How to Update WordPress, Plugins, and Themes Safely Without Issues

Keeping your WordPress website updated is essential for maintaining security, improving performance, and accessing new features. However, updating WordPress, its plugins, or themes can sometimes cause unexpected issues if not done carefully. This guide will walk you through the steps to update WordPress, plugins, and themes correctly without causing problems.

Why Updating WordPress is Important

1. Security: Updates often include patches for vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.
2. Performance: New updates may bring performance improvements that speed up your website.
3. Compatibility: Updates ensure that your WordPress core, plugins, and themes work together seamlessly.
4. New Features: Updates provide access to new tools and functionalities that enhance your site’s capabilities.

Preparing for the Update

Before you begin updating WordPress, plugins, or themes, take these precautions:

1. Back Up Your Website

Create a full backup of your website, including the database and files. Most hosting providers have backup plans on a regular basis (daily, hourly, …. ) . This is one of the best options to maintain daily backups and secure your website further. you can ask your hosting for more details, also you can Use a plugin like:

• UpdraftPlus
• BackupBuddy
• Duplicator

Having a backup ensures that you can restore your site to its previous state if anything goes wrong.

2. Check Plugin and Theme Compatibility

Visit the plugin or theme’s changelog to see if it’s compatible with the latest version of WordPress. You can usually find this information on the WordPress plugin repository or the developer’s website. if nothing declared you can update after a full backup, Having a backup ensures that you can restore your site to its previous state if anything goes wrong

3. Deactivate Caching Plugins & Clear Cache 

Temporarily deactivate caching plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache) to avoid interference during the update process. also clear cache before and after updates.

Steps to Update WordPress Safely

1. Update the WordPress Core

1. Go to Dashboard > Updates.
2. If a new WordPress version is available, click Update Now.
3. Wait for the process to complete. Avoid closing your browser during the update. you can also update plugins and themes from here too, but you can access them from your plugin or themes pages.

2. Update Plugins

1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Check the list of plugins for available updates.
3. Update plugins one at a time to identify any potential conflicts.
4. After updating, test your website to ensure everything works as expected.

3. Update Themes

1. Go to Appearance > Themes.
2. Check if your active theme has an update available.
3. Click Update Now for your theme.
4. If you’re using a child theme, ensure the parent theme is updated too.

Best Practices to Avoid Problems

1. Backup Your Website On Regular Basis
2. Disable WordPress Plugins auto update this maybe sound irrelevant but we have an article about Why You Should Disable WordPress Plugins Auto Updates Today
3. Keep Everything Updated Regularly in my opinion, if your website  doesn’t have problems, its good to update plugins, wordpress & themes 2-3 days after update release, but Don’t wait too long to update WordPress, plugins, or themes. Regular updates reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.
4. Use Reliable Plugins and Themes Only install plugins and themes from trusted sources, like the WordPress repository or reputable developers.
5. Monitor Website Performance After updating, check your site for performance issues using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
6. Review Your Website After each update, thoroughly check your website’s pages, forms, and features to ensure everything works correctly.

Troubleshooting Common Update Issues

We have a complete article about “How to Recover WordPress After Plugin Update“, you can read it and fix your problems. or if you encounter a 500 error in wordpress you can use our “How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress” article to fix your problem easily.

Conclusion

Updating WordPress, plugins, and themes is crucial for maintaining a secure, efficient, and feature-rich website. By following the steps in this guide—from backing up your site to testing updates—you can ensure a smooth update process without causing problems. Regular maintenance is the key to a hassle-free WordPress experience.