How to Perform WordPress Updates Safely.

Keeping your WordPress site up to date is crucial for security, performance, and compatibility with the latest features. However, performing updates can sometimes be daunting, especially when you’re concerned about potential issues or site downtime. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to safely update WordPress, themes, and plugins, ensuring your site stays secure and functional.

Table of Contents.

1. Understanding WordPress Updates
2. Preparing for Updates
3. Creating Backup Copies
4. Performing Theme Updates
5. Performing Plugin Updates
6. Handling WordPress Core Updates
7. Testing After Updates
8. Troubleshooting Common Issues
9. Best Practices For Regular Maintenance
10. Conclusion

WordPress updates include core updates, theme updates, and plugin updates. Core updates are essential for security and functionality, while theme and plugin updates often include new features, bug fixes, and security patches. Regularly updating these components is key to maintaining a healthy and secure website.

Before you begin updating, it’s crucial to prepare your site to minimise risks:

File Explorer Plugin or Hosting Access.

Ensure you have a file explorer plugin installed on your WordPress dashboard or access to your hosting file manager. This allows you to manipulate files directly as needed. For Perth IT Care clients, we recommend the WP Advanced File Manager plugin. We restrict access to the hosting environment to ensure greater security compared to the large hosting providers.

Understanding File Paths.

Know the file paths for themes (wp-content/themes/) and plugins (wp-content/plugins/) on your WordPress installation.

Creating backups before performing updates provides a safety net in case something goes wrong. Its always worth creating a full site backup before starting. Follow these steps to create backup copies of your themes and plugins:

For Themes.

For Plugins.

Here’s how to safely update your WordPress themes:

Locate the Theme.

Go to wp-content/themes/ and find the folder of the theme you want to update.

Create a Backup.

Copy the specific theme folder and rename the copy with a .bkup extension (e.g., mytheme.bkup).

Update the Theme.

In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Themes. If there’s an update available, click ‘Update Now.’

Testing.

After updating, visit your site to ensure everything looks and functions as expected. (Make sure you have purged your cache before testing, if you are using a caching plugin.)

Fixing a Theme Update Issue.

If issues arise, revert to the backup copy by adding .new to the updated theme folder and removing .bkup from the backup file name. The updated folder will be the one named without any .bkup or .new extension.

As good practice make sure you delete the .bkup folder once it is no longer necessary.

Follow these steps to update plugins safely: (Again taking a full site backup before starting is the best option.)

Locate the Plugin.

Navigate to wp-content/plugins/ and find the plugin folder.

Create a Backup.

Copy the plugin folder and rename the copy with a .bkup extension (e.g., myplugin.bkup). Then move this folder to the wp-content folder. Depending on the file manager plugin being used, you may just be able to copy it straight into the wp-content folder.

Update the Plugin.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins. If there’s an update available, click ‘Update Now.’

Testing.

Test your site’s functionality after updating. If there are issues, revert to the backup copy using the same method as for themes. (Make sure you have purged your cache before testing, if you are using a caching plugin.)

Please note this cannot be done with the plugins folder itself, as it will cancel your ability to use the file manager plugin and you will be stuck.

Fixing a Plugin Update Issue.

• If there are issues, revert to the backup copy by moving the .bkup folder back into the plugins folder.
• Then revert to the backup copy by adding .new to the updated plugin folder and removing .bkup from the backup file name.
• Then move the .new plugin into the wp-content folder.

As good practice make sure you delete the .bkup folder once it is no longer necessary.

WordPress core updates are critical for security patches and new features. Unlike themes and plugins, core updates should be handled directly through the WordPress dashboard: (Again make sure you have created a full site backup prior to the update. It is not as simple to rollback the core update as it is to roll back a theme or plugin update).

Direct Updates.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Dashboard > Updates. If there’s a core update available, click ‘Update Now.’ WordPress handles core updates automatically without the need for manual file manipulation.

After performing updates (core, theme, or plugin), it’s essential to test your website thoroughly: (Make sure you have purged your cache before testing, if you are using a caching plugin.)

Functionality Check.

Click through your site to ensure all features are working correctly.

Compatibility Testing.

Verify that your theme and plugins are compatible with the updated WordPress version.

Performance Assessment.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check if updates have affected your site’s speed and performance.

If you encounter issues post-update, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Plugin or Theme Conflicts.

Deactivate plugins one by one to identify any conflicting plugins. Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to see if the issue persists.

White Screen of Death.

Access your site via FTP or file manager and rename the problematic plugin or theme folder to deactivate it temporarily. This will need to be done through your hosting as your WordPress website won’t be functioning at this point. For our clients we can lend a helping hand or organise FTP file manager access for you.

Scheduled Backups.

Schedule regular backups (daily, weekly, or monthly) using plugins like WP-all-in-one or VaultPress. Our hosting clients enjoy hourly backups with a retention of up to 4 weeks and our maintenance clients are able to utilise a separate set of backups spanning up to 90 days in addition to this.

Automatic Updates.

Enable automatic updates for plugins and themes that support it. For critical components like themes or plugins with custom modifications, consider manual updates. Allowing automatic updates can have it’s drawbacks as when there is a software conflict the website can go down. However, it is far better then the alternative of not performing your updates.

Monitoring Alerts.

Use monitoring tools or services like ManageWP or Jetpack or our WP Remote plugin to receive alerts for updates, security issues, and downtime.

Learn more about how to maintain a WordPress website.

Updating your WordPress site doesn’t have to be intimidating. By following these steps and best practices, you can ensure your site remains secure, functional, and up to date with the latest WordPress developments. Remember, regular maintenance is key to a successful WordPress website that performs well and stays protected against security threats. And remember that although there is additional maintenance involved in a WordPress website, they are far better for SEO than web builder alternatives. In addition to this the site is owned by you, it’s an asset. Most site builders such as WIX and Sqaurespace don’t allow their sites to be shifted from their platform without huge amounts of work to do so. Once you stop paying your subscription in these instances, your site disappears.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with WordPress updates, feel free to reach out. We are here to help you keep your site running smoothly and securely.

Stay proactive, stay updated, and keep your WordPress site thriving.