How To Update WordPress

As you are likely aware, WordPress has quickly solidified its place as the top CMS used worldwide. Each month, WordPress issues Maintenance Updates that for FREE to not only improve the functionality of the Content Management System but provide critical security updates anytime vulnerabilities are identified. However, it is astonishing how many business owners don’t update WordPress regularly because they don’t know how or aren’t comfortable doing it without help.

Your web designer likely chose WordPress for your website because of it’s enhanced functionality and regularly available maintenance updates. It is important that you, as a business owner, take advantage of these updates whenever they are available. Often, hackers are able to access a website through security vulnerabilities that would not have been available if the website had been properly maintained.

Every week we see website owners that have missed WordPress updates that resulted in them losing their website due to hackers. In most cases, they do not have backups of their data and are required to invest in a brand new website because the existing data is lost. To help you avoid this costly mistake, we are going to show you how to check your current WordPress version and how to update WordPress if your version is out of date.

Checking Your WordPress version

Before you update WordPress, it is important to understand what version you are currently running and what the newest version is. In order to determine if your WordPress version is out of date, you will need to check the current version of WordPress that your website is operating on. This can easily be done by logging into the admin section of your WordPress site.

Once you have accessed the Dashboard of your WordPress site, scroll to the bottom of the page. On the bottom left you will find the phrase “Thanks for creating with WordPress” and, next to it, you will find the WordPress version number. Compare this version number with the current version here to determine if an update is needed.

Updating WordPress to a Current Version

Once a new version of WordPress is available, you will receive a notification at the top of your Dashboard. If you have regularly kept up with new WordPress versions and the CMS was properly installed, updating is as simple as clicking the “Update Now” button. However, if the CMS was improperly installed or you are behind on regular updates, the “Update Now” button may be unavailable, not work or completely crash your website.

If you do not feel confident updating your website yourself or are fearful of potential damages that may occur if it doesn’t go smoothly, the experts at Skynet Solutions are here to help. As the top web design firm in Tulsa, the Skynet Solutions team does these types of updates many times each day and can typically perform them very quickly and efficiently. If you are interested in our WordPress Maintenance plans to ensure your website remains up to date, please contact us today to get started!