{"id":718,"date":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/update-wordpress-safely\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","slug":"update-wordpress-safely","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/update-wordpress-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"sfl-hero sfl-hero-s\"><div class=\"sfl-w\"><div class=\"sfl-bc\"><a href=\"\/learn\/\">Learn<\/a> \/ <a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/\">How-To Guides<\/a><\/div><h1>How to Update WordPress, Themes and <em>Plugins Safely<\/em><\/h1><div class=\"sfl-lead\"><p>WordPress, your theme and your plugins all get regular updates. This guide shows a simple routine for applying them safely, checking your site afterward and recovering quickly if an update causes trouble.<\/p><p>Updates fix security holes that attackers actively look for, along with bugs and compatibility issues. Out-of-date plugins are one of the most common ways small business sites get hacked. A steady, careful update habit protects your site without the fear of breaking it.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"sfl-meta\"><span>\u23f1 20 minutes<\/span><span>\u25ce Beginner<\/span><span>\u2630 8 steps<\/span><span>\u21bb Updated Oct 2026<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"sfl-w sfl-art sfl-art3\"><nav class=\"sfl-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><b>On this page<\/b><a href=\"#need\">What you need<\/a><a href=\"#steps\">Steps<\/a><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common mistakes<\/a><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/nav><article class=\"sfl-prose\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-need\" id=\"need\"><h4>What you need<\/h4><ul><li>WordPress administrator access<\/li><li>A recent backup of files and database<\/li><li>A staging site, if your host offers one<\/li><\/ul><\/div><h2 id=\"steps\">Steps<\/h2><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>1<\/b><div><h3>Back up your site first<\/h3><p>Before any update, make a fresh backup of both your files and your database. WordPress itself reminds you of this on the Updates screen. Use your backup plugin&#8217;s Backup Now button or your host&#8217;s backup tool, and confirm the backup finished. If an update goes wrong, this is how you get back to a working site in minutes.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>2<\/b><div><h3>Review what needs updating<\/h3><p>Go to Dashboard, then Updates, to see everything waiting in one place: WordPress itself, plugins, themes and translations. Click a plugin&#8217;s view details link to read its changelog. Note any large version jumps or plugins that run important features, like forms, booking or checkout. Those deserve extra attention and should be updated one at a time.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>3<\/b><div><h3>Check compatibility<\/h3><p>Open Tools, then Site Health, and look at the Info tab to see your PHP version. WordPress currently recommends PHP 8.3 or newer. On each plugin&#8217;s page in the WordPress plugin directory, check when it was last updated and which WordPress version it was tested with. A plugin with no updates in a year or more may be abandoned, so look for a maintained replacement.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>4<\/b><div><h3>Test on a staging site when you can<\/h3><p>A staging site is a private copy of your website where you can try updates without affecting visitors. Many hosts offer one-click staging or a clone tool in their control panel. Apply the updates there first, click through your key pages, then repeat on the live site. For a simple brochure site, a good backup may be enough instead.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> Schedule updates for your quietest time of day so fewer customers notice if something needs fixing.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>5<\/b><div><h3>Update in a sensible order<\/h3><p>Start with WordPress core by clicking the update button at the top of the Updates screen. Then update plugins, and finally themes. On a small site you can select all plugins and update them together. On a site that takes payments or bookings, update the most important plugins individually so you know exactly which one caused a problem.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>6<\/b><div><h3>Check your site right away<\/h3><p>Open your site in a private browser window and on your phone. Visit the homepage, a few inner pages and any forms or checkout steps, and submit a test form. Clear your caching plugin or server cache if you use one, so you see the current version. Catching a problem in the first few minutes is far easier than hearing about it from a customer.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>7<\/b><div><h3>Recover if something breaks<\/h3><p>If a plugin causes a fatal error, WordPress pauses it and emails the site&#8217;s admin address a link to recovery mode, where you can deactivate the plugin. If you cannot reach the dashboard at all, open cPanel File Manager, go to wp-content, then plugins, and rename the folder of the plugin you just updated. If the site is stuck on a maintenance message, delete the .maintenance file in your main WordPress folder.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> When all else fails, restore the backup you made in step one.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>8<\/b><div><h3>Turn on auto-updates where it makes sense<\/h3><p>WordPress installs minor maintenance and security releases automatically on most sites. You can also turn on auto-updates for trusted plugins on the Plugins screen, one at a time or in bulk, and for themes under Appearance, then Themes. WordPress emails you after each automatic update. Keep critical plugins, like your store or page builder, on manual updates so you can watch them closely.<\/p><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"mistakes\">Common Mistakes<\/h2><ul class=\"sfl-mk\"><li>Updating without a backup and then having no clean version to go back to when the site breaks.