{"id":78333,"date":"2026-06-27T23:45:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T03:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/?p=78333"},"modified":"2026-09-24T04:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T08:31:41","slug":"how-to-update-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/how-to-update-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Update WordPress Safely (2026 Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The safest way to update WordPress is to back up your site, confirm that your plugins, theme, and PHP version support the new release, and then install the update from <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates.<\/strong> The process usually takes a few minutes, and WordPress installs minor security releases automatically by default.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to update WordPress through the dashboard:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 1:<\/strong> Back up your website files and database.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 2:<\/strong> Log in to your WordPress admin and go to Dashboard &gt; Updates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 3:<\/strong> Click Update to version [number].<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 4:<\/strong> Wait for WordPress to download and install the update. Your site enters maintenance mode for a few seconds during the process.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 5:<\/strong> Check your key pages, forms, and checkout when the &#8220;What&#8217;s New&#8221; screen appears.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Without further ado, let\u2019s get the ball rolling!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Why You Need A WordPress Update?<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress releases updates regularly to improve security, performance, and functionality. To understand why these updates matter, here is the difference between minor vs major WordPress updates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Major updates<\/strong> introduce new features and changes to the editing experience. WordPress ships a few major releases each year \u2013 in 2026, WordPress 7.0 was released on May 20, and WordPress 7.1 followed on August 19 as the second major release of the year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Minor updates<\/strong> focus on security patches, bug fixes, and smaller performance improvements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Although they serve different purposes, both types of updates help keep your website running properly. By updating WordPress regularly, you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stronger security: <\/strong>Updates patches known vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Better performance:<\/strong> New versions may improve your site\u2019s speed, stability, and overall efficiency.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fewer technical issues: <\/strong>Bug fixes help prevent errors and unexpected behaviour.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improved compatibility: <\/strong>An updated WordPress version is more likely to work smoothly with the latest themes and plugins.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Access to new features: <\/strong>Major releases often introduce tools that improve website management and the visitor experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In short, WordPress updates help your website remain secure, compatible, and reliable. Now that you understand why they matter, let\u2019s move on to how to update WordPress safely.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-detail\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"title\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 28px;\">WordPress Migration Made Easy With LitExtension!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"cta-desc\">LitExtension offers great migration solutions that help you transfer your data from the current eCommerce platform to WordPress accurately, painlessly with utmost security.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn-frame\" href=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/wordpress-migration.html?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=ctabox&amp;utm_term=kristen&amp;utm_content=howtoupdatewordpress_top\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MIGRATE NOW!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-78213\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2-08-1.png\" alt=\"All-in-One Migration Service\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Before You Update: A Quick Checklist<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you understand why WordPress updates matter, some preparation is necessary before installing the latest version. The following checks can reduce the risk of data loss, compatibility conflicts, and unexpected errors. Before moving on to<strong> how to update WordPress<\/strong>, you should complete these three steps.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Back up your WordPress website<\/h3>\n<p>A complete website backup gives you a safe restore point in case the update causes an error. Your backup should include both the WordPress database and website files, including themes, plugins, uploaded media, and configuration files.<\/p>\n<p>The backup should also be stored separately from your hosting server, such as on your local device or in cloud storage. If the update affects your website\u2019s layout or functionality, you can restore the previous version without losing important data.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Check your current WordPress version<\/h3>\n<p>Your current WordPress version is available under <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong>. This page also shows whether new updates are available for WordPress core, themes, or plugins.<\/p>\n<p>Next, check your server. WordPress 7.0 raised the minimum PHP version to 7.4, and sites still running PHP 7.2 or 7.3 aren&#8217;t offered the update and remain on the 6.9 branch. For the best performance and security, WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or higher and MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+.<\/p>\n<p>You can find your PHP version under<strong> Tools &gt; Site Health &gt; Info &gt; Server<\/strong>. If you&#8217;re below the minimum, ask your host to upgrade PHP first, then check your site before updating WordPress.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Review plugin and theme changelogs<\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Outdated plugins and themes cause most update problems. Before updating:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free plugins and themes: <\/strong>Open their WordPress.org pages and check the &#8220;Last updated&#8221; date and the WordPress version they&#8217;re tested up to.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Premium plugins and themes: <\/strong>Read the developer&#8217;s changelog or support forum for known issues.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Site Health: <\/strong>Visit Tools &gt; Site Health to spot critical issues before you start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Pay extra attention to plugins that handle checkout, payments, forms, memberships, or page building. If a critical plugin hasn&#8217;t confirmed support for the new version, wait for its next release or test on staging first. Plugins that haven&#8217;t been updated in over a year may be abandoned and worth replacing.