How do I update WordPress safely?

Take a backup, then update one plugin or theme at a time and check the site after each, and update WordPress itself last. For a shop or any site your business depends on, try major updates on a staging copy first.

1. Back up first. Our web hosting is backed up daily, but take your own copy right before a big update, so you can roll back to that exact moment: see How do I back up WordPress?
2. See what’s waiting. In wp-admin, open Dashboard → Updates. For a major version of an important plugin (WooCommerce, a page builder, your theme), read its changelog and check it supports your WordPress and PHP versions.
3. Test big updates on staging. For a shop, a booking system or a heavily customised site, update a copy first: see How do I make a staging copy of my WordPress site?
4. Update one at a time. Update plugins one by one, then the theme, then WordPress itself. After each one, open the home page, a contact form and, on a shop, the checkout, in a private window.
5. If something breaks, undo the last change. Deactivate the plugin you just updated under Plugins. If wp-admin won’t load, rename that plugin’s folder in wp-content/plugins with File Manager, or restore your backup. A blank page? See How do I fix the WordPress white screen?
6. Tidy up. Delete plugins and themes you don’t use. A deactivated plugin can still be attacked if it has a security hole.

Should I switch on automatic updates?

Yes for WordPress minor (security) releases, which are on by default, and for small, well-maintained plugins. Keep major updates for your shop, page builder and theme manual, so you can check the site afterwards. If you run several sites, WordPress Manager by Softaculous in cPanel shows the updates for all of them in one place.

Tip: Update during our office hours, Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00 CAT, so we can help straight away if something goes wrong. If the power or the connection drops mid-update and the site says “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance”, delete the .maintenance file in the site’s folder.

Is it safe to never update, so nothing breaks?

No. Outdated plugins and themes are one of the most common ways sites get hacked. Updating carefully is far cheaper than a cleanup.

Can you do the updates for me?

Yes, on managed WordPress, from $15 a month: we update core, theme and plugins on a staging copy first, and back up daily.

Stuck after an update? Open a support ticket with the domain and what you updated.

Updated 6 November 2026. Something here out of date? Tell us.