WordPress is a free and open-source content management system, and the developers occasionally release updates.

The updates create newer versions of WordPress, plugins and themes. The newer updates add features and fix bugs. If WordPress, the plugins and themes are not updated, that can lead to security holes, and that may lead to hackers. Hackers take advantage of that vulnerability within your WordPress website and steal your confidential information.

This is why it’s important for you to update your WordPress Site/Plugins.

What Are Bugs? And Why Does WordPress Have Them?

Every software on the face of the planet has the potential for bugs.

Whether it’s a virus, malware, or in this case a bug, it’s all one and the same. Bugs are an oversight in the software or system that managed to slip through the cracks. It doesn’t happen on purpose, but like every software and system, it does happen. Your phone every so often requires you to update it, and just like your computer and the programs on it.

When you don’t update your devices, weird errors start popping up and they don’t always work like they used to.

Now, we all want our WordPress sites to work smoothly and not be vulnerable to hackers. This is why it is essential to implement these updates.

You Shouldn’t ONLY Update to Keep Hackers Away?

The developers don’t only update WordPress to keep hackers away, but they also release cool features that you can take advantage of. New features are constantly being added, and it helps to improve the performance of your overall website.

How To Update Your WordPress/Plugins?

You should update your WordPress/ Plugins whenever there is a new update. Make it a habit to check your website.

In all honesty, it takes maybe 5 minutes depending on how many plugins you have installed on your site. It shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes. WordPress comes with a handy built-in update notification system. When you sign in to your backend, you will see the number of updates that need to be addressed.

Instructions
  1. Sign in to your backend: Dashboard > Updates and it will provide you a list of plugins/themes/system that needs to be updated. This is also an easy process, one click and your site will be updated within seconds.

If you don’t access your WordPress backend that often, that’s okay because not everyone is always on their dashboard. Lucky for you, there are solutions.

Automatic Plugin Updates
  1. Dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins
  2. To the right of each plugin, there’s a link to ‘Enable auto–updates‘ next to each plugin. You need to click on the ‘Enable auto–updates‘ to turn on automatic updates for individual plugins.
Automatic Theme Updates
  1. Dashboard > Appearance > Themes
  2. Click on the theme and select ‘Enable auto-updates’
Automatic WordPress Updates

If you are hosted with Siteground, they have a feature that will automatically update your WordPress on your behalf.

  1. Sign in to Siteground
  2. Dashboard > Websites
  3. Find your website, and click on ‘Site Tools’
  4. Site Tools > WordPress > Autoupdate
  5. Under ‘Autoupdate Settings’ you should see: Major Release, Minor Release, and Update Plugins.
  6. To the right are your options to turn on the ‘Autoupdates’, select accordingly.

 

I hope this post helped you to Update Your WordPress Website. When you get the chance, also check out how to install a WordPress plugin and create clean premalinks.

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