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to Update WordPress Website Manually?<\/h2>\n<p>There are three common methods for anyone learning how to update WordPress manually: using the admin dashboard, FTP, or WP-CLI. Overall, the dashboard offers the simplest option for most users, whereas FTP and WP-CLI provide greater control when dashboard updates are unavailable.<\/p>\n<p>Watch our step-by-step video below to see exactly how to update WordPress safely:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d5qzu1B452Y?si=TNhK2ko9wcOEOQkM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Method 1: Via dashboard<\/h3>\n<p>For sites using WordPress 3.7 or later, minor and security updates usually run automatically in the background. However, if you want to know how to update WordPress to a major release, you may still need to start the process manually:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From your WordPress dashboard, go to <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Under the latest available version, select <strong>Update to version [number]<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94795\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94795\" style=\"width: 1905px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-94795 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version.png\" alt=\"Update to version button in the WordPress dashboard\" width=\"1905\" height=\"745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version.png 1905w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-300x117.png 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-1024x400.png 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-1536x601.png 1536w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-750x293.png 750w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/update-wordpress-version-1140x446.png 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1905px) 100vw, 1905px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94795\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Update WordPress version<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>WordPress will then download and install the update automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sometimes, you might encounter a request for FTP credentials when trying to update WordPress automatically. For WordPress sites hosted on IIS, you can fix this issue with the following steps:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In <strong>IIS Manager<\/strong>, find the application pool connected to your WordPress site.<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>Advanced Settings &gt; Process Model<\/strong>, change <strong>Identity <\/strong>to <strong>LocalSystem<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>Sites<\/strong>, right-click your WordPress site and select <strong>Edit Permissions<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>From the <strong>Security <\/strong>tab, add <strong>Authenticated Users<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once the permissions are updated, WordPress should be able to complete the update without requesting FTP credentials.<\/p>\n<h3>Method 2: Via FTP FileZilla<\/h3>\n<p>If the dashboard update is unavailable or fails, FTP FileZilla provides another way to replace the WordPress core files manually. This method is helpful when learning how to update WordPress without relying on the admin dashboard.<\/p>\n<p>To start with, you will need an FTP client such as FileZilla and access to your server credentials.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From the official<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/download\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> WordPress download page<\/a>, download the latest version and extract the ZIP file.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94793\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94793\" style=\"width: 1690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94793\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1.webp\" alt=\"2a. Download latest WordPress version\" width=\"1690\" height=\"785\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1.webp 1690w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-300x139.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-1024x476.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-768x357.webp 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-1536x713.webp 1536w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-750x348.webp 750w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download-7.1-1140x530.webp 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1690px) 100vw, 1690px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2a. Download latest WordPress version<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>In your WordPress dashboard, temporarily deactivate all plugins to reduce compatibility risks.<\/li>\n<li>Through your FTP client, connect to the website and delete the existing <strong>wp-admin<\/strong> and <strong>wp-includes<\/strong> folders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94792\" style=\"width: 1702px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94792\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file.webp\" alt=\"Delete wp-admin\" width=\"1702\" height=\"713\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file.webp 1702w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-300x126.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-1024x429.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-768x322.webp 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-1536x643.webp 1536w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-750x314.webp 750w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/delete-file-1140x478.webp 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1702px) 100vw, 1702px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2b. Delete wp-admin and wp-includes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>From the extracted package, upload the new <strong>wp-admin<\/strong> and <strong>wp-includes<\/strong> folders. You should then upload the contents of the new <strong>wp-content<\/strong> folder into the existing one without deleting it.<\/li>\n<li>The remaining WordPress core files, such as <strong>index.php<\/strong> and <strong>wp-login.php<\/strong>, should also be uploaded to the root directory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_78338\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78338\" style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78338 size-full\" title=\"how to update wordpress: select the file from local wordpress folder \" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image5.webp\" alt=\"how to update wordpress: select the file from local wordpress folder \" width=\"680\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image5.webp 680w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image5-300x105.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2b. Select all files from the local &#8220;wordpress&#8221; folder, then right-click and choose &#8220;Upload.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Existing files can be overwritten when prompted. Select <strong>Overwrite<\/strong> and <strong>Always use this action<\/strong> to continue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94794\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94794\" style=\"width: 1912px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94794\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files.webp\" alt=\"Select Overwrite files\" width=\"1912\" height=\"803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files.webp 1912w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-300x126.