Knowledge Base
How to Update WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins
Keeping WordPress Updated
Regular updates fix security issues and add new features.
Checking for Updates
- Log into WordPress admin
- Look for red notification bubbles
- Go to Dashboard → Updates
Updating WordPress Core
- Backup your site first!
- Go to Dashboard → Updates
- Click Update Now for WordPress
- Wait for completion
Updating Themes
- Go to Appearance → Themes
- Click theme with available update
- Click Update
Updating Plugins
- Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins
- Select plugins to update
- Choose Update from bulk actions
- Or click Update individually
Best Practices
- Always backup before updating
- Update staging site first if available
- Don't update everything at once
- Test your site after updates
- Keep PHP version compatible
Automatic Updates
WordPress can auto-update minor releases. Consider enabling automatic updates for plugins too.
If Update Breaks Your Site
Restore from backup using JetBackup in DirectAdmin.