Before updating WordPress, it’s important to back up your website. This way, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be able to revert your site to its previous state.
To update WordPress, follow these steps:
Backup Your Website
Before you start the update process, it’s essential to back up your website. This includes your database and all your files, so if something does go wrong, you can revert your site to its previous state.
Check the Requirements
Before you proceed with updating, make sure to check the requirements for the new version of WordPress. You need to ensure your host supports the necessary version of PHP and MySQL.
Check Your Themes and Plugins
Ensure all your themes and plugins are compatible with the new version of WordPress. If they’re not updated yet, it might be wise to wait because updating could potentially break your site.
Update WordPress
When you’re ready to update WordPress:
- Navigate to the “Updates” section in the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress dashboard.
- If a new version of WordPress is available, you’ll see a message at the top of the page indicating “WordPress [new version number] is available! Please update now.”
- Click the “Update Now” button to start the update. WordPress will download the necessary files, perform a validation of those files, and then automatically update your site.
Update Your Themes and Plugins
After you’ve updated WordPress, you should also update your themes and plugins to their latest versions. This step can also be carried out from the “Updates” section of your dashboard.
Lastly, remember to read the “changelog” or a log of changes that come with each update. It will tell you what’s new, helping you understand what the update does and why it’s important.
Keep in mind that some hosting providers automatically update WordPress for you. If this is the case, you won’t see the update notification or the “Update Now” button.