How to Update WordPress Automatically and Manually: A Complete Guide

Keeping your WordPress website updated is one of the most critical responsibilities for any site owner. Regular updates protect your site from security vulnerabilities, fix bugs, improve performance, and introduce new features. Yet, many website owners hesitate to update, fearing that something might break.

At SiteSuraksha, we believe that website maintenance should be stress-free and straightforward. In this complete guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about updating your WordPress core, themes, and plugins—both automatically and manually.

Why Updating WordPress is Non-Negotiable

Before diving into the “how-to,” let’s briefly touch upon the “why.” Every update released by WordPress developers, plugin authors, and theme creators serves a specific purpose:

• Security: Hackers constantly scan the web for known vulnerabilities in outdated software. Updates often contain critical security patches.
• Performance: Updates frequently include speed optimizations and code cleanup.
• Compatibility: As PHP and web standards evolve, updates ensure your site remains compatible with modern server environments.
• New Features: Enjoy the latest tools and user-experience improvements.

Step 1: Always Backup Your Website First

Before initiating any updates—whether automatic or manual—the golden rule of WordPress management is to create a full backup of your website and database. If an update causes a conflict or crashes your site, a reliable backup allows you to restore it within minutes.

Method 1: How to Update WordPress Automatically

By default, WordPress handles minor updates (like security releases) automatically. However, you can configure your site to handle major core updates, themes, and plugins automatically as well.

Enabling Automatic Background Updates

For most users, automation saves time and ensures your site is never left vulnerable. You can manage automatic updates directly through your dashboard or by adding a few lines of code to your wp-config.php file.

1. Plugins and Themes: Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins or Appearance > Themes, and click “Enable auto-updates” next to the respective items.
2. Core Updates: To force all core updates (major and minor) to happen automatically, you can add this snippet to your wp-config.php file:

   define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true );

Method 2: How to Update WordPress Manually

If you prefer total control over what changes on your site, or if automatic updates fail, manual updating is a reliable alternative.

Manual Update via the WordPress Dashboard

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
3. Review available updates for core, themes, and plugins.
4. Click Update Now for each component individually. (Updating plugins one by one helps you quickly identify which plugin caused an issue if something goes wrong.)

Manual Update via FTP or Hosting Control Panel (Core Files)

If your dashboard is locked or inaccessible due to a crashed update, you can update WordPress manually using SFTP or your hosting File Manager:

1. Download the latest version of WordPress from WordPress.org as a ZIP file.
2. Extract the ZIP file on your computer.
3. Connect to your hosting server via FTP or File Manager.
4. Upload the new wordpress folder contents to your root directory, making sure to overwrite the existing files. (Do not overwrite your wp-config.php file or the wp-content folder).
5. Run your site URL with /wp-admin/upgrade.php if prompted to update the database.

Let SiteSuraksha Handle Your Maintenance

While updating WordPress is essential, it can sometimes feel like a chore—especially if a rogue plugin update breaks your layout. If you want complete peace of mind, let the experts at SiteSuraksha take care of it for you.

Our dedicated WordPress maintenance and security services include 24/7 uptime monitoring, regular secure backups, real-time vulnerability scanning, and expert management of all core, theme, and plugin updates. Contact SiteSuraksha today to secure and streamline your digital presence!