Keeping WordPress, its plugins and its themes up to date is the single most important thing you can do for site security and performance. The majority of hacked WordPress sites worldwide are running outdated software with publicly known vulnerabilities. Updates patch those holes, fix bugs and improve compatibility with modern PHP versions. On a smartxhosting.uk plan, you have three routes to applying updates: the WordPress dashboard, the Plesk WordPress Toolkit, and the Toolkit's Smart Update which tests updates on staging before applying to production. This guide walks through each, covers auto-update strategy, and shows exactly what to do if an update breaks something.
Why WordPress updates matter · Types of WordPress updates · Updating via the WordPress dashboard · Updating via Plesk WordPress Toolkit · Configuring auto-updates in WordPress · Auto-updates via WordPress Toolkit · Smart Updates — the safest update method · Update strategy for UK businesses · What to do if an update breaks your site · Frequently asked questions
The overwhelming majority of hacked WordPress sites run outdated software with known vulnerabilities that attackers exploit automatically. Updates patch those vulnerabilities, fix bugs, improve browser and PHP compatibility, and often ship performance improvements.
Beyond security, updates prevent a snowball effect. The longer you defer updating, the bigger the gap between your version and the current one, the more likely a large jump causes conflicts. A regular update cadence keeps changes small and manageable.
For UK GDPR Article 32 compliance, applying security patches in a timely manner is a documented expectation under "appropriate technical measures".
Not all updates carry the same risk.
e.g. 6.7.1 → 6.7.2. Security patches, critical bug fixes. Small, low-risk, applied automatically by default. Always keep auto-updates enabled for minor core releases.
e.g. 6.7 → 6.8. New features, editor improvements, sometimes significant platform changes. Higher risk of plugin/theme incompatibility. Test before applying on a live site.
Plugin developers release updates for bug fixes, security patches, new features. Risk varies:
Bug fixes, security patches, WordPress compatibility. If you have customised the theme directly (not via a child theme), updates overwrite your changes. Use child themes to protect customisation.
Built-in update screen shows everything in one place.
Dashboard > Updates. Shows pending updates for core, plugins, themes.
If a new version is available, a prominent notice appears. Click Update to version X.X. WordPress downloads files, enters maintenance mode briefly, applies update, returns to normal.
Below core update, list of plugins with available updates. Tick desired (or Select All), click Update Plugins.
Themes with pending updates at the bottom. Select, click Update Themes.
Always back up before major updates. Trigger an on-demand backup via Plesk or UpdraftPlus before applying. See backup guide.
Every smartxhosting.uk WordPress plan includes Plesk WordPress Toolkit. The Toolkit provides a centralised server-level view of all WordPress installations and their update status.
For multiple sites, use the server-wide Plugins or Themes tab in WordPress Toolkit. Update each item individually or use bulk action.
The Toolkit automatically creates a lightweight restore point before each update. Not a full backup — just enough to undo a problematic update quickly. For reliable recovery, always keep a full backup too.
WordPress has built-in auto-update controls.
Enabled by default. Automatically downloads and installs security patches and minor bug-fix releases. Never disable this.
Plugins > Installed Plugins. Automatic Updates column. Click Enable auto-updates per plugin. Per-plugin control so you can auto-update stable utilities and leave customised plugins manual.
Appearance > Themes, click a theme for details, click Enable auto-updates.
WordPress emails the site administrator after each auto-update confirming what was updated and whether it succeeded. Check these emails regularly.
Plesk WordPress Toolkit offers more granular auto-update settings than the dashboard, manageable without logging into each site.
Per site, set:
Set for all plugins and themes on a site, or per plugin/theme individually. Same three options.
Set default update policies that apply to all new WordPress installations. Useful for agencies managing many client sites.
Available on WP Toolkit Deluxe. The Toolkit:
Dramatically reduces risk from major updates. If the staging diff shows the site still looks right, push to production with confidence. If the diff shows broken layouts or missing content, investigate before touching production.
Worth the upgrade for agencies managing multiple WordPress sites.
A practical cadence.
wp-content/plugins/ via Plesk File Manager. WordPress treats it as uninstalled and reloads normally.Once site is back online from a rollback, figure out what broke. Check:
Should I enable auto-updates for everything?
Core minor updates: yes, always. Plugin minor updates: yes for stable utilities. Plugin major updates: cautiously, test on staging for critical plugins. Theme updates: yes if using a child theme; cautiously otherwise.
Why did WordPress send me an email about a plugin that failed to update?
WordPress notifies when auto-update fails — usually due to file permissions, PHP errors, or plugin author removing the plugin. Investigate via the error log and retry manually.
How do I know if an update is safe to apply?
Check the plugin's changelog for notable changes. Scan the plugin's support forum for recent bug reports. For WordPress core major releases, give it 1–2 weeks after release for plugin authors to issue compatibility updates.
Can I roll back a WordPress core update?
Yes, via Plesk backup restoration. There is also the WP Downgrade plugin but backups are safer. For individual plugins, WP Rollback plugin is designed for this.
What if I have not updated in months?
Do not update everything at once. Start with backups. Apply WordPress core first (may need to jump through intermediate versions). Then plugins one at a time, most critical first. Watch for issues at each step.
Does updating ever improve performance?
Frequently yes. WordPress 6.x releases have been performance-focused — each version measurably faster than the last. Major plugins similarly optimise between releases.
Can I disable auto-updates entirely?
Technically yes, via constants in wp-config.php. Not recommended — you become solely responsible for applying security patches. Very few situations justify this.
Should I update in the morning or evening?
Traditionally off-peak times. For UK businesses, early morning (6-8 am) or late evening. Allows rollback time before the next business day's traffic peak. Mid-day updates during high traffic are the riskiest.
What about WordPress multisite?
Updates apply at the network level. Super Admins can update core; network-activated plugins/themes update for all subsites. Plesk WordPress Toolkit supports multisite update management.
How long do updates take?
Plugin update: seconds per plugin. Theme update: similar. WordPress core minor: 10–30 seconds. WordPress core major: 30–120 seconds plus maintenance mode. During the maintenance mode window, visitors see a brief "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance" page.
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