WordPress updates is important for managing your website effectively. 

Major updates, like when the version number changes from 5.7 to 5.8 or 5 to 6, bring in cool new features and big improvements. 

They can totally change how your site works and give you new tools to make your site better. 

However, they also mean you need to learn some new stuff or make adjustments. 

On the other hand, minor updates, like when the version changes from 5.7.1 to 5.7.2, focus on fixing little issues and making the platform run better and safer. 

These updates are really important for keeping your site in good shape, but they don’t usually come with big changes that you need to adjust to. 

Knowing the difference between these updates helps you be ready and keep your site safe and running smoothly.

When To Update Major Updates

When there’s a major update with big changes, it’s good to wait at least two weeks or until the first minor update has been out for three days. 

This gives the community and developers time to fix any initial issues, reducing the chances of problems on your site. 

When To Update Minor Updates

For minor updates that just fix bugs and make small improvements, waiting at least three days after the release is smart. 

This helps ensure the updates don’t cause new issues on your website. 

However, the exception is security updates should be applied immediately to protect your site from potential attacks.

These updates strengthen your site’s defenses, so it’s crucial to keep your site secure while also getting the latest improvements and features.

If you feel up to it, keep reading to learn just what you need to do.

How to Update WordPress | The One-Click Method

Updating WordPress might seem challenging, but with the One Click Method, it’s simple.

This method is designed to simplify the update process, making it easy for even the least tech-savvy website owners to keep their sites in great shape. 

Here’s how it works.

First, make sure you’ve backed up your website – this is crucial. 

Then, head to your WordPress Dashboard. You’ll see a notification about an available update at the top. 

Simply click on the notification, and you’ll be taken to the Updates page. 

There, you’ll find a button labeled “Update Now” for the WordPress core update. 

Just click that button, and WordPress will handle the rest. 

While the update is in progress, your site will be in maintenance mode and temporarily inaccessible to visitors. 

But don’t worry – this phase is short-lived, and your site will be back online once the update is completed. Even still, I would suggest making sure you perform updates at a time that is not typically high traffic for your site.

That’s all there is to it!

The One Click Method demonstrates WordPress’s commitment to making it effortless for every website owner, regardless of their tech skills, to keep their site secure, fast, and up to date.

How To Update WordPress Manually Using FTP

First, you’ll need ​​to download the latest version of WordPress from the official website. 

Unzip the files on your computer and open your FTP client. Use it to connect to your website using the login details provided by your web host. 

Once connected, navigate to your WordPress site’s main directory (usually called ‘public_html’ or ‘www’). 

Replace the old WordPress files on your server with the new ones you’ve just downloaded. Be careful not to overwrite any important custom files. 

This method gives you full control over the update process, so you can do it at your own pace and make sure nothing important gets overwritten.

Tips and Best Practices for a Smooth WordPress Update

Updating your WordPress site doesn’t have to be complicated. Following a few tips and best practices can make it stress-free. 

Use a staging site if possible

First off, try testing on a staging environment. It’s like a clone of your live site, so you can try out updates without worrying about messing up your live site. 

This comes in handy for major updates or when you’re updating themes and plugins that really change how your site works. 

Review the changelog

Before you hit that update button, take a moment to review the changelog for each update. 

It tells you exactly what’s changed, including new features, bug fixes, and any resolved potential issues. 

This way, you can spot any changes that might affect your site and get ready for them. 

Do not enable automatic updates

It’s a good idea to manually control both major and minor updates instead of letting them happen automatically. 

This way, you can schedule them at the right times and reduce the risk of any downtime during busy hours. 

Plus, you’ll be ready to act fast if any issues come up after an update. 

Manual updates also allow you to back up your site before making any changes, which adds an extra layer of security. 

By making these practices part of your update routine, you can lower the chances of running into unexpected issues, ensure updating goes smoothly, and keep your WordPress site more secure and stable. 

Remember, taking a few precautions can go a long way in keeping your website in top shape, so these best practices are really worth it for keeping your WordPress site running smoothly.

What To Do After Updating WordPress

After updating your WordPress site, it’s important to check that everything is working as it should. 

Look around your site

Take a few minutes to browse your site as a visitor would. Make sure to test your main pages, links, and interactive features to catch any issues caused by the update. 

Check the components of your site

Also, check that your forms, like contact or subscription forms, are still working properly. 

Test site speed

Remember to test your website’s loading speed, as updates can sometimes affect performance. 

Clear cache

If you use caching, remember to clear your site’s cache to ensure visitors see the latest version of your site with all the updates. 

Run theme/plugin updates

Additionally, check for any pending plugin or theme updates in your website’s backend since WordPress core updates are often accompanied by plugin and theme updates. 

Run a separate backup

Finally, take this opportunity to back things up again.  Take a separate backup of your updated website. 

A fresh backup ensures you have a current restore point in case any issues come up later on. 

By following these steps, you’ll help keep your WordPress site secure, efficient, and trouble-free so you can focus on creating and sharing content with your audience.

Conclusion and Encouragement to Keep Learning

Remember that diving into the world of WordPress updates might feel overwhelming at first, but it’s actually a journey toward better security, performance, and functionality for your website. 

Each update you apply helps safeguard your site and improve the experience for your visitors. 

Like anything else, mastering WordPress updates requires practice, patience, and a willingness to learn. 

I hope this guide has made updating WordPress less scary and more manageable for you. 

However, learning doesn’t stop here. The digital world is always changing, and so is WordPress. Staying curious, staying informed about the latest updates, and not being afraid to ask for help when you need it are all important for maintaining a dynamic and secure website. 

So, keep on learning and exploring. The WordPress community is big and supportive, offering plenty of knowledge and resources to help you along the way. We are always here for you in the studio to support you when needed as well.