How to Update WordPress Plugins and Themes Safely

Every time a new WordPress update is released, we get asked the same questions: 

• Should I update WordPress to the latest version? 
• How often should I run plugin updates? 
• What’s the safest way to update without breaking my site?

With each new release of WordPress, developers fix bugs, add features, and patch critical security vulnerabilities.

Not updating puts your website at serious risk of being hacked. Beyond WordPress core, the plugins and themes you’ve installed are maintained by their developers on their own schedules, so updates become available constantly throughout the year.

The key to maintaining a secure, fast, and stable WordPress site is understanding how to update safely and strategically. This guide walks you through the modern best practices

Why You Must Update WordPress, Plugins, and Themes

Security Vulnerabilities

The most critical reason to update is security. Hackers actively search for vulnerabilities in WordPress, plugins, and themes.

As soon as a security patch is released, attackers begin exploiting unpatched sites.

In January 2026 alone, over 536 vulnerabilities were disclosed across 436 plugins and 59 themes. If your site isn’t updated, you’re an easy target.

Bug Fixes

If you’re experiencing issues with a plugin or theme, the first troubleshooting step is always to check for updates.

Plugin developers are constantly releasing patches to fix bugs that users have reported. An update might be all that’s needed to solve your problem.

Performance and Features

Developers regularly add new features and performance improvements. Updating keeps your site running smoothly and compatible with the latest web standards and technologies.

PHP Version Compatibility

As PHP versions are updated (WordPress 6.4+ recommends PHP 8.0 or higher), older plugins and themes may become incompatible.

Regular updates ensure your plugins and themes work with current PHP versions, preventing conflicts and performance issues.

Before You Update: The Pre-Update Checklist

1. Check for Known Vulnerabilities

Before updating any plugin or theme, check if there are known security issues with the version you’re about to install.

Use these free vulnerability databases:

• Wordfence Vulnerability Database – The most comprehensive WordPress vulnerability database, updated weekly with newly disclosed issues
• WPScan Vulnerability Database – Another excellent free resource for checking plugin and theme vulnerabilities
• WordPress.org Plugin Directory – Check the plugin’s support forum for reported issues

Simply search for your plugin or theme name and version to see if there are any known vulnerabilities before updating.

2. Review Plugin Changelogs

Before updating, read the changelog to understand what’s changing. Look for:

• Breaking changes that might affect your site’s functionality
• Database modifications
• Deprecated features
• Major feature additions

Most plugins display their changelog on the WordPress.org plugin page or on the developer’s website. This helps you anticipate potential issues.

3. Check PHP Version Compatibility

WordPress 6.4+ recommends PHP 8.0 or higher.

Before updating plugins and themes, verify they support your current PHP version. To check your PHP version:

1. Go to Tools > Site Health in your WordPress dashboard
2. Click the Info tab
3. Look for the Server section and find your PHP version

If a plugin or theme requires a higher PHP version than you’re running, contact your hosting provider to upgrade PHP before updating the plugin.

4. Verify Your Backup is Current

Before making any updates, ensure you have a recent backup of your entire site. This includes your WordPress files, database, and media uploads.

Check your backup plugin (like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack Backup) to confirm:

• The last backup was completed successfully
• The backup is from today or yesterday (not weeks old)
• You can restore from that backup if needed

The Safe WordPress Update Process: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Set Up a Staging Site (Recommended)

If your site is high-traffic or business-critical, test updates on a staging site first. A staging site is an exact copy of your live site where you can safely test changes.

Many WordPress hosting companies include staging sites in their plans. If yours doesn’t, you can:

• Ask your hosting provider to create one
• Use a staging plugin like WP Staging
• Create a subdomain copy of your site

Step 2: Back Up Your Site

Go to your backup plugin and create a manual backup right now, before updating anything. This ensures you have a restore point if something goes wrong.

Most backup plugins (UpdraftPlus, Jetpack, BackWPup) have a “Backup Now” button in the dashboard.

Step 3: Check for Plugin Conflicts

Before updating, scan your site for vulnerabilities and conflicts using a security plugin.

Recommended security plugins:

• Wordfence Security (free) – Comprehensive malware scanning and vulnerability detection
• Jetpack Security (free tier available) – Real-time threat detection and scanning
• Sucuri Security (free) – Malware scanning and security hardening

These plugins will alert you to any known vulnerabilities in your current plugins and themes, helping you identify potential issues before updating.

Step 4: Update WordPress Core First

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Dashboard > Updates.

Click Update Now for WordPress core. This usually takes just a few seconds. WordPress will automatically back up your site before updating.

Wait for the update to complete and verify your site is still working.

Step 5: Update Plugins One at a Time

Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

Update plugins one at a time, not all at once. This helps you identify which plugin causes a problem if something breaks.

For each plugin:

1. Click the update link
2. Wait for it to complete
3. Test your site’s key functionality (homepage, contact form, checkout if applicable)
4. Move to the next plugin

If something breaks after updating a specific plugin, you’ll know exactly which one caused it.

Step 6: Update Your Theme

Go to Appearance > Themes.

Click the update link for your active theme. Wait for it to complete, then verify your site’s appearance and functionality.

Step 7: Monitor Site Performance

After all updates are complete:

• Clear your WordPress caching plugin (if you have one)
• Clear your browser cache
• Visit your website in an incognito/private browser window
• Test all key functionality:
  • Does the homepage load correctly?
  • Do forms work?
  • Do images display properly?
  • Is the site responsive on mobile?
  • Are there any error messages?

