When it comes to creating websites, WordPress is the go-to for many individuals and brands. This is because WordPress offers the functionality and ease of use many people look for in their website development process. Plus, once the website is up and running, having access to features and plugins to boost functionality makes WordPress all the better.
Unfortunately, WordPress isn’t free from hindrances. Many of those who work with plenty of WordPress plugins commonly run into compatibility and operating issues when the plugins are updated. This may be because they updated the plugin without checking what the update is about or because the update itself isn’t compatible with their website. Regardless, preventing this issue in the first place can help save plenty of time and money.
With that being said, here’s what you need to do to update your WordPress plugins safely.
The first thing you must always do before carrying out an update is to understand the update details. The author of the update will generally include all the changes that are part of the update, so going through that will help you know what to expect out of it. Keep an eye out for any instructions you must follow before the update is carried out. This is to ensure that you do not miss any critical steps for an effective update process.
Before you run the update, it’s best to set up a backup for the website in case anything happens. Using the WP Reset plugin is a quick and easy way to back up and restore your website should problems occur. It even has a workaround for the most challenging issues, meaning that no matter the issue you run into, WP Reset will be able to restore your website.
Note that WP Reset itself is a plugin, so do take the time to go through what it has to offer before installing it.
You are generally given two methods to update your plugins: automatic or manual.
With automatic updates, the plugins themselves will automatically update as soon as the developer releases them. You can enable this by going to the Plugins area of your WordPress dashboard. From there, click installed plugins and look for the automatic update option.
If the automatic update option is not available, then you will have to update the plugins manually. There are several ways to do this, but the easiest way is to go into installed plugins and look for the option to update the plugin. Once you click the button, it should update right away. To update multiple plugins at once, click all the corresponding checkboxes and choose update.
While updating may seem like a hassle-free and straightforward task, problems can occur if you are not careful. As such, we always recommend that you save a backup of your website and use the WP Reset plugin should your website become unresponsive after the update. After that, go ahead and read what the update is about and ensure it is installed correctly. In following these steps, you ensure that the update is done correctly and that any issues you face can quickly be resolved with a simple restoration of your website’s backup.
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