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-1024x430.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-768x323.webp 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-1536x645.webp 1536w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-750x315.webp 750w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Select-Overwrite-files-1140x479.webp 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2c. Select Overwrite and Always use this Action<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once the upload is complete, visit <strong>\/wp-admin<\/strong>. If WordPress requests a database update, select <strong>Update WordPress Database<\/strong> and follow the instructions.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_78337\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78337\" style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78337 size-full\" title=\"how to update wordpress: update wordpress database \" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image4.webp\" alt=\"WordPress database update required screen\" width=\"680\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image4.webp 680w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image4-300x142.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2d. Update WordPress database<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Afterward, you can reactivate your plugins, clear the website cache, and check that the updated site works properly. If the website remains in maintenance mode, the<strong> .maintenance<\/strong> file should be deleted from the WordPress root directory.<\/p>\n<h3>Method 3: Via WP-CLI (advanced)<\/h3>\n<p>WP-CLI allows you to manage WordPress through the command line, making it useful for advanced users, multiple websites, or updates affected by browser timeouts.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your server must have WP-CLI installed. Many hosting providers include it by default, but you can check with your provider or follow the official WP-CLI installation guide.<\/li>\n<li>From a terminal, connect to your server via SSH and navigate to the WordPress installation directory:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<pre>ssh username@yourwebsite.com\r\n\r\ncd \/path\/to\/wordpress<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The latest WordPress core version can be installed with:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<pre>wp core update<\/pre>\n<p>For minor releases only, add the &#8211;minor flag. You can also install a specific version with &#8211;version:<\/p>\n<pre>wp core update --minor\r\n\r\nwp core update --version=6.3.1<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Once the update is complete, the following command will verify the installed WordPress version:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<pre>wp core version<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Your plugins and themes can also be updated through WP-CLI:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<pre>wp plugin update --all\r\n\r\nwp theme update --all<\/pre>\n<p>After running these commands, you should check the website\u2019s pages and key functions to confirm that everything works properly.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to Update WordPress Websites Automatically?<\/h2>\n<p>Automatic updates are the easiest way to keep WordPress secure with minimal effort. WordPress can install core releases, plugin updates, and theme updates in the background. You&#8217;ll still need regular backups in case an update causes a conflict.<\/p>\n<h3>Enable automatic WordPress core updates<\/h3>\n<p>WordPress installs minor maintenance and security releases automatically by default. To enable auto-updates for major releases too:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Go to <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>WordPress will email the site administrator after each automatic update. If you&#8217;d rather stay cautious, keep auto-updates limited to maintenance and security releases.<\/p>\n<p>Developers can also control core auto-updates with this line in <strong>wp-config.php<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<div>\n<pre>define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', 'minor' ); \/\/ Use true for all updates, false to disable<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>For serious vulnerabilities, WordPress.org can push updates to affected sites regardless of these settings. For the 7.0.2 security release, for example, the WordPress.org team enabled forced updates through the auto-update system because of the severity.<\/p>\n<h3>Enable automatic plugin updates<\/h3>\n<p>From<strong> Plugins &gt; Installed Plugins<\/strong>, find the plugins you want WordPress to update automatically.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_92375\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92375\" style=\"width: 1362px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-92375\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-plugins-dashboard.webp\" alt=\"WordPress plugins dashboard\" width=\"1362\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-plugins-dashboard.webp 1362w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-plugins-dashboard-300x114.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-plugins-dashboard-1024x389.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-plugins-dashboard-768x292.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1362px) 100vw, 1362px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-92375\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WordPress plugins dashboard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <strong>Enable auto-updates<\/strong> option appears next to each supported plugin. You can activate it for individual plugins instead of enabling it across the entire website.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_92376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92376\" style=\"width: 1193px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-92376\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-plugins.webp\" alt=\"Enable auto-updates for WordPress plugins\" width=\"1193\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-plugins.webp 1193w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-plugins-300x108.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-plugins-1024x368.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-plugins-768x276.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1193px) 100vw, 1193px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-92376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enable auto-updates for WordPress plugins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We recommend enabling auto-updates for simple, well-maintained plugins and updating business-critical plugins (checkout, payments, page builders) manually after testing. As a safety net, since WordPress 6.6, if a plugin or theme auto-update triggers an error, WordPress reverts it to the previous version and emails the site owner.<\/p>\n<h3>Enable automatic theme updates<\/h3>\n<p>From<strong> Appearance &gt; Themes<\/strong>, select an installed theme and choose <strong>Enable auto-updates<\/strong> from its details panel. WordPress will automatically install future versions of that theme when they become available.