Updating WordPress manually can be necessary if the automatic update feature doesn’t work or if you need more control over the update process. Here’s a straightforward guide to manually update your WordPress site. Before proceeding, ensure you back up your WordPress site, including your database and files, to avoid any loss of data.
Step 1: Download the Latest WordPress Version
- Go to the official WordPress website.
- Click on the “Download WordPress” button to get the latest version.
- Save the .zip file to your computer and extract it. You’ll have a folder named “wordpress” containing all the necessary files.
Step 2: Deactivate All Plugins
To prevent any compatibility issues during the update, it’s wise to deactivate all your plugins.
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Go to “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins”.
- Select all plugins, choose “Deactivate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, and then apply.
Step 3: Update WordPress Files
- Via FTP: Connect to your website using an FTP client like FileZilla.
- Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress site. It’s usually named public_html or named after your site.
- On your computer, open the “WordPress” folder you extracted.
- Select all files and folders except the “wp-content” folder. The “wp-content” folder contains your themes, plugins, and uploads, so you don’t want to overwrite this folder.
- Drag and drop these files to your website’s root directory in your FTP client. When prompted, select “Overwrite” and choose to apply this action to all current and future files. Your FTP client will replace the old WordPress files with the new ones, except for the “wp-content” folder.
Step 4: Update Your WordPress Database
- After uploading the files, open your web browser and log in to your WordPress admin panel.
- If a database update is required, WordPress will detect it and prompt you with a message to update your database. Click on the button to proceed with the database update.
Step 5: Reactivate Plugins
- Go back to “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard.
- Select all plugins, choose “Activate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, and then apply to reactivate your plugins.
Step 6: Clear Cache
If you’re using a caching plugin or your web hosting provides caching features, clear your site’s cache to ensure that all changes are reflected and that your site visitors can see the latest version of your site.
Step 7: Verify the Site’s Functionality
- Check your website’s front end to ensure everything is loading correctly.
- Verify that your admin area is working as expected.
- Test some key functionalities, such as posting articles, submitting forms, etc.
By following these steps, you can manually update WordPress safely and ensure that your site remains secure and functional with the latest WordPress features and improvements.
Update WordPress From the WordPress Dashboard
Updating WordPress from the dashboard is typically the simplest method to ensure your site is running the latest version. This approach is recommended for most users due to its ease of use and minimal risk. Here’s how you can update WordPress directly from the WordPress Dashboard:
Before You Start
- Backup Your Website: Always back up your entire website, including all files and the database, before proceeding with the update. This ensures that you can restore your site to its previous state if anything goes wrong during the update process.
- Check Compatibility: Ensure that your themes and plugins are compatible with the latest version of WordPress. You can usually find this information on the plugin or theme’s page on the WordPress.org website or the developer’s website.
Updating WordPress from the Dashboard
- Log In to Your WordPress Dashboard: Go to your website and add /wp-admin to your site’s URL (for example, www.yoursite.com/wp-admin). Enter your login credentials to access the dashboard.
- Backup Your Site: Even though this is a reminder, ensuring you have a recent backup cannot be overstated.
- Deactivate Plugins (Optional): This step is optional but recommended by some professionals to prevent any compatibility issues during the update. You can deactivate plugins by going to “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins”, selecting all plugins, choosing “Deactivate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, and then clicking “Apply”.
- Go to Updates: Click on the “Dashboard” menu item, then click on “Updates”. If there is a WordPress update available, it will be indicated here.
- Update WordPress: If an update is available, you will see a message saying, “An updated version of WordPress is available.” Click the “Update Now” button to start the update process. The process might take a few minutes. Do not close the browser or interrupt the process until it’s completed.
- Reactivate Plugins: If you deactivated any plugins before the update, go back to “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins”, select all plugins, choose “Activate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, and click “Apply” to reactivate them.
- Check Your Site: After the update is complete, it’s crucial to check your website to make sure everything is working correctly. Visit your site, check different pages, and test functionalities to ensure everything is functioning as expected.
- Clear Cache: If you’re using a caching plugin or service, clear your site’s cache after the update. This ensures that you and your visitors will see the latest version of your site.
After Updating
- Stay Informed: After updating, look out for any notifications in your WordPress Dashboard about further updates or required actions, such as updating your PHP version or updating individual plugins and themes.
Updating WordPress from the dashboard is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance the security and functionality of your site. Regular updates help protect your site from vulnerabilities, fix bugs, and introduce new features to keep your site running smoothly.
Why you should need to Update WordPress Manually
Updating WordPress manually might seem like a task for those who are more technically inclined, but there are several circumstances where it becomes necessary or even preferable over the automatic update feature. Understanding why you might need to update WordPress manually can help you maintain your website more effectively, ensuring it’s secure, functional, and up-to-date. Here are some key reasons:
1. Update Failures or Errors
Automatic updates might fail due to various reasons such as server timeouts, incorrect file permissions, or conflicts with plugins/themes. If your site encounters an error during an automatic update, you might need to complete the update process manually to ensure your WordPress installation is current.
2. Customized or Modified Core Files
If you’ve made custom changes to WordPress core files (which is not recommended), automatic updates could overwrite these changes. In such cases, updating manually allows you to control the process more closely, helping to preserve custom modifications. However, it’s better to use child themes or plugins for customizations to avoid this issue.
3. Staging Environment Testing
Before applying updates to a live site, it’s best practice to test them in a staging environment to ensure they don’t break any site functionality. Once you’ve verified that the update works as expected in staging, you can manually update the live site with confidence.
4. Troubleshooting and Debugging
If your website is experiencing issues, and you suspect a recent automatic update might be the cause, manually reinstalling the WordPress core files can help troubleshoot the problem. This process can help ensure all WordPress files are clean and up to date, potentially solving the issue.
5. Hosting Restrictions
Some hosting environments might have restrictions that prevent automatic updates from occurring. In such cases, manual updates are the only way to ensure WordPress is kept up to date.
6. Learning and Control
For those who wish to understand the inner workings of WordPress better, manually updating is an excellent way to learn more about the CMS, file structure, and maintenance processes. It offers more control over when and how updates are applied, which jobs can be crucial for large or complex sites.
How to Prepare for a Manual Update
- Backup Your Website: Always back up your entire website, including the database, before attempting a manual update. This precaution ensures you can restore your site if something goes wrong.
- Check Compatibility: Ensure all themes and plugins are compatible with the new WordPress version before updating. This check can prevent functionality issues after the update.
- Read the Changelog: Understanding what changes come with the new WordPress version can help you anticipate any adjustments you might need to make to your site post-update.
Updating WordPress manually can seem daunting at first, but it’s a valuable skill for website owners and developers. It ensures that you can keep your site updated, secure, and functioning correctly, even when automatic updates aren’t an option.
