How to Update WordPress, Plugins, and Themes Safely
Keeping WordPress, your plugins, and your theme up to date is one of the most effective ways to protect your site. Outdated software is the leading cause of WordPress hacks. This guide shows you how to update safely — without breaking your site.
Before You Update: Take a Backup
Always create a backup before running any updates. If something breaks, you can restore to the version that was working.
- Quick method: cPanel > JetBackup > Full Backup
- Manual method: see How to Create a Full Backup in cPanel
- WordPress method: see How to Backup WordPress Safely Before Major Changes
Option 1: Update Using WordPress Toolkit (Recommended)
WordPress Toolkit gives you full control over updates and lets you roll back if needed.
- Log in to cPanel at yourdomain.com/cpanel
- Open WordPress Toolkit
- Click Manage next to your WordPress installation
- Go to the Updates tab
- Review the list of available updates for Core, Plugins, and Themes
- Click Update All, or click the checkbox next to specific items to update selectively
- After updating, visit your live site and check for broken layouts or missing features
Option 2: Update from the WordPress Dashboard
- Log in to yourdomain.com/wp-admin
- Go to Dashboard > Updates
- You will see available updates listed for core, plugins, and themes
- Click Update All Plugins
- Click Update All Themes
- If a WordPress core update is available, click Update to Version X.X.X
- Visit your site and check that everything is working
Best Practices for Safe Updates
- Update 2–3 plugins at a time rather than all at once — if something breaks, you will know which plugin caused it
- Test critical pages after each batch: homepage, contact form, checkout (if WooCommerce), login
- For major WordPress core updates (e.g. 6.4 to 6.5), test on your staging site first using WordPress Toolkit
- Keep Loginizer Pro always up to date — security plugin patches should never be delayed
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⚠️ Warning If a plugin update breaks your site, restore from your backup immediately. Do not try to fix a broken update manually while your live site is down. See: How to Verify Your Site After a Restore. |
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Tip Enable auto-updates for minor WordPress core versions and security-critical plugins via WordPress Toolkit > Manage > Updates. This keeps your site protected without requiring manual action after every release. |
Related Articles
- How to Use WordPress Toolkit (Staging, Cloning & Auto-Updates)
- How to Backup WordPress Safely Before Major Changes
- Common WordPress Errors and How to Fix Them
- How to Verify Your Site After a Restore
