Quick Takeaways
- To update a WordPress plugin, go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and click Update now, or update several at once from Dashboard → Updates.
- Back up the site first. Most broken sites after an update can be fixed in minutes if a fresh backup exists.
- Update one plugin at a time, then check your homepage, contact form, and anything that takes payments or bookings.
- Auto-updates are fine for simple plugins. Update page builders, WooCommerce, and form or payment plugins by hand.
- Skipping updates is riskier than applying them. Outdated plugins are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get hacked.
To update WordPress plugins safely, back up your site, update one plugin at a time from Plugins → Installed Plugins, and check the important pages after each update. If something breaks, you can restore the backup or roll the plugin back to its previous version. For simple plugins you trust, you can turn on automatic updates so they stay current on their own.
Below are the three ways to update plugins, a safe step-by-step routine, when to use auto-updates, and what to do if an update breaks your site.
Why WordPress Plugin Updates Matter
Plugin updates fix security holes, fix bugs, and keep plugins working with the latest WordPress and PHP versions. Security fixes are the big one: once a vulnerability is made public, automated bots start scanning the web for sites still running the old version. Outdated plugins are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get hacked.
The longer updates are put off, the harder they get. Jumping several versions at once is more likely to cause conflicts than small, regular updates. Why websites break without ongoing management explains how small gaps add up.
How to Update WordPress Plugins: 3 Ways
1. Update one plugin from the Plugins screen
- Log in to WordPress and go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
- Plugins with an update available show a yellow notice: “There is a new version available.”
- Click View version details to see what changed, then click Update now.
- Wait for “Updated!” before moving to the next one.
2. Update several plugins at once
- Go to Dashboard → Updates and scroll to the Plugins section.
- Tick the plugins you want to update and click Update Plugins.
This is faster, but if something breaks it’s harder to tell which plugin caused it. Use it for small, low-risk plugins, and update big ones separately.
3. Update a premium plugin manually
Paid plugins sometimes don’t update from the dashboard, usually because the license key isn’t entered or has expired. To update one by hand:
- Download the latest ZIP file from the plugin seller’s account page.
- Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP, and click Install Now.
- When WordPress says the plugin is already installed, click Replace current with uploaded.
A Safe Plugin Update Routine
This is the routine that keeps updates from turning into emergencies:
- Back up the site, files and database. See how to back up a WordPress site.
- Read the changelog for big plugins. A major version jump (say 3.x to 4.0) deserves more care than a small fix.
- Update one plugin at a time, starting with security fixes.
- Check the site after each one: the homepage, a service page, the contact form (send a test), and any booking or checkout pages.
- Clear your cache if something looks off. Caching plugins and hosts can show an old version of a page.
- Use a staging site for big updates. Many hosts offer one-click staging, a private copy of your site where you can test updates first.
- Pick a quiet time. Update when traffic is low and you have time to fix things, not on a Friday evening.
Should You Turn On WordPress Auto-Updates for Plugins?
WordPress can update plugins automatically. On the Plugins → Installed Plugins screen, each plugin has an Enable auto-updates link, and you can turn it on for several at once from the Bulk actions menu. Automatic updates run in the background, usually twice a day.
| Usually safe to auto-update | Better to update by hand |
|---|---|
| Security and spam-protection plugins | Page builders and your theme |
| Small, single-purpose plugins | WooCommerce and its extensions |
| Well-known plugins with a long track record | Form, booking, and payment plugins |
| Plugins you rarely use in the editor | Anything heavily customized |
Auto-updates without backups are risky, so if you turn them on, make sure daily backups are running too. Recent versions of WordPress will roll back an automatic plugin update that causes a fatal error, which helps, but it doesn’t catch everything, like a broken layout or a form that stops sending.
How Often Should You Update WordPress Plugins?
Check for updates at least once a week. Apply security updates as soon as you can, ideally within a day or two of release. Feature updates can wait a few days so other users find any bugs first, but don’t let them pile up for months.
What to Do If a Plugin Update Breaks Your Site
- Check your email. If the update caused a fatal error, WordPress emails the site admin a link to Recovery Mode, where you can log in and deactivate the plugin.
- Roll back the plugin. The free WP Rollback plugin can reinstall the previous version of any plugin from WordPress.org.
- Deactivate it without logging in. If you’re locked out, use your host’s file manager or SFTP to rename the plugin’s folder in
wp-content/plugins(for example, add-offto the end). WordPress will deactivate it. - Restore your backup from before the update.
- Report it to the plugin developer and wait for a fixed version before trying again.
Don’t Forget WordPress, Your Theme, and PHP
Plugins are only part of the picture. Keep these current too:
- WordPress core: minor security releases install automatically by default. Major versions appear under Dashboard → Updates. Back up first.
- Your theme: updates appear in the same place as plugins. If you’ve edited theme files directly, use a child theme so updates don’t erase your changes.
- PHP: the language WordPress runs on. Check your version under Tools → Site Health → Info → Server. Old PHP versions stop getting security fixes and are slower. Your host can usually upgrade it in a few clicks. Test on a staging site first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do WordPress plugins need to be updated?
Yes. Updates fix security holes and bugs and keep plugins compatible with WordPress and PHP. Outdated plugins are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get hacked.
How can I automatically update WordPress plugins?
Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and click “Enable auto-updates” next to each plugin, or select several and choose “Enable Auto-updates” from the Bulk actions menu. Keep daily backups running if you do.
Is it safe to update all plugins at once?
It works most of the time, but if something breaks you won’t know which plugin caused it. Update large plugins like page builders, WooCommerce, and form plugins one at a time.
Why won’t my plugin update?
Common reasons are an expired or missing license key on a premium plugin, a hosting permissions problem, or a plugin that was removed from WordPress.org. For premium plugins, check your license, or download the new version and upload it manually.
Can I undo a plugin update?
Yes. Use the free WP Rollback plugin to reinstall the previous version, or restore a backup taken before the update.
Explore the complete website management for small business guide for everything covered in this category, or browse all topics at Cindaro Resources. To see what updates cost when someone else handles them, read small business website maintenance costs, or see what a website care plan includes.
Cindaro builds and manages websites for small businesses as an ongoing service, so plugin, theme, WordPress, and PHP updates are tested and applied for you, with backups taken first. See how it works or view our pricing.
