How to keep WordPress up to date

It is important for security and performance to keep the WordPress core system, theme and plugins up to date. Each year, numerous vulnerabilities and exploits, both actual and potential, come to light which need to be fixed to keep your site safe. There are a couple of simple methods which can be used to update WordPress with minimal technical knowledge.

Before proceeding with any updates, it is strongly recommended to take a backup of the website files and database. If you do not know how to make such a backup, and how to restore the site using the backup, please contact us for assistance. Charges will apply. Proceeding without a backup is at your own risk. Please see our cPanel Website Backup article for more information.

Update via WordPress Dashboard

1. Log into your WordPress site at https://mydomain.co.uk/wp-login.php
2. On the left menu, go to Dashboard > Updates
3. Any available Updates will be listed. Apply these following the guidance on screen.
4. Themes and plugins can also be updated via:
   1. Themes: Appearance > Themes. apply updates where available.
   2. Plugins: Plugins > Installed Plugins. Apply updates as indicated on screen.

Update via WordPress Toolkit

1. Log in to your cPanel control panel at https://mydomain.co.uk/cpanel - more info on cPanel login.
2. Once logged in, scroll down to the Domains panel and click WordPress management.
3. Click Updates at the bottom left of the panel with site details.
4. If updates are available, check the boxes to select updates to apply, and hit Update at the bottom of this section.
5. Additionally, click Auto Update Settings and select your preferred options on how updates should be applied in future. This can allow full automation of updates, or remain a manual process if preferred.