
For smooth performance and security, update your WordPress site regularly. Ignoring it can cause compatibility issues, malfunctions, or even site breakdowns. Updates keep your core WordPress, plugins, and themes compatible, prevent glitches, and protect your site from cyberattacks.
This tutorial shows you how to update WordPress manually for full control or enable automatic updates through a secure WordPress Hosting provider to save time. Beyond core updates, you also learn how to keep themes, plugins, and your database updated, to avoid functionality issues.
This way, regularly optimizing and updating your WordPress improves site speed and reliability while ensuring your site remains secure, efficient, and user-friendly.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Regularly updating WordPress keeps your website secure, fast, and reliable.
- Always back up your site before performing any updates to avoid data loss.
- You can update WordPress through the admin dashboard, FTP, WP-CLI, or hosting account, or enable automatic updates for convenience.
- Don’t forget to update plugins and themes to maintain compatibility and functionality.
- Test your WordPress website after every update to ensure all features are working properly.
- Use tools like WP Rollback to revert a plugin or theme to a previous version.
- Following a structured update process helps prevent downtime and keeps your site running smoothly.
Table of Contents
Reasons to Upgrade WordPress
Updating WordPress is necessary to keep your website free from malware and other cyber-attacks. Regular updates improve security by fixing vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit. These updates protect your data and give you peace of mind, knowing your site is more secure.
Updates also boost your WordPress website’s performance. They ensure faster loading times and smooth functionality, helping visitors enjoy a better browsing experience. WordPress updates often include new features and tools, which make it easier for you to manage your site and create engaging content.
Finally, updates keep everything compatible. Plugins and themes work best with the latest WordPress version, so updating ensures everything runs without issues. By updating regularly, you’re keeping your website secure, fast, and ready to impress.
Preparations Before Updating
Before updating WordPress, prepare your WordPress site to avoid potential problems. Updating WordPress can impact your WordPress site’s files and database and it avoids website downtime or data loss. Here are steps to ensure a smooth update process and keep your website safe:
- Start by carefully reading the update notice. Check the WordPress changelog to understand what’s new, like added features or security fixes. This helps you know what to expect and whether the update is necessary immediately.
- Next, visit WordPress support forums. Other users often share their experiences with the latest version, including bugs or issues. If major problems are reported, you can wait for a fix before updating.
- Always create a full website backup, including all files and the database. Backups serve as a safety catch if anything goes wrong during the update.
- Before updating, turn off caching. Caching plugins can interfere with the process, causing issues. Clear your site’s cache and temporarily disable these plugins until the update is complete.
- Deactivate your plugins to prevent compatibility issues with the new WordPress version. Once the update is done, you can reactivate them individually to ensure they work properly.
- Lastly, check your PHP version. WordPress updates often require the latest PHP version to function correctly. If your hosting uses an older version, update it from your hosting control panel to avoid conflicts.
If you follow these steps, you can confidently prepare your WordPress site for an update, ensuring everything runs smoothly and stays secure. Now that you know the significance of updating WordPress and have learned what to do before updating it, let’s see how to upgrade WordPress to its latest version:
5 Methods to Update WordPress
Let’s explore 5 easy methods to update WordPress, covering manual and automatic approaches. Whether you prefer using the dashboard, WP-CLI, FTP, or relying on hosting features, we’ll walk you through each step to keep your WordPress site updated securely.
Use WP Admin Dashboard to Update WordPress
Updating WordPress via the admin dashboard is the easiest and most beginner-friendly method. You can do this directly from your WordPress website without needing any extra tools. Here’s how to do it:
Start by getting into your WordPress admin area. Once logged in, navigate to Dashboard → Updates. This is where WordPress shows you if an update is available. You’ll also see any plugin or theme updates here, so it’s a one-stop place for keeping your site up to date.
When you’re ready, click Update to version x.x.x. WordPress will automatically download and then install the latest version.

The update progress will be displayed on your screen. During this process, your site temporarily enters maintenance mode. This process usually only takes a few minutes, and your site will remain online while it updates. However, you won’t be able to install WordPress themes and plugins during the update.

Important:
If you carefully look at the above screenshot, you’ll notice that your WordPress database has also been upgraded to ensure compatibility between your WordPress version and database structure.
After the update, you’ll be taken to the WordPress welcome screen. This page typically highlights what’s new in the latest release and showcases features you can explore.

