How to Safely Update WordPress

Many website owners express apprehension when it comes to updating their WordPress website. This concern is understandable, as the thought of an update potentially causing issues with a live site can be daunting. However, based on extensive experience with WordPress, it is clear that maintaining up-to-date software is paramount for enhancing website security and maximizing performance.

Operating with the latest version of WordPress ensures your site benefits from the newest features, critical security patches, and various performance improvements. Conversely, running an outdated version exposes your site to significant risks, making it vulnerable to security breaches and missing out on advancements in speed and functionality.

This comprehensive guide is designed to empower you with the knowledge to update WordPress safely and confidently. You will learn to navigate the update process like a seasoned professional, ensuring your WordPress site remains secure, stable, and fully functional without fear of complications.

Upgrading your WordPress website is a fundamental and regular maintenance task. To assist you, we have prepared an easy-to-follow infographic that serves as a quick reference guide:

Why Keeping WordPress Updated Is Crucial

Extensive security research consistently indicates that the vast majority of compromised WordPress websites are running outdated core software, plugins, or themes. This highlights a critical vulnerability that can be easily mitigated through regular updates.

WordPress is continuously developed and maintained by a global community of developers. These dedicated individuals actively identify and rectify bugs, introduce new features, and diligently pinpoint security vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis. These enhancements and fixes are then incorporated into new WordPress versions.

For minor releases, WordPress often performs automatic updates to the newer version. However, for major releases, unless your site is hosted on a managed WordPress environment, you will typically need to initiate the update process manually. This proactive step is essential to ensure your website benefits from the latest security patches, takes advantage of new features and functionalities, and achieves optimal speed and performance.

Essential Preparations Before Updating WordPress

The single most critical step to undertake before initiating any WordPress upgrade is to create a complete and comprehensive backup of your entire WordPress installation. This precautionary measure is non-negotiable.

Even if you have an automated backup system in place, it is still imperative to create a fresh backup immediately before an update. This new backup should then be stored securely in a remote location, such as on your local computer or a cloud storage service like Google Drive. This ensures an off-site copy is available should any issues arise.

A complete WordPress backup encompasses every component of your website, including:

• Your WordPress database, which stores all your content, settings, and user data.
• All your images and media uploads, crucial for your site's visual content.
• Your WordPress plugins and themes, which extend your site's functionality and design.
• Your WordPress configuration files, which define how your site operates.
• The core WordPress files themselves.

This comprehensive backup is vital because it provides a reliable means to restore your WordPress site in the unlikely event that something goes wrong during the update process. Once you have successfully created and securely stored this complete backup, you are ready to proceed with the update.

Updating WordPress to the Latest Version

There are two primary and straightforward methods available for upgrading your WordPress site to its most recent version: an automatic method and a manual method. We will detail both approaches to give you flexibility.

Method 1: Updating WordPress Using the Built-in System (1-Click)

This method is generally the simplest and is highly recommended for the majority of users due to its ease of use.

To begin, log in to the admin area of your WordPress website. From your dashboard, navigate to the Dashboard » Updates page.

On this page, you will typically see a notification indicating that a new version of WordPress is available. To initiate the upgrade, simply click on the ‘Update to version X.X.X’ button (where X.X.X represents the new version number).

WordPress will then proceed to fetch the latest software version and install it automatically for you. During this process, you will observe the update progress on your screen.

It's important to note that while the upgrade is underway, WordPress will temporarily place your site into maintenance mode. Your website will still be accessible to visitors, but administrative actions such as installing plugins or themes will be paused until the update is complete.

Once the update process has concluded, you will be automatically redirected to the WordPress welcome screen. Depending on the specific release, this page may feature an overview of what’s new in WordPress and highlight exciting features for you to explore.

That’s all there is to it; your WordPress installation has been successfully upgraded to the latest version.

Method 2: Manually Update WordPress Using FTP

This method involves using an FTP client to manually upload WordPress files to your server. It serves as an effective alternative if the first, automatic method encounters any issues or is unavailable.

First, you will need to download the latest version of WordPress. Visit the official WordPress download page and click on the appropriate ‘Download’ button. Your browser will then download WordPress as a zip file. Once the download is complete, extract the contents of this zip file.

Inside the extracted folder, you will find a directory named wordpress. This folder contains all the necessary WordPress core files required for the update.

Next, open your FTP client and establish a connection to your website’s server. Once connected, locate the wordpress folder you just extracted from the zip file in the local files column of your FTP client.

In the remote files column, navigate to your website’s root folder. This folder is commonly named public_html or may bear your website’s domain name. Within this directory, you will see your existing WordPress files and folders.

You should then select all the files located inside the wordpress folder on your computer. Right-click on these selected files and choose ‘Upload’.

Your FTP client will now begin the process of uploading the WordPress files from your computer to your website’s server. During this transfer, your website will already have older versions of files with identical names. You will be prompted to decide how to handle these existing files. Select the ‘Overwrite’ option and, for efficiency, check the box labeled ‘Always use this action’ to apply this choice to all conflicting files.

This action ensures that all older WordPress core files on your website are replaced by their newer versions.

Once the file upload is complete, it is crucial to visit your WordPress dashboard. This step is necessary because a newer version of WordPress might also require an update to your WordPress database. If a database update is needed, you may be presented with a page indicating this requirement. Simply click the ‘Update WordPress Database’ button to proceed and complete the process.

With these steps, your WordPress website has been successfully updated.

Crucial Steps After Updating WordPress

After successfully upgrading your WordPress installation, it is imperative to verify that everything on your website is functioning correctly. Begin by opening your website in a new browser window or tab and thoroughly reviewing all pages, posts, and functionalities. Additionally, check the settings within your WordPress admin area to ensure all configurations are as expected.

Should you encounter any compatibility issues or unexpected behavior, consult common WordPress error resolution guides. If the specific issue you are experiencing is not listed in these resources, follow a comprehensive troubleshooting guide for WordPress errors to systematically identify the problem and implement an appropriate solution. Proactive verification ensures a smooth transition and continued optimal performance for your website.