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_92377\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92377\" style=\"width: 855px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-92377\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-themes.webp\" alt=\"Enable auto-updates for WordPress themes\" width=\"855\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-themes.webp 855w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-themes-300x145.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/enable-auto-updates-wordpress-themes-768x370.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-92377\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enable auto-updates for WordPress themes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve edited your theme&#8217;s files directly, don&#8217;t enable auto-updates \u2013 your changes will be overwritten. Use a child theme for customizations instead.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to Upgrade WordPress with LitExtension Experts<\/h2>\n<p>Updating in place works well for most sites. But if your store is several major versions behind, running on outdated PHP, or heavily customized, a direct update can break themes, plugins, and custom code all at once.<\/p>\n<p>In these cases, it&#8217;s often safer to set up a fresh, up-to-date WordPress installation and move your data across. With our <a href=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/wordpress-migration\/wordpress-to-wordpress-migration.html?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=anchortext&amp;utm_term=aurora&amp;utm_content=howtoupdatewordpress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress upgrade service<\/a>, LitExtension&#8217;s experts transfer your products, customers, orders, and other essential data from your old store to the new one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94803\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94803\" style=\"width: 1502px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94803\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension.webp\" alt=\"WordPress upgrade with LitExtension\" width=\"1502\" height=\"686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension.webp 1502w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension-300x137.webp 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension-1024x468.webp 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension-768x351.webp 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension-750x343.webp 750w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wordpress-upgrade-litextension-1140x521.webp 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1502px) 100vw, 1502px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94803\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WordPress upgrade with LitExtension<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how the process works:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free consultation:<\/strong> We review your data volume, WordPress version, plugins, and custom fields, then recommend a plan with a clear quote.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Migrate your essential store data:<\/strong> We transfer products, customers, orders, and other selected data from the outdated store while preserving their relationships.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test and complete the upgrade:<\/strong> Our team checks the migrated data and store functions, resolves any issues, and transfers newly generated data before launch.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support your store after migration: <\/strong>Within up to 60 days after the full migration, we can help migrate recent data, update migrated records, or rerun the migration when needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Troubleshooting Errors When Updating WordPress<\/h2>\n<p>Most WordPress updates finish without any issues. However, if something goes wrong, it&#8217;s usually caused by incomplete file replacement, plugin or theme conflicts, or server caching. Let\u2019s discuss what causes these errors and how to fix them:<\/p>\n<h3>Stuck in maintenance mode<\/h3>\n<p>After updating WordPress, some users see the message <strong>&#8220;Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.<\/strong>&#8221; even though the update has already finished. This issue is likely to happen when an automatic update is interrupted before WordPress can remove its temporary maintenance file.<\/p>\n<p>To fix it, you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Connect to your website using FTP or your hosting File Manager<\/li>\n<li>Delete the<strong> .maintenance<\/strong> file located in your WordPress root directory<\/li>\n<li>Refresh your website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also, if the update was interrupted before completion, verify that all WordPress core files have been uploaded successfully before putting your site back into production.<\/p>\n<h3>White screen or critical error after updating<\/h3>\n<p>If your site suddenly displays a blank white page or a <strong>&#8220;There has been a critical error on this website&#8221;<\/strong> message after an update, the most likely cause is a compatibility issue between the new WordPress version and an outdated plugin, theme, or custom code.<\/p>\n<p>To fix this, you need to disable all plugins:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If your website becomes accessible again, reactivate each plugin one at a time until you identify the incompatible one.<\/li>\n<li>If the problem persists, temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme to determine whether the issue comes from your theme instead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Updating your plugins and themes before upgrading WordPress can significantly reduce the chance of encountering this error.<\/p>\n<h3>Changes don\u2019t appear after updating<\/h3>\n<p>Even though WordPress reports that the update completed successfully, your website still looks exactly the same. In most cases, the update itself was successful; the old version is simply being served from your browser, WordPress caching plugin, server cache, or CDN cache.<\/p>\n<p>To fix this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear your browser cache and refresh the page.<\/li>\n<li>Purge any caching plugin you&#8217;re using<\/li>\n<li>Clear your hosting server cache and CDN cache if applicable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After all caches have been cleared, revisit your WordPress dashboard and confirm that the new version number is displayed under<strong> Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong> or in the<strong> At a Glance<\/strong> section.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>What to Do After the WordPress Update Process?<\/h2>\n<p>Updating is only half the job. Take 10 minutes to confirm everything works:<\/p>\n<p>First things first, go back to the Admin Dashboard and look under the At A Glance module. Your site is now supposed to be running on the latest version of WordPress.