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How to update WordPress safely

Updates fix security holes, so don’t skip them. But do them in the right order, with a fresh backup, and check your site straight after.

  • Time: About 10 minutes
  • You need: A WordPress administrator login and a fresh backup
  • Updated:

If your site is on a LER care plan, I already handle updates for you and test them first, so you can skip this. If you manage your own site, a few habits make updates boring, which is exactly what you want.

Before you start

  • Pick a quiet time, not right before a launch or a big sale.
  • Running a shop? Updates to WooCommerce and payment plugins deserve extra care: test a checkout afterwards.

  1. Step 1: Open Dashboard, then Updates

    In the left menu, go to Dashboard > Updates. A number next to it shows how many updates are waiting.

    WordPress Updates screen with the Updates menu, a plugin checkbox and Update Plugins circled
    WordPress 7.1: Dashboard, Updates, tick a plugin, Update Plugins.

  2. Step 2: Take a backup first

    Run a backup and wait for it to finish before you update anything. See how to back up your site.

  3. Step 3: Update plugins one or two at a time

    Under Plugins, tick one plugin and click Update Plugins. Read the View version details link for big version jumps.

  4. Step 4: Check your site after each one

    Open your homepage, a page with a form, and your shop or checkout if you have one. If something looks wrong, you know exactly which update caused it.

    Order matters: plugins first, then themes, then WordPress itself when a new version is offered.

If an update breaks something

Deactivate the plugin you just updated under Plugins. If the site won’t load at all, restore your backup or send me a note right away. Don’t keep clicking update on everything else.

Quick answers

Should I turn on automatic updates?

Automatic updates are fine for small, well-known plugins and for WordPress’s own security releases. For your shop, forms and page builder, update by hand so you can check right after.

An update says it’s not tested with my WordPress version.

That only means the author hasn’t confirmed it yet. It usually works, but it’s a good reason to have a backup and check the site after.

Official help pages

Checked against these pages on November 3, 2026.

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