In this guide, we’ll explain how to enable automatic updates in WordPress.
Automatic updates can help keep your website secure by installing new versions of WordPress, plugins and themes without requiring you to update them manually each time.
WordPress websites are regularly updated to fix:
Keeping your website up to date reduces the risk of running outdated software.
Automatic updates are particularly useful for plugins and themes that receive frequent security fixes.
To enable automatic updates for a plugin:
WordPress will then automatically install new versions of that plugin when updates become available.
You can enable automatic updates for as many plugins as you wish.
If you want to stop a plugin from updating automatically:
You can still update the plugin manually whenever you choose.
To enable automatic updates for a theme:
WordPress will then automatically update that theme when a new version is released.
Automatic updates are useful, but they may not be suitable for every website.
You may want to be more careful if your website uses:
An update can occasionally introduce a compatibility problem.
For important websites, you may prefer to update major plugins manually after checking that the new version is compatible with your setup.
WordPress can automatically install certain core updates.
Minor maintenance and security updates are normally handled automatically by WordPress.
Major WordPress version updates may depend on your website configuration and hosting setup.
You can always check for available WordPress core updates under:
Dashboard > Updates
After enabling automatic updates, you can return to:
Plugins > Installed Plugins
or:
Appearance > Themes
to confirm which items have automatic updates enabled.
WordPress may also send an email notification after an automatic update has completed.
Even when using automatic updates, you should still keep recent backups of your website.
Backups are useful if an update causes a compatibility problem or affects your website unexpectedly.
Before making major changes to your website, it is always sensible to confirm that a recent backup is available.
Do not rely on automatic updates as a reason to keep software you no longer use.
Unused plugins and themes should normally be removed.
Software that is no longer required can still increase the number of components that need to be maintained and secured.
Security-related updates should generally be installed as soon as reasonably possible.
If a plugin has a known security vulnerability, leaving an outdated version installed can place your website at risk.
Cheap Host recommends keeping WordPress, plugins and themes regularly updated and removing software that is no longer required.
Even when updates are installed automatically, it is a good idea to check your website regularly.
Pay particular attention to:
If something stops working after an update, the most recently updated plugin or theme may be responsible.
Automatic updates can make WordPress maintenance easier and help reduce the amount of time your website runs outdated software.
They are particularly useful for standard WordPress websites with well-maintained plugins and themes.
For more complex or highly customised websites, you may prefer to update major components manually.
If you experience a problem following a WordPress update, please log in to your Cheap Host account and submit a support ticket for assistance.