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28322\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28322\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28322\" src=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/wp_12-1024x732.png\" alt=\"WordPress update: Your WordPress site has been successfully upgraded\" width=\"750\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/wp_12-1024x732.png 1024w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/wp_12-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/wp_12-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/wp_12.png 1071w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28322\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Your WordPress site has been successfully upgraded<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Remember you disabled the caching before updating? It\u2019s time to reactivate it! Also, you might want to <strong>take a look at your posts, media, and pages to make sure everything is well displayed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to Update WordPress Website: FAQs<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq faq-single-post\">\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How do I update my WordPress site?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>You should first back up your website files and database. Then, go to <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong>, select <strong>Update to version [number]<\/strong>, and wait for WordPress to complete the installation. FTP and WP-CLI are alternative methods if the dashboard update fails or you need more control.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What is the latest version of WordPress?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>As of September 2026, the latest version i<strong>s WordPress 7.1.2.<\/strong> It shipped on September 22 with a fix for a critical flaw affecting every version from 4.7.0 through 7.1.1, so update as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Sites still on the 7.0 branch can update to 7.0.6, released the same day. You can always confirm the newest version on the official WordPress release archive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Is it necessary to update WordPress?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Yes. Regular WordPress updates patch security vulnerabilities, fix bugs, improve performance, and maintain compatibility with newer plugins and themes. An outdated installation may become less secure and more likely to experience technical issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Does WordPress update automatically?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>WordPress usually installs minor maintenance and security updates automatically. Major core updates require automatic updates to be enabled, while plugins and themes have separate auto-update settings. You should still maintain regular backups and check your website after each update.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How difficult is it to update WordPress?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Updating WordPress through the dashboard is generally straightforward and only takes a few clicks. FTP and WP-CLI require more technical knowledge, particularly when you need to manage server files, permissions, or command-line operations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Final Words<\/h2>\n<p>Now you know how to update WordPress safely, whether you prefer a few clicks in the dashboard, full control with FTP or WP-CLI, or hands-off automatic updates. Whichever method you choose, back up first, test major releases on staging, and check your key pages after every update.<\/p>\n<p>If your store is several versions behind or running on outdated server software, updating in place can be risky. LitExtension can move your products, customers, and orders to a fresh, up-to-date WordPress installation for you. With over 15 years of experience, we\u2019re confident we can make your <a href=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/wordpress-migration\/wordpress-to-wordpress-migration.html?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=anchortext&amp;utm_term=aurora&amp;utm_content=howtoupdatewordpress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress update<\/a> just as smooth and pleasant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The safest way to update WordPress is to back up your site, confirm that your plugins, theme, and PHP version support the new release, and then install the update from Dashboard &gt; Updates. The process usually takes a few minutes, and WordPress installs minor security releases automatically by default. Here&#8217;s how to update WordPress through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":79259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"bottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"0","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"0","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"0","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"no-crop","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0","format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[16960,16700],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-78333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress","category-platform-tutorials"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress.webp",1617,1067,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-300x198.webp",300,198,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-768x507.webp",768,507,true],"large":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-1024x676.webp",1024,676,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-1536x1014.webp",1536,1014,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress.webp",1617,1067,false],"jnews-360x180":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-360x180.webp",360,180,true],"jnews-750x375":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-750x375.webp",750,375,true],"jnews-1140x570":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-1140x570.webp",1140,570,true],"jnews-120x86":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-120x86.webp",120,86,true],"jnews-350x250":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-350x250.webp",350,250,true],"jnews-750x536":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-750x536.webp",750,536,true],"jnews-1140x815":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-1140x815.webp",1140,815,true],"jnews-360x504":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-360x504.webp",360,504,true],"jnews-75x75":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-75x75.webp",75,75,true],"jnews-350x350":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress-350x350.webp",350,350,true],"jnews-featured-750":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress.webp",750,495,false],"jnews-featured-1140":["https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/how-to-update-wordpress.webp",1140,752,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Kristen Quach","author_link":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/author\/kristenq\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The safest way to update WordPress is to back up your site, confirm that your plugins, theme, and PHP version support the new release, and then install the update from Dashboard &gt; Updates. The process usually takes a few minutes, and WordPress installs minor security releases automatically by default. Here&#8217;s how to update WordPress through&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78333"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94806,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78333\/revisions\/94806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78333"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=78333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}