How to Update Your WordPress Plugins Safely?
Even if the thought of updating your plugins can cause you to worry a little bit, we are here to reassure you that the vast majority of WordPress plugin upgrades shouldn’t create any issues for your website. That is if you carry them out in the appropriate manner and without risk. If you are unsure of the necessary steps to make that happen, we are here to assist you. Let’s have a look at the steps you need to do in order to properly upgrade both WordPress and the plugins you use with WordPress.
Why Should I Update My WordPress Plugins?
The plugins for WordPress need to have their versions kept up to date because leaving them in older versions leaves a security hole that can be attacked by hackers. This not only puts the safety of your website at risk but also causes problems that are vital. The same can be said about plugins, but unfortunately, the issues do not end there. When plugins are not kept up to date, they risk becoming entirely useless. Perform the updates if you don’t want to risk something like this happening.
When you see that there are updates available for your plugins or your version of WordPress, we do not recommend that you click on them by yourself, particularly if you’ve never done it before. It is possible to avoid site crashes and other issues by enlisting the assistance of a reliable professional who will guide you through the procedure.
How Often Should I Update My Site?
Checking for site updates at least once every three months or once every quarter is the standard recommendation when it comes to how frequently you should check for changes. Because of this, the possibility of missing important site updates, experiencing recurring site crashes, and/or having problems is reduced. You and your support team will also find that troubleshooting is significantly simplified as a result.
How to update WordPress Plugins?
There are a few simple steps you have to follow to update your WordPress plugins safely.
Check for Updates:
Checking for the ‘WordPress Update’ indicator is the quickest and easiest approach to determine whether or not your website requires any changes. You can find it in one of two different places: either as a symbol next to your site name or under the ‘Dashboard’ menu. Both ought to display the number of updates that are currently available.
If you do have any changes, you should go to the ‘WordPress changes’ page by clicking on the updates that appear on your site. You can check to see if you are using the most recent version of WordPress here, and you can also check to see if any of your plugins have newer versions that are available for download.
Prepare a Backup:
It is highly recommended that you create a complete backup of your website before doing any upgrades. This is only a precaution in the event that something unexpected takes place. When all you want to do is bring things up to date, you don’t want to have to go back to the beginning. When you upgrade WordPress and its plugins, it is possible that your site’s source code will undergo significant changes as a result. There may be instances when the update and the code of the site itself have difficulties that are incompatible with one another, as well as occasions when there are conflicts between the two. When anything like this occurs, your site can experience a severe crash.
The encouraging news is that the vast majority of website hosts offer a daily automated backup. In most cases, these hosts will have a backup service that is more straightforward and integrated with their automated backups. If, however, you don’t have quite as much luck, the majority of website hosting providers do offer guides that explain how you can manually back up your system. After you have completed the creation of the backup,
Update WordPress:
When it comes to updates for plugins, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the fact that the vast majority of the time, they are intended for the most recent version of WordPress. This indicates that before you get too worked up about updating your plugins, you should first make sure that WordPress itself is running the most recent version.
On the page labeled “WordPress Updates,” there will be a section that tells you whether or not you have the most recent version of WordPress installed. Be sure to get the most recent version by downloading it.
Update Plugins:
You’ve been patiently waiting for this moment, but now is not the time to go crazy clicking and updating everything all at once. You should also take care to avoid leaving the updates set to “auto” by accident. Some plugins may cause complications, despite the fact that the majority of them may be updated automatically and without causing any problems for your website. Take precautions to avoid activating automatic updates for plugins that play an essential role in the operation of your website.
This covers page builders such as the Divi Builder, Gutenberg, and others like them. If you keep a plugin that is essential to the functioning of your website set to automatic, you run the risk of having your website become inaccessible due to a single issue.
