If you log in to your WordPress website and see a little red number next to “Updates”, you are not alone. Most business websites we look at on the Sunshine Coast have at least a few updates waiting. Some have dozens.
So how often should you actually update? The short answer is at least once a month, and sooner for security fixes. Here is the longer answer, and how to do it without breaking anything.
What actually needs updating
A WordPress website is made of three main parts, and each one gets updated on its own schedule.
- WordPress itself (the “core”). Small maintenance and security releases come out several times a year. Bigger releases with new features come out less often.
- Plugins. These add features like contact forms, SEO tools, online shops and booking systems. A typical business site has somewhere between 10 and 30 plugins, and each developer releases updates whenever they need to.
- Your theme. This controls how the site looks. Good themes are updated to keep up with WordPress and fix problems.
On top of that, your hosting server runs a version of PHP, the language WordPress is written in. Old PHP versions stop getting security fixes, so that needs attention too, usually once a year or so.
Why updates matter
Most updates are boring, and that is a good thing. They fix bugs, improve speed and close security holes. The problem is that once a security fix is released, the details of the hole often become public. Hackers then scan the internet for websites that have not updated yet.
That is why an out-of-date plugin is one of the most common ways small business websites get hacked. It is rarely personal. Automated tools are simply looking for any site with a known weakness.
Updates also keep your site working properly. Plugins are built to work with current versions of WordPress and PHP. Fall too far behind and you can end up with features that quietly stop working, like a contact form that no longer sends enquiries.
So how often should you update?
Here is a sensible routine for most small business websites:
- Security updates: as soon as practical, ideally within a few days of release.
- Plugin and theme updates: check at least once a month and apply them in a batch.
- Major WordPress releases: within a few weeks, once the first round of bug fixes is out.
- PHP version: review once a year with your host.
If your website takes bookings, sells products or gets a lot of enquiries, it is worth checking more often than that.
How to update without breaking your site
The reason many people put off updates is fear. They have heard of a site going blank after clicking “Update all”, and they would rather not risk it. That fear is reasonable, but the answer is a safer process, not skipping updates.
- Take a full backup first. Files and database, stored somewhere other than your hosting account.
- Read what is being updated. Big version jumps on important plugins, like your shop or page builder, deserve a bit more care.
- Update in small groups rather than everything at once, so if something breaks you know which update caused it.
- Check the site afterwards. Look at the home page, a few key pages, the menu, and send a test through your contact form.
- Have a way to roll back. If something does go wrong, restore the backup and work out the cause before trying again.
What about automatic updates?
WordPress can update some things automatically, and for minor security releases that is usually a good idea. Turning on automatic updates for every plugin is a bit riskier, because nobody is checking the site afterwards. If an update clashes with another plugin, you might not find out until a customer tells you.
A middle ground works well: let minor security fixes apply automatically, and handle the rest in a monthly check where someone actually looks at the site.
Signs your updates have fallen behind
- The Updates screen shows a long list, or plugins that have not been updated in years.
- You see warnings about your PHP version in the dashboard.
- Some plugins say they have not been tested with your version of WordPress.
- Your site feels slower than it used to, or small things have stopped working.
Want someone else to look after it?
Updates are one of those jobs that is easy to put off when you are busy running a business. That is exactly what our WordPress care plans are for. We back up your site, apply updates every month, check that everything still works, and send you a short report. If something does go wrong, we roll it back and fix it.
Not sure where your site stands? Ask us for a free site check and we will tell you what is out of date, in plain English.