Now check your WordPress site to ensure everything is working as expected. If you have disabled caching plugins, reactivate them to keep your website fast and optimized. This simple process helps keep your WordPress site secure, functional, and ready for visitors.
Use FTP to Update WordPress
If you want to upgrade WordPress manually and can’t update WordPress via the dashboard, use File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a reliable method. It takes a bit more effort but ensures you have full control over the process. To do this, go through the following steps:
First, download the latest version of WordPress from the official WordPress website. This guarantees you’re using a secure and updated version.

Next, right-click on your downloaded file and select Extract All… to extract this on your local machine.

Open the extracted folder and remove the wp-config-sample.php file and the wp-content folder to ensure no important data is overwritten or lost.

Then, use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your site’s root directory. You’ll need your FTP credentials, usually available from your hosting provider. To help you, we’ve already written about how to configure a site in FileZilla.
Once connected, locate the wp-admin and wp-includes folders in your remote site files (on the right-side panel). Select both, right-click, and click Delete to remove these from the root directory.

Then, from the downloaded WordPress package (on the Local site side), select the new wp-admin and wp-includes folders and click Upload to upload to your web server.

To replace the existing WordPress files on the server with the updated ones, transfer the remaining unzipped WordPress files from your computer to your web host directory. When prompted with the Target file already exists message, click Always use this action and Apply to current queue only to proceed.

To complete the update, open your browser and go to the following URL:
yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php
Replace yourwebsite with your domain name.
This step helps confirm that the WordPress update via FTP has been completed for your website. Now, you can check your site to ensure everything is running smoothly. This method may take longer, but it’s effective and keeps your site secure and updated.
Important:
Some installations may need database updates as well. To do this, log in to your WordPress admin area. If a database upgrade is required, WordPress automatically redirects you to a page with a message like Database Update Required. Click Update WordPress Database to initiate the process. WordPress will process the database upgrade. This usually takes just a few seconds. Once the database upgrade is complete, WordPress will redirect you to the Admin Dashboard or display a success message.
Manage your WordPress site effortlessly with the included Toolkit, making every task simpler and faster.
Check out our
WordPress Hosting plans at Hosted.com, and benefit from automatic updates and backups.
Update WordPress with WP-CLI
If you already have SSH access to the public_html folder and are comfortable using the command line interface, this method is for you. When everything is configured, go through the following steps to update WordPress to the latest version:
First, type in the SSH credentials provided by your hosting service to connect securely. This step gives you command-line access to your WordPress website’s files and WordPress installation.
Once connected, navigate to the public_html directory using the following command:
cd public_html
Then, check if updates are available by running:
wp core check-update.
This will display the current WordPress version and notify you of any new updates.

If an update is available, execute the following command:
wp core update.
This command downloads and installs the latest WordPress version directly on your server. The process is fast and doesn’t require manual file handling.

After updating the core files, ensure your database is also updated. Run:
wp core update-db
This ensures that your database structure is compatible with the new WordPress version.

Once done, test your site to confirm everything works properly.
Update WordPress with the Hosted.com Control Panel
If you’re a Hosted.com user, you directly update WordPress from your hosting account. To do that:
Login to your Hosted.com cPanel and navigate to Popular Applications → WordPress.

Click WordPress Manager.

Click Updates available, then Upgrade Now to update WordPress to the latest version.

Important:
You can also enable automatic updates for WordPress here, which we’ll cover in the next section.
Update WordPress Automatically
Enabling automatic updates in WordPress ensures your site always runs the latest version without manual intervention. This is a great way to keep your site secure and updated with minimal effort.
One way to enable automatic updates is by using your web hosting account. Hosted.com users can do it from WordPress Manager (we’ve explained how to access it in the previous section).
Once on the WordPress Manager page, head over to your required WordPress installation and click on the downward arrow to expand settings. Then, under Auto Upgrade WordPress Core, select your desired options to keep your WordPress updated. In our example, we selected Upgrade to latest version available (Major as well as Minor).

Another way to update WordPress is by editing the wp-config.php file. This is recommended if you use your hosting’s File Manager feature or connect to your site using an FTP client.
Open the wp-config.php file and add this line of code:
define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);
This setting tells WordPress to update itself whenever a new version is available. Save the file, and you’re all set.
Additionally, you can upgrade WordPress using the Easy Updates Manager plugin. Install and activate your plugin from your WordPress dashboard. It provides a user-friendly interface where you can control automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, themes, and even translations. You can also set advanced rules if needed.
By enabling automatic updates, you ensure your WordPress site stays secure and performs well with minimal effort.
How to Update Themes & Plugins
Keeping your WordPress plugins and themes updated is just as important as updating WordPress itself because regular updates help fix bugs, improve performance, and ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
However, how you update themes and plugins depends on which method you use to update WordPress from the ones we discussed above. Access your WordPress admin area if you have access, go to the Updates page, select your theme(s), and click Update Themes. Similarly, you can choose your plugin(s) and hit Update Plugins to update your plugin.

