7 steps to updating WordPress plugins safely

Written by zerophoid on July 5, 2022. Posted in Plugins.

We are always asked by clients

Is it safe to update WordPress plugins?
Should you update WordPress or plugins first?
How do I update WordPress plugins?
How often should you update WordPress plugins?
Will updating WordPress break my site?
Will updating WordPress affect my site?
How do I update WordPress without losing content?
How do I manually update my WordPress core?

To answer the questions its never yes / no 1.2.3 as each WordPress site development is different. It requires years of insight into the themes, plugins, and widget layouts installed. Many pre-built themes have predefined plugins that work with the website in a specific way.

For example:

A client may have a Multi-Purpose Responsive WooCommerce Theme
The theme has a couple of demo option on layouts and included WooCommerce, part of the theme is a funky wishlist option or the product mages displays in in a certain layout / function.

Back up your site. …
Turn caching off. …
Update your themes and plugins. …
Update the WordPress core. …
Turn the caching back on. …
Check if everything is okay. …
Back up your site again.