Updating WordPress is the single most effective way to keep your site secure and fast. It's also where sites occasionally break — almost always because something on the site is incompatible with the newest version. A little routine makes updates boringly safe.
Take a backup first
Before any update, make sure you can undo it. WebFulHost keeps automated daily backups, and you can create a manual backup for a clean restore point right before you click update.
The safe order to update
- Plugins — open Plugins and update what has an update available.
- Themes — open Appearance > Themes and update those.
- WordPress core — the banner at the top of your dashboard, or Updates under the dashboard menu.
After each step, load your site and check it looks right. If something breaks, you know exactly which update caused it.
Check compatibility in advance
Most update breakage comes from an outdated plugin or theme not supporting the new WordPress version. Before updating core:
- Read each plugin's changelog for its minimum WordPress version.
- Confirm your PHP version is still supported by the plugin you rely on.
- If a plugin says "no longer tested with your version of WordPress", it's a warning sign — check if the plugin is still maintained.
Stuck in "maintenance mode"?
If an update fails part-way, WordPress leaves a file called .maintenance in your site folder that freezes the site. Delete that file via File Manager and reload — the update can then be retried cleanly.
Let WordPress update automatically
For most small sites, turning on auto-updates for plugins, themes and minor core releases is sensible — critical security fixes get applied without you having to remember. You can usually review these settings from Updates in the dashboard. Pair it with a monthly login to do the major-core updates yourself.