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WordPress Tip: Update WordPress and Plugins Frequently

WordPress Tip: Update WordPress and Plugins Frequently

Running a website on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) like Server.HK offers numerous benefits, including increased control, scalability, and performance. However, to ensure your website’s smooth operation, it’s crucial to keep your WordPress and plugins updated regularly. This article will delve into why and how you should frequently update your WordPress and plugins.

Why Should You Update WordPress and Plugins Regularly?

There are several reasons why you should keep your WordPress and plugins updated:

  • Security: WordPress is an open-source platform, which means its code is accessible to everyone, including hackers. Regular updates fix security vulnerabilities and protect your site from potential threats.
  • Performance: Updates often come with improvements that make your website run faster and more efficiently. This can significantly improve user experience and SEO ranking.
  • New Features: WordPress and plugin updates often introduce new features and functionalities that can enhance your website’s capabilities.
  • Bug Fixes: Updates also fix bugs that might be affecting the performance of your website.

How to Update WordPress and Plugins?

Updating WordPress and plugins is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can do it:

Updating WordPress

When a new WordPress version is available, you’ll see a notification in your WordPress dashboard. To update:

  1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Click on ‘Updates’.
  3. Click on ‘Update Now’.

Before updating, ensure you have a recent backup of your website. If anything goes wrong during the update, you can restore your website to its previous state.

Updating Plugins

Similar to WordPress, you’ll receive a notification in your dashboard when a plugin update is available. To update:

  1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Click on ‘Plugins’.
  3. Under the plugin you want to update, click on ‘Update Now’.

Again, it’s recommended to backup your website before updating plugins.

Automating WordPress and Plugin Updates

If you’re running your website on a VPS and have multiple websites to manage, manually updating WordPress and plugins can be time-consuming. In such cases, you can automate the updates. Here’s how:

  1. Go to your wp-config.php file.
  2. Add the following code to enable automatic updates for WordPress:
define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true );
  1. Add the following code to enable automatic updates for all plugins:
add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_true' );

Note: Automatic updates should be used with caution as they can sometimes break your site if there’s a conflict with a new version.

Conclusion

Regularly updating WordPress and plugins is crucial for the security, performance, and functionality of your website. Whether you’re manually updating or automating the process, always ensure you have a recent backup of your website. If you’re running your website on a Hong Kong VPS Hosting, you’ll have the added advantage of quick and easy updates, ensuring your website always delivers the best user experience.