One of the main aspects of maintaining your WordPress website is to ensure that the WordPress core files, theme and plugins are updated regularly. There are many reasons why these updates are essential.  In addition to adding features, updates will fix website bugs, improve site reliability, and improve security. So it is recommended to apply all updates at the earliest they are available. However, there are certain points to be kept in mind when determining how to update your WordPress Website plugins and themes and how often to do this.

General Recommendation

It is usually recommended to update the themes, plugins and any core WordPress updates once a month. Besides keeping your site safe and protected from malware attacks and hackers, this can also help ensure that the themes and plugins are compatible with each other.

Failing to update regularly can make your site vulnerable to potential attacks and incompatibilities.

Check the Plugin’s Changelog

 While once a month is the recommended frequency when learning how to update your WordPress Website for updating your site’s plugins and themes, it may be required to make even more frequent updates. Sometimes plugins can have critical security updates that need to be applied immediately. You can check for these updates from within the theme or plugin’s changelog.

If you find a critical security update, such as WordPress version updates, then you should implement it right away. Otherwise, it is recommended to wait for a couple of weeks before updating non-critical updates.

Reasons for Waiting to Update

There is an important reason for waiting for a few weeks before applying a normal update. If the update has a bug, it is highly likely to be detected and fixed within the first two weeks of the release.

So when you delay an update by two weeks, it will mean that you will not have to face any issues that may arise due to a bug in the update itself. You will be able to implement an error-free update. This means fewer hassles and more time savings to worry about when learning how to update your WordPress Website

Test an Update

If you notice an update that should be applied immediately, you can test it first using a staging environment. Many times there are updates with features or bug fixes that need to be installed right away. You can talk to your hosting provider about a staging environment and you should make the most of it – even for small updates.

Once you have tested an update and are certain that it is bug-free, you can go ahead and apply it. Make sure your site is already backed up even if you are running the update as a test.

So, the next time you see the new plugin or theme update sign, you should consider whether you need the update right away. If it is not a critical security update, you should wait for at least a week before any issues are detected and addressed. It is better to learn from the experience of other users than having to troubleshoot your site. 

How to update your WordPress Website

The first step is to back up your website in case you come across any issues when doing the updates.

Start with any WordPress updates first. On your website dashboard under updates, it will show any WordPress Updates. Simply click on the update button and wait for it to do its major. Then review your website to make sure no errors occur. 

Then do updates of your theme or any old themes. You are best to only have 2- 3 themes on your website. So your current website theme, a child theme if you have one and the Twenty Twenty-Four theme. (or 2025 etc whatever year it is when reading this) You should delete all other themes.

You will see any updates available in the updates of your website dashboard.

Under the updates, you will also see any plugins that are due to update. If the update doesn’t work then it may be a premium paid plugin that you will need to pay to renew its license to be updated. Reach out if you need more information on how to update your WordPress Website.

Don’t feel you are techy enough to update plugins regularly yourself?

Then have a look at our website maintenance packages if you don’t have time to learn how to update your WordPress Website.

I’m Jacinta Thomas, also known as your humble wordpress web design tech whiz and online marketing consultant.

I’m a reserved yet highly motivated and adaptable digital marketing expert ready to use my online marketing knowledge to help your business be seen online and ramp up your sales. I love horses, dogs, cats, country music, chocolate and most of all helping people.

I help family focused entrepreneurs build top ranking, self-managed websites, help work through any wordpress tech issues and get set up with hosting, blogging, SEO and social media, so they can earn more money and live their dream life.

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