How to Update WordPress: Four Simple Methods That Work

Your WordPress site needs regular maintenance to stay healthy. Ignoring that update notification on your dashboard can lead to compatibility issues, malfunctions, or worse—a complete site breakdown.

Fixing those problems after they happen is a headache. Therefore, it makes more sense to update WordPress before issues arise. We will walk you through four safe ways to handle updates, whether you prefer doing it yourself or letting your host handle it automatically.

Beyond core updates, we will also cover how to update your themes, plugins, and database. This way, your site stays protected from malware and security threats.

Why Updating WordPress Matters for Your Business

Like any software, WordPress releases updates that bring new features, upgrades, and bug fixes. If you skip these updates, your site becomes outdated and performs less efficiently. Visitors notice slow, clunky sites, and they leave quickly.

Lower traffic hurts your business in the long run. However, keeping WordPress current delivers several benefits that directly impact your bottom line.

Security Protection

Older WordPress versions are more vulnerable to security threats. Hackers actively look for outdated sites to exploit. Installing security updates prevents them from stealing your customer data or injecting malware into your site.

Better Site Performance

New WordPress releases make your site faster and more responsive across different browsers and devices. When your site loads quickly, visitors stay longer and are more likely to return. Additionally, Google rewards faster sites with better search rankings.

Plugin and Theme Compatibility

The latest WordPress version ensures your plugins and themes work properly together. This means you can add new features without worrying about conflicts or crashes that break your site.

New Features and Tools

WordPress updates include improvements that make managing your site easier. You get more options for scaling your business and serving your customers better.

Preparing Your Site Before You Update WordPress

Before you update WordPress, you need to prepare for any potential issues. These updates affect your site files and database, so take a few minutes to protect yourself.

Here is what you should do before starting:

Read the Update Notice

Check the WordPress changelog to understand what the update includes. It might contain new features or critical security patches. Furthermore, look for reports from other users about bugs or errors in the new version.

Decide if you need to update immediately or if you can wait. As a general rule, prioritize security updates over feature updates.

Back Up Everything

Backups prevent permanent data loss if something goes wrong during the update. Make sure you can restore your site completely. Your hosting provider or a backup plugin can handle this automatically.

Clear Your Cache

Caching plugins may not recognize that an update is happening, which can interfere with the process. Clear your WordPress cache and temporarily disable caching plugins before you start.

Check Plugin Compatibility

Some WordPress updates do not work well with certain plugins. This can make your entire site inaccessible. Consequently, deactivate your plugins before updating, then reactivate them one by one afterward to identify any conflicts.

Verify PHP Version

If your current PHP version is not compatible with the new WordPress version, you will need to update PHP first. Most hosting control panels make this easy.

Method 1: Update WordPress Through Your Dashboard

This is the easiest way to update WordPress. The entire process takes just a few minutes and requires only a few clicks.

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. If an update is available, you will see a notification at the top of the page asking you to update now.

Click the update prompt to open the Updates page. Then press the “Update Now” button again to start the installation.

For minor updates, you will see a success message along with options to update your plugins and themes. Major releases show a welcome screen explaining what has changed.

After the core update finishes, update your themes and plugins to ensure everything works together properly. Hostinger users can also download the latest WordPress version directly from hPanel in the WordPress section.

Method 2: Update WordPress Manually via FTP

If you cannot update through the dashboard, you can update WordPress manually using an FTP client like FileZilla. You will access your WordPress root directory and replace old core files with new ones.

Be careful with this method. Replacing the wrong files can break your site, so follow these steps exactly.

Step-by-Step FTP Update Process

First, download the latest WordPress version from the official WordPress repository and unzip it. Open the extracted folder and delete the wp-config-sample.php file and the wp-content folder to protect your existing data.

Next, log in to your site via FileZilla or your preferred FTP client. On the remote site (right side), locate the wp-includes and wp-admin directories. Right-click each one and delete them.

On the local site (left side), select the new wp-includes and wp-admin folders from the WordPress files you downloaded. Upload them to your server. Then upload the remaining WordPress files to overwrite the old versions.

When you see a message saying “Target file already exists,” select “Always use this action” and “Apply to current queue only.” After all files finish uploading, visit yoursite.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php to verify the update completed successfully.

Method 3: Update WordPress Using WP-CLI

If you have SSH access to your server, you can update WordPress through the command line. This method works well for developers or business owners who manage multiple sites.