However, to update a theme or plugin using FTP, download the latest version of a theme or plugin from its official source. Connect to your WordPress website via FTP, navigate to wp-content/themes (for themes) or wp-content/plugins (for plugins), delete the old folder, and upload the new version. Ensure you back up your site before proceeding.
If you prefer WP-CLI, then execute the following commands to update your theme and plugins:
wp theme update --all
wp plugin update --all

And, if you’re a Hosted.com user, go to Hosted’s cPanel → Popular Applications → WordPress → WordPress Manager. Click on the downward arrow next to your desired domain name and select Enabled for Auto Upgrade WordPress Plugins and Auto Upgrade WordPress Themes options.
Remember, your plugins and themes will be updated to their latest versions every 24 hours for the specific WordPress installation.

Important:
The main disadvantage of enabling automatic theme and plugin updates is the risk of compatibility issues. Updates may conflict with other plugins, the theme, or the WordPress core, potentially breaking your site. Additionally, you lose control over testing updates in a staging environment before applying them live. So, ensure you only enable automatic updates for trusted themes and plugins.
Post-Update Checklist
After updating WordPress, plugins, or themes, follow a post-update checklist to ensure your site runs smoothly. Taking these steps will help you catch and fix any issues early.
First, test your website to ensure all features work correctly. Visit your pages, try interactive elements like forms or buttons, and check if everything looks and functions as it should. This step ensures that no part of your site is broken after the update.
Next, monitor for errors or conflicts. Check for missing content, broken links, or unexpected issues. If you notice irregularities, check your plugins and themes for compatibility or revisit your backup to troubleshoot.
Finally, if you disabled caching plugins before the update, it’s time to reactivate them. Caching helps your site load faster, so turning it back on ensures visitors enjoy optimal performance. By following this simple checklist, you can confidently keep your site updated and running at its best.
Troubleshoot Update Issues
Sometimes, updating WordPress, plugins, or themes can cause issues. Common problems include the white screen of death, where your site goes completely blank, or plugin conflicts that break certain features. While these issues can be frustrating, they are fixable with the right approach.
If something goes wrong after an update, the first step is to use your backup. Restoring your WordPress website from a backup will bring it back to how it was before the update. This is why creating backups before updating is so important. Many plugins like UpdraftPlus make restoring your site quick and easy.
Tools like WP Rollback can help with specific plugins or theme issues. This plugin allows you to revert a theme or plugin to an earlier version directly from your WordPress dashboard. It’s a simple way to fix compatibility problems without needing advanced skills. By taking these steps, you can resolve update issues and keep your site running smoothly.
![Manage your site using the WordPress Toolkit included in our WordPress Hosting plans Strip Banner Text -Manage your site using the WordPress Toolkit included in our WordPress Hosting plans. [More Info]](https://www.hosted.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/update-wordpress-2-1024x229.png)
FAQs
Why should I update WordPress regularly?
Updating WordPress helps keep your website secure, fast, and functional. Updates fix security vulnerabilities, improve performance, and add new features. Skipping updates could leave your site open to hackers or cause compatibility issues.
Will updating WordPress break my site?
In most cases, updates won’t cause issues. However, if your plugins or themes are outdated, they may not work well with the latest version of WordPress. To avoid this, always back up your site before updating and check for compatibility first.
What’s the difference between major and minor WordPress updates?
Major updates introduce new features, performance improvements, and design changes. Minor updates are mostly for bug fixes and security patches. WordPress handles minor updates automatically, but you must initiate major updates yourself.
How do I know if an update is available?
Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Dashboard → Updates. If an update is available, WordPress will show a notification here. You can also enable email alerts for updates.
What happens if I skip an update?
Skipping updates can make your site vulnerable to security risks and cause plugins or themes to stop working correctly. Over time, your site may become slower or face technical issues. Regular updates help prevent these problems.
Other Related Tutorials
– How To Use WordPress Tags Effectively And Their Purpose
– How To Reduce HTTP Requests On WordPress Websites: 7 Easy Ways
– WordPress Version Control: What It Is And Top Solutions
– How To Configure WordPress Error Logs: Identify & Fix Issues
– How to Backup Your WordPress Site: A Comprehensive Guide