<\/li><li>Editing your theme&#8217;s files directly, so the next theme update wipes out your changes. Use a child theme instead.<\/li><li>Ignoring updates for months, which leaves known security holes open and makes the eventual jump riskier.<\/li><\/ul><h2 id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2><details class=\"sfl-faq\" open><summary>How often should I update WordPress and plugins?<\/summary><p>Check for updates at least once a week. Apply security releases as soon as they appear, since attackers move quickly once a vulnerability is public. Larger feature updates can wait a few days while other site owners report any issues, but they should not sit for weeks. A regular weekly routine keeps each round of updates small and easy.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>Should I turn on automatic updates for everything?<\/summary><p>Not always. Automatic updates are great for small, well-maintained plugins and for WordPress security releases. For plugins that run critical features, such as your online store, membership area or page builder, many owners prefer manual updates after a backup so they can test right away. Combine auto-updates with automatic daily backups for the best protection.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>What if a plugin has not been updated in years?<\/summary><p>Treat it as a risk. An abandoned plugin will not get security fixes and may stop working with newer WordPress or PHP versions. Look for an actively maintained plugin that does the same job, test it on a staging site, then switch. If the feature is no longer needed, deactivate and delete the plugin entirely.<\/p><\/details><\/article><aside class=\"sfl-aside\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-box-o\"><h4>Want hosting handled?<\/h4><p>Fast, secure WordPress hosting with updates, backups and monitoring taken care of.<\/p><a class=\"sfl-btn sfl-btn-w\" href=\"\/wordpress-hosting\/\">See WordPress hosting<\/a><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>Terms in this guide<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel\"><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/software-updates\/\">Software updates<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/wordpress\/\">WordPress<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/plugin\/\">Plugin<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/theme\/\">Theme<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/child-theme\/\">Child theme<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/staging-site\/\">Staging site<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/backup\/\">Backup<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/php\/\">PHP<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>More guides<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel sfl-col\"><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/choose-and-register-a-domain-name\/\">How to Choose and Register a Domain Name for Your Business<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/point-your-domain-to-your-website\/\">How to Point Your Domain to Your Website (DNS Records Explained)<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-business-email-on-your-domain\/\">How to Set Up Business Email on Your Own Domain<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-spf-dkim-dmarc\/\">How to Set Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC So Your Emails Don&#8217;t Land in Spam<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/aside><\/div><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How often should I update WordPress and plugins?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Check for updates at least once a week. 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Updates fix security holes that attackers actively look for, along with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":533,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sitefitters-canvas.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Update WordPress core, themes and plugins without breaking your site: back up first, check compatibility, test on staging, and know how to recover quickly.","sfb_learn":"1","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-718","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.7 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Update WordPress core, themes and plugins without breaking your site: back up first, check compatibility, test on staging, and know how to recover quickly.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/update-wordpress-safely\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Update WordPress core, themes and plugins without breaking your site: back up first, check compatibility, test on staging, and know how to recover quickly.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/update-wordpress-safely\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sitefitters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/update-wordpress-safely\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/update-wordpress-safely\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-26T03:50:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Update WordPress core, themes and plugins without breaking your site: back up first, check compatibility, test on staging, and know how to recover quickly.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/update-wordpress-safely\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/update-wordpress-safely\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/update-wordpress-safely\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Website 101\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How-To Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"How to Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins Safely\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sitefitters\",\"description\":\"Custom Websites, Apps &amp; 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