Step 8: Check for Plugin Conflicts

Run a vulnerability scan again using your security plugin to ensure no new issues have been introduced. Also check your site’s error logs (usually available in your hosting control panel) for any warnings or errors.

If you notice performance issues or errors, see the troubleshooting section below.

Can WordPress Updates Be Automated?

WordPress now offers automatic minor updates, which are typically safe to enable. Minor updates (like 6.4.1 to 6.4.2) usually contain only security patches and bug fixes.

To enable automatic minor updates:

1. Go to Dashboard > General
2. Look for the “Current Version” section
3. Enable “Switch to automatic update for maintenance and security releases only.”

However, we recommend manual testing for major updates and all plugin/theme updates. While automation has improved, nothing beats human testing to catch compatibility issues before they affect your visitors.

For production sites (sites your business depends on), always:

• Test updates on a staging site first
• Update during off-peak hours
• Have a rollback plan ready
• Monitor your site after updating

Troubleshooting: Common Update Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: White Screen of Death After Update

Problem: After updating, your site displays a blank white screen with no content or error message.

Solution:

1. This usually indicates a PHP fatal error
2. Check your site’s error logs (in your hosting control panel or via FTP)
3. Look for PHP version incompatibility or memory limit issues
4. Rollback: Restore your backup from before the update
5. Contact your hosting provider if the issue persists

Issue 2: Plugin Conflicts After Update

Problem: After updating, certain features stop working or you see error messages.

Solution:

1. Identify which plugin was updated last
2. Deactivate that plugin temporarily
3. Test if your site works normally
4. If it does, the plugin has a conflict
5. Check the plugin’s support forum for known issues
6. Contact the plugin developer or consider switching to an alternative plugin
7. Once resolved, reactivate the plugin

Issue 3: Theme Compatibility Issues

Problem: After updating your theme, the design looks broken or pages don’t display correctly.

Solution:

1. Clear all caches (WordPress plugin cache, browser cache, CDN cache)
2. Switch to a default WordPress theme temporarily (Twenty Twenty-Five or Twenty Twenty-Four)
3. If the site looks normal with the default theme, the issue is with your theme
4. Contact your theme developer for support
5. Check if there’s a newer version of your theme available
6. If the issue persists, restore your backup and wait for a theme update

Issue 4: Performance Degradation After Updates

Problem: Your site is slower after updating plugins or themes.

Solution:

1. Clear all caches
2. Run a performance test using Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix
3. Check if a specific plugin is causing the slowdown by deactivating plugins one at a time
4. Consider if you need all your plugins (remove unused ones)
5. Check your hosting provider’s resource usage
6. Contact your hosting provider if CPU or memory usage is abnormally high

Issue 5: How to Rollback if Something Breaks

If an update breaks your site:

1. Don’t panic – this is why we backup!
2. Go to your backup plugin (UpdraftPlus, Jetpack, etc.)
3. Click “Restore” on your most recent backup from before the update
4. Wait for the restore to complete
5. Test your site to confirm it’s working
6. Once stable, investigate the issue before attempting the update again

When to Contact Your Hosting Provider

Contact your hosting support if:

• You see “Fatal PHP errors” in your error logs
• Your site is completely inaccessible (not even a white screen)
• You’re getting “500 Internal Server Error” messages
• You can’t access your hosting control panel
• You need help upgrading your PHP version
• You need help clearing server-side caches

WordPress Version and Plugin Compatibility

WordPress 6.4+ Compatibility

This guide applies to WordPress 6.4 and all recent versions. WordPress 6.4+ requires:

• PHP 7.2 or higher (PHP 8.0+ recommended)
• MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+

Most plugins and themes are compatible with WordPress 6.4+, but always check before updating.

Current Default WordPress Themes

The current default WordPress themes are:

• Twenty Twenty-Five (WordPress 6.7+) – The newest default theme, emphasizing simplicity and block-based design
• Twenty Twenty-Four (WordPress 6.4+) – A modern, flexible block theme
• Twenty Twenty-Three (WordPress 6.1+) – A full-site editing theme

These themes are updated with every major WordPress release and are always safe to use.

Security Scanning Tools and Resources

Free WordPress Security Plugins

• Wordfence Security – Comprehensive malware scanning, firewall, and vulnerability detection
• Jetpack Security – Real-time threat detection, backups, and scanning (free tier available)
• Sucuri Security – Malware scanning and security hardening

Vulnerability Databases

• Wordfence Vulnerability Database – Free, comprehensive, updated weekly
• WPScan Vulnerability Database – Free vulnerability checker
• WordPress.org Plugin Directory – Check plugin support forums for reported issues

PHP Version Information

• WordPress PHP Version Support – WordPress recommends PHP 8.0 or higher
• PHP Official Support Timeline – Check which PHP versions are still actively supported
• Your Site Health Report – Go to Tools > Site Health to see your current PHP version

Summary

Updating WordPress, plugins, and themes is essential for security, performance, and stability. The key is to update strategically:

1. Check for vulnerabilities before updating
2. Back up your site
3. Update one component at a time
4. Test thoroughly after each update
5. Monitor your site for issues
6. Have a rollback plan ready

By following these updated best practices, you’ll keep your WordPress site secure and running smoothly while minimizing the risk of breaking something.

Remember: a few minutes of careful testing now can prevent hours of troubleshooting later.

Your website is your business’s digital storefront. Keeping it updated and secure should be a priority.

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