Should I Update WordPress or Plugins First

After you launch your WordPress site, there’s still things you have to do from time to time. One of them is keeping your website updated. However, you’ve got WordPress core and plugins that may have updates, so what is the order to updating. In this article, you’ll learn the answer to “Should I update WordPress or Plugins first?

Keeping WordPress updated is crucial for the health and security of your website. Here are five detailed reasons why:

1. Security Vulnerabilities
2. Improved Performance
3. New Features and Functionality
4. Compatibility with Plugins and Themes
5. Bug Fixes and Stability

Security Vulnerabilities

Older versions of WordPress, along with outdated plugins and themes, are prime targets for hackers. These older versions often contain known security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to gain access to your site. WordPress developers constantly release updates that patch these security holes.

By updating promptly, you're closing the door on these potential exploits and significantly reducing the risk of your site being hacked, compromised, or infected with malware. Think of it like locking your doors at night – updates are your digital deadbolts.

Improved Performance and Speed

Each new version of WordPress often includes performance enhancements and optimizations. These can result in faster loading times for your website, which is critical for user experience. A slow website can lead to visitors abandoning your site before they even see your content.

Faster loading times also contribute to better search engine rankings, as search engines like Google take site speed into account when determining where to rank websites in search results. Updates can also improve the overall efficiency of your website's backend, making it easier for you to manage.

New Features and Functionality

WordPress updates aren't just about fixing bugs and security issues; they also introduce new features and improvements. These can include enhancements to the editing interface, new tools for managing your content, and better compatibility with the latest web technologies.

Staying up-to-date allows you to take advantage of these new features, which can help you create a more engaging and effective website. Think of it as upgrading to the latest software on your phone – you get access to new features and improved functionality.

Compatibility with Plugins and Themes

WordPress relies on plugins and themes to extend its functionality and control its appearance. Developers of these plugins and themes regularly release updates to ensure compatibility with the latest version of WordPress. If you don't update WordPress, you may find that your plugins and themes stop working correctly or even cause conflicts that break your website. Keeping WordPress updated ensures that everything works together seamlessly.

Bug Fixes and Stability

Like any software, WordPress can have bugs. Updates often include fixes for these bugs, which can improve the stability and reliability of your website. Running an outdated version of WordPress can lead to unexpected errors, crashes, and other problems that can disrupt your website's operation and frustrate your visitors. Updating to the latest version helps to minimize these issues and ensure a smoother experience for everyone.

Backing up your WordPress website is absolutely essential for protecting your hard work and ensuring the long-term viability of your online presence. Here are some reasons why you should regularly backup your WordPress site:

• Protection Against Hacking
• Data Loss Due to Errors
• Server Issues
• Plugin and Theme Conflicts
• Accidental Deletions
• Website Migration
• Peace of Mind

Protection Against Hacking

Even with the best security measures, websites can still be vulnerable to hacking attempts. If your site is compromised, a backup allows you to quickly restore it to a clean, pre-hacked state, minimizing downtime and preventing data loss. Without a backup, you might have to rebuild your entire site from scratch, which can be a time-consuming and costly process.

Data Loss Due to Errors

Mistakes happen. Whether it's a coding error, a plugin conflict, or accidental deletion, data loss can occur unexpectedly. A backup provides a safety net, allowing you to revert to a previous version of your site before the error occurred, preserving your content and settings.

Server Issues

Web hosting providers are generally reliable, but server outages and technical issues can happen. If your hosting provider experiences a problem that affects your website's data, having a backup ensures that you can quickly restore your site on a different server if necessary. This gives you control over your data and avoids being completely dependent on your hosting provider.

Plugin and Theme Conflicts

WordPress relies on plugins and themes for added functionality and design. However, sometimes updates to these components can cause conflicts with your core WordPress installation or other plugins. A backup allows you to easily restore your site to a point before the conflict occurred, preventing website breakage.

Accidental Deletions

We're all human, and sometimes we make mistakes. Accidentally deleting a post, page, or even your entire database can be devastating. With a backup, you can easily recover the lost content and avoid the frustration of having to recreate it.

Website Migration

If you decide to switch hosting providers or move your website to a different domain, a backup is essential. It simplifies the migration process by allowing you to easily transfer your entire website, including all your content, settings, and files, to the new location.

