WordPress releases several updates each year. Some are minor, but some include major site overhauls and new features. To keep up with them, I’ll show you how to automatically update your WordPress website so you don’t have to think about it.
As a busy mom, blogger, VA, and business owner, I love automating anything I can. Here’s how to do it the easy way:
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NOTE: All my WordPress tutorials focus on WordPress.org, not WordPress.com. If you’re curious about the differences, here’s everything you need to know ☺️
Why you should update your WordPress website
WordPress releases frequent updates each year. But why should you care? The most important reason is security. Regular updates minimize the risk of being hacked or compromised.
In the world of WordPress, regular updates are your first line of defense against potential security threats. Cyber threats keep evolving, and each update protects your site from new types of attacks. These updates include patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities, keeping your site secure.
Performance improvements are another reason for frequent updates. Updates can make your site run faster and more efficiently. This not only improves user experience but also boosts your site’s SEO 🙂
Bug fixes are another important part of updates. Updates often fix bugs and glitches found since the last release. This makes your site more reliable and ensures it runs smoothly without errors.
Updates also bring new tools, design options, and better user interfaces. By updating, you get the latest features and functionality.
Lastly, as themes and plugins evolve, they may need the latest version of WordPress to work correctly. By keeping WordPress updated you make sure that it’s compatible with your themes and plugins.
However, from my experience, it’s usually the other way around – plugins and themes race to keep up with WordPress updates to stay compatible 🤷♀️
But you need both – updated WP as well as updated plugins and themes – for everything to run smoothly.
So when updating your WordPress blog, there are three main components to focus on:
- Core WordPress (the main software that runs your website)
- Plugins
- Themes
Main reasons why you should update your WordPress blog:
- Security enhancements
- Performance improvements
- Bug fixes
- Compatibility with plugins, themes, and new technologies
- New features and functionality
Keeping everything up-to-date is essential for maintaining your site’s security, efficiency, and access to the latest features and improvements.
How to know your WordPress version
If you know your WordPress version, or if you already know where to find it, you can skip this part 🙂
To check this, log into your WordPress dashboard, scroll down, and you’ll see the version number at the bottom right of the page.
Alternatively, you can click on Dashboard → Updates.
Now, let’s automate everything we can…
How to automatically update WordPress
Most websites have automatic updates enabled by default, but not all of them.
WordPress also automatically updates minor core releases by default. However, you can configure your site to handle major updates as well. Here’s how:
Navigate to Dashboard → Updates → click on Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress:
When there’s a new core update, you can check new features by clicking on the WordPress Dashboard:
How to automatically update plugins and themes
Since plugin and theme updates are a big part of your security, you should always have the newest versions.
Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
Click on Enable Auto-updates in the right column for each plugin.
Repeat this process for themes by going to Appearance → Themes and clicking on the Enable Auto-updates link for your theme.
Annoyingly, sometimes the auto-update setting doesn’t work. I have a few plugins that need manual updates.
However, I don’t have to worry about it because I get a notification on my Dashboard (a red or blue dot). I also receive an email notification from my Wordfence plugin.
So, even when I need to click a few buttons manually, there’s no mental load 🙂
By the way, you can update all your plugins in one go:
Go to Dashboard → Updates → scroll down to Plugins → select all and click Update
What to do if an update breaks your site
Even with the best precautions, sometimes an update can cause issues. If an update breaks your site, don’t panic. Here’s what you can do:
Restore your WordPress to the previous version
If you experience issues after a WordPress core update, there’s a magic button that can help you 🙂
Go to Dashboard → Updates → Click on the button Reinstall the previous version (see the screenshot above).
The other option is to restore your site from a backup.
Restore your site from a backup
Having a good backup plugin with a restore function is a game changer. If you don’t have a backup plugin, you should set one up as soon as possible. Here’s an easy guide on how to backup your website for free.
I use UpdraftPlus for regular automatic backups and the free version also has one one-click restore option.
If nothing works and you can’t get your site back, contact your hosting provider. Most of them have a time-limited backup option.
Deactivate all plugins
Sometimes, a plugin conflict causes the issue. To identify the problem, deactivate all plugins:
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
- Select all plugins and choose Deactivate from the bulk actions dropdown menu.
- Reactivate plugins one by one, checking your site after each activation to identify the problematic plugin.
Switch to a default theme
If deactivating plugins doesn’t solve the problem, the issue might be with your theme. Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) to see if that resolves the issue:
- Go to Appearance → Themes.
- Activate a default theme.
- Check if your site works properly. If it does, the problem lies with your original theme.
Again, if nothing works, contact your hosting provider 🙂
Keeping your WordPress site updated is key to maintaining security, performance, and functionality. Automatic updates make this easy. They ensure your site stays current without you having to worry.
Enabling automatic updates for your core, themes, and plugins lets you focus on other things.
However, technology is awesome but be prepared for occasional issues during updates. Knowing how to troubleshoot can save you stress and downtime.
I hope this helped! ☺️
