7 Steps To Update Your WordPress Website

Courtney Goodling
Published on December 9, 2022

Keeping your WordPress themes up-to-date protects your site from the latest security threats. Before updating your WordPress installation and any plugins that might need updating, make sure you take a backup of your WordPress database and installation. Updating your WordPress installation and plugins is a fairly straightforward process. You can update WordPress plugins right from the plugins page. When a new WordPress version is available, you will see a banner on your dashboard’s top left corner informing you that an updated WordPress version is available for download.

How Do I Update WordPress Site & Plugins?

Step 1: Take A Backup

The first step to updating your WordPress installation is to take a backup! While the update process is quick and easy, it is vital to have a fresh, up-to-date backup of your installation and database. Be careful to not be caught off guard by a rogue plugin or outdated theme file; they can break your site if the change is too drastic.

Step 2: Go To The Plugins Page

After you have taken a backup of your site, the next step is to navigate to the plugin page and perform the plugin updates. On the navigation bar, you will see a section that says ‘plugins’ with a number next to it; this number is the number of plugins that need to be updated. In our case, we have two plugins that are part of our testing site’s theme and are denoted by a badge with the number 2.

Step 3: Review Plugin Compatibility

Once we navigate to the plugins page, WordPress will present you with a list of plugins and note which ones need to be updated. They will be signified by having a yellow bar underneath that says, “There is a new version [PLUGIN NAME] available. View version x.y.z details or update now.” Before you hit update, take note of the plugin’s details.

Many plugins have a compatibility check mark that denotes compatibility with your version of WordPress. We always recommend checking if a plugin is compatible with your site before updating.

Step 4: Update Plugins

Once you have read the plugin details and verified compatibility with your WordPress version, proceed to click on the “update now” link. The plugin will finish updating, and the dashboard displays a green bar that says, “Updated!”

Step 5: Go To Updates Page

Now that all of our plugins have been taken care of, it is time to start the WordPress update process. From the plugins page, click on the banner that says, “WordPress [version number] is available. Please update now.”

Step 6: Review All Updates

Once you have clicked on the link, WordPress will direct you to the updates page, where it will run a check to see what needs updating. The check will notify you of any themes or plugins that you might’ve missed during the last round of updates.

In our testing site’s case, we needed to update the default WordPress themes. Once your themes and plugins are updated, you will be squared away to start the WordPress update.

Step 7: Update WordPress and Themes

Proceed to click on “update now.” The process might take a couple of minutes; WordPress will then show you a congratulations page with details about the new WordPress version you just installed once completed.

Updating your WordPress installation and plugins is a fairly straightforward process that anyone could do. Updating your site ensures protection against cyber threats. It is important to note that without a backup, recovering a broken site is nearly impossible. My Website Spot provides a free guide on backing up a website that you can follow.

My Website spot is always willing to provide FREE advice. If you have any questions, need assistance with your site’s maintenance, or want to give us feedback on this article, We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line, and we’ll get in touch!