Peace of Mind

Perhaps the most important reason to backup your WordPress website is the peace of mind it provides. Knowing that you have a recent copy of your website gives you confidence and allows you to focus on creating great content and growing your online presence without constantly worrying about potential disasters. It's like having insurance for your digital assets.

The question of whether to update WordPress core or plugins first is a common one, and the answer, while seemingly simple, requires a nuanced understanding of how WordPress, plugins, and themes interact. There's no universally solid rule, but rather a set of best practices to follow to minimize the risk of something going wrong. The goal is always to maintain a stable and functional website.

Understanding the Interdependencies

WordPress, plugins, and themes are all interconnected. WordPress core provides the foundation, plugins extend its functionality, and themes control the site's appearance. Think of it like a house: the foundation is WordPress, the furniture and appliances are plugins, and the paint and decor are the theme. Changes to one can impact the others.

• WordPress Core
• Plugins
• Themes

WordPress Core

This is the heart of your website. It's the software that powers everything. Core updates often include security patches, performance improvements, and new features.

Plugins

These are add-ons that provide specific functionalities, like contact forms, SEO tools, or e-commerce capabilities. They rely on the WordPress core to function.

Themes

These control the visual design of your website. They work in conjunction with the core and sometimes with specific plugins.

Why the Order Matters

The order in which you update can be crucial because of compatibility issues. Imagine a plugin designed for an older version of WordPress. If you update WordPress core first, that plugin might suddenly become incompatible and break your website. If you update the plugin first, it might require a newer version of WordPress to function correctly.

Best Practices: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here's a recommended approach to updating, designed to minimize risks:

1. Backup Your Website
2. Check Compatibility
3. Update WordPress Core
4. Update Plugins
5. Update Themes
6. Test Thoroughly

Step 1: Backup Your Website

This is the most important step. Before making any updates, create a complete backup of your website, including your files and database. This allows you to restore your site to its previous state if something goes wrong during the update process. Think of it as your safety net. There are numerous backup plugins available, or you can use your hosting provider's backup tools.

Step 2: Check Compatibility

Before updating anything, check the compatibility information for your plugins and themes. Plugin and theme developers often specify which versions of WordPress their products are compatible with. Look for this information on the plugin/theme's page on the WordPress repository or on the developer's website.

Step 3: Update WordPress Core

In most cases, it's recommended to update WordPress core first. This is because plugins and themes are often designed to work with the latest version of WordPress. Updating core first often provides the necessary foundation for plugins and themes to function correctly. However, always check compatibility as described in the previous step.

Step 4: Update Plugins

Once WordPress core is updated, update your plugins. Again, check compatibility beforehand. If a plugin is known to be incompatible with the new WordPress version, do not update it until the developer releases a compatible version. Consider temporarily deactivating incompatible plugins until they are updated.

Step 5: Update Themes

Update your theme last. Themes are generally less likely to have compatibility issues than plugins, but it's still a good practice to check compatibility and update them after WordPress core and plugins.

Step 6: Test Thoroughly

After completing the updates, thoroughly test your website. Check all pages, functionalities, and features to ensure everything is working as expected. Pay close attention to any areas that rely on plugins or themes.

As a note, if you have a complex website or are concerned about potential issues, consider using a staging environment. A staging environment is a copy of your website where you can test updates before applying them to your live site. This allows you to identify and resolve any compatibility issues without affecting your live website.

When to Update Plugins First (Rare Exceptions)

There are rare situations where updating a plugin before WordPress core might be advisable:

• Specific Instructions
• Known Compatibility Issues

Specific Instructions

If a plugin developer explicitly recommends updating the plugin before the WordPress core for a particular update, follow their instructions. This is usually due to specific compatibility requirements.

Known Compatibility Issues

If you're aware of a specific compatibility issue between your current WordPress version and a plugin, and the plugin update addresses that issue, updating the plugin first might be necessary. However, proceed with caution and always back up your website first.

Now that you know the answer to “Should I update WordPress or plugin first?”, it’s time to exercise those best practices. Hopefully this guide can serve as a checklist so your next time updating WordPress goes smoothly. As a last reminder, just make sure to create a backup before you do your updates.