Access your SSH account and navigate to your WordPress root directory by typing: cd public_html

Check for available updates by entering: wp core check-update

If an update is available, you will see version information and download links. If you are already current, you will see a message confirming you have the latest version.

To start the update, run: wp core update

Wait for the process to finish. Your WordPress site will update automatically.

Updating Your Database, Themes, and Plugins

After updating the core files, update your database by running: wp core update-db

Then update all themes and plugins with these commands: wp theme update –all wp plugin update –all

Run these commands again after they finish to confirm everything updated correctly.

Method 4: Enable Automatic WordPress Updates

WordPress automatically handles minor updates by default, focusing on maintenance and security improvements. However, you can also automate major releases, themes, and plugins.

Hostinger users can configure WordPress auto-updates directly in hPanel. This lets you choose exactly what updates automatically and whether you want all updates or just security patches.

Setting Up Auto-Updates in hPanel

Navigate to WordPress, then Security from your hPanel dashboard. Scroll down to the WordPress auto-updates section.

For native WordPress management, check “Native auto-updates.” Click the Customize tab to choose your preference for WordPress core updates: No updates, Minor updates only, or All updates. This respects the preferences you set for themes and plugins in your WordPress dashboard.

Alternatively, enable “Smart auto-updates” for more control. With the Customize panel open, choose update preferences for WordPress core, themes, and plugins separately. Options include No updates, Security updates only, or All updates.

Click Save when you finish. Check the Update log section to see recent automatic updates. You can view details about any update or restore to a previous version if needed.

Using a Plugin for Auto-Updates

Plugins like Easy Updates Manager let you activate or deactivate automatic updates with one click. You can also hide theme and plugin updates for custom-developed features.

Enabling Auto-Updates via wp-config.php

You can also turn on automatic updates by editing your wp-config.php file. Log in to hPanel and go to File Manager under the Files section. Open the public_html folder and select wp-config.php.

Click the Edit button in the top menu. Add this line of code: define(‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, true);

Click Save. Your WordPress core will now update automatically for minor releases.

How to Update WordPress Themes and Plugins

After you update WordPress core files, you need to update your themes and plugins. Outdated plugins and themes can cause technical errors that break your site’s functionality.

Check your plugins and themes regularly so you know which ones need immediate updates. Delaying updates makes it harder to keep everything synchronized and increases your risk of crashes.

Updating Through the Dashboard

Navigate to the Updates page by hovering over Dashboard in your admin menu. You will see all plugins and themes with available updates.

Check “Select all” to update everything at once, or select specific items individually. Be mindful about updating everything simultaneously—it uses significant resources and might slow down your site temporarily.

You must update plugins separately from themes. Update your caching plugin first to avoid complications with the other updates.

Updating Through hPanel

Hostinger users can update themes and plugins via hPanel. Go to WordPress, then Security from your dashboard. Scroll down to the Installed themes and Installed plugins sections.

An “Update available” alert appears next to outdated items. Click Update to install the latest version. You can also select multiple items and click “Update selected” at the bottom to perform a bulk update.

Open a live preview of your site after updating to verify everything works correctly.

What If You Miss Update Notifications

Sometimes you will not see update notifications on your dashboard. Plugin developers often send update information via email instead, so check your inbox after you update WordPress.

If an update breaks your site, consider replacing the problematic plugin or theme. However, do not downgrade to an older version—this creates security vulnerabilities and can hurt your SEO and traffic.

One important note: updating your WordPress theme removes any customizations you made directly to the theme files. Avoid losing your changes by using a child theme instead of editing the parent theme.

Keeping Your WordPress Site Current

You now know how to safely update WordPress using both manual and automatic methods. This skill is essential for any business owner running a WordPress site.

Updating improves security, fixes bugs, and keeps your site running smoothly. A well-maintained site attracts more visitors and increases your conversion rates.

Remember the preparation steps: check for upcoming releases, perform a backup, clear your cache, and verify your PHP version. Deactivate plugins before updating to prevent file errors.

Here are the four methods we covered:

• Dashboard updates: Click the update notification in your admin panel for instant installation
• FTP updates: Replace old core files with new ones using an FTP client
• WP-CLI updates: Run commands through SSH to update core, database, themes, and plugins
• Automatic updates: Enable auto-updates through hPanel, a plugin, or wp-config.php

Do not skip theme and plugin updates either. Go to the Updates page in your admin area and choose whether to update items individually or all at once.

Your WordPress site is the foundation of your online business. Keep it updated, and it will keep working for you.

Original Source: www.hostinger.com