Regularly updating WordPress is crucial for website security and access to the latest features. It's also a good practice to test updates in a non-production environment before applying them to your live site. Follow these steps to update WordPress:
Updating WordPress Through the Dashboard
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Check for Updates: Log in to your WordPress dashboard. If there’s an update available, you’ll see a notification banner.
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Start the Update: Click the Update Now button.
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Wait for the Update to Complete: The update process may take a few minutes, depending on your website’s size and server speed.
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Verify Site Functionality: Once the update finishes, visit your website to ensure everything is working smoothly.
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Restore if Needed: If you experience issues, restore your site from the backup taken before the update.
Updating WordPress via FTP
If you prefer updating via FTP, you can do the following:
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Download the Latest Version: Visit WordPress.org and download the latest version of WordPress.
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Upload Files to Server: Use an FTP client to upload the new WordPress files to your server, replacing the old files.
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Check Functionality: After uploading, follow the same steps 3-5 above to ensure the update was successful.
Important Note
Always create a full backup before updating WordPress. If anything goes wrong, you can easily restore your site from this backup.