As a WordPress user, you must know how to update WordPress. Because WordPress developers regularly release updates to make your website faster and safer, you know.
However, if you’ve never done a WordPress update, you may have doubts. It could be that you think the method is difficult or you are afraid that the website will actually get an error after the update.
Don’t worry! If you update WordPress with the right steps, the website will have no problems.
This article will explain five ways to update WordPress correctly and safely. Starting from how to manually update WordPress in cPanel to automatic ones. Let’s see one by one!
Why Should You Update WordPress?
Like any application or software on your smartphone, WordPress is updated from time to time. Each new version brings several benefits to your website, including:
1. Better Security
By updating WordPress, your website will be more secure from hacker attacks. Because, the latest version of WordPress closes security gaps in previous versions that hackers can use to infiltrate your website.
2. New Features
Several WordPress updates bring new useful features for you. For example, WordPress version 5.0 introduced the Gutenberg editor which makes it easy for you to change the format of the content as you wish without coding. Even now, WordPress is still regularly updated with various interesting features. For example, style switching in WordPress 6.0 allows the theme to offer you multiple design templates.
3. Bug or Error Fixed
Every WordPress update fixes code and scripts that weren’t good in previous versions. Therefore, bugs and errors on your website or WordPress can disappear after you update.
4. More Optimal Speed
Repairing code and scripts in WordPress can of course also increase website loading speed. Of course, this is an additional benefit for those of you who feel that the website speed is less than optimal.
5. Compatible with Latest Versions of Plugins and Themes
As new WordPress versions are released, plugin and theme developers also update their products to be compatible with those updates. If you haven’t updated WordPress, you won’t necessarily be able to take advantage of the latest version of a plugin or theme.
Well, before updating WordPress, make sure you have made a backup first. The goal is that you have a backup of website data that can be restored if an error occurs during the update. That way, your website will continue to function normally.
Then, how to update the WordPress version?
There are several methods you can use, namely:
a. How to Update WordPress via cPanel
One way to update WordPress is through your hosting cPanel. To do this, you will need to download the latest version of WordPress to your computer, then upload it to the File Manager in cPanel. Well, you can see how to manually update WordPress in cPanel below:
1. Download the Latest Version of WordPress
Please download the latest set of WordPress files from the website.
2. Extract WordPress Folder on Computer
The latest set of WordPress files are stored in a .zip file. Therefore, you will need to extract it using WinZip, PeaZip, or another program that does the same thing. To do this, right-click on the WordPress file and click Extract here.
Open the extracted folder and delete the wp-content folder in it. This is done so that plugins, themes, and other content that is already on your website are not deleted.
Next, compress the folder containing the set of WordPress files into a .zip file again. To do this, right click > select your compress program > click Add to ZIP.
3. Log In to cPanel
Access your cPanel login page in a web browser via your website address followed by /cpanel. For example, website.com/cpanel.
Next, log in with your cPanel username and password. You can see the username and password in your hosting purchase email. If not, you can ask the hosting provider’s customer support.
4. Open the public_html folder in the File Manager
After logging into cPanel, locate and click on the File Manager menu.
In the File Manager, open the public_html folder.
Click the Upload menu at the top of the page. The upload page will appear.
5. Upload WordPress Folder
Click and drag the .zip file containing WordPress from Windows Explorer to the File Manager upload page and wait for the upload to complete.
6. Extract WordPress Folder
Right-click on the .zip file you’ve uploaded and click Extract to extract its contents to a new folder.
In the pop-up menu that appears, click Extract File(s).
After the extraction process is complete, you can delete the .zip file earlier.
7. Log In to WordPress Dashboard
Access the WP admin page and log into your WordPress.
You will see a message asking you to update the WordPress database. To do so, click the Update WordPress Database button below the message.
After the update process is complete, click Continue to enter the WordPress Dashboard. Thus, how to manually update WordPress in cPanel is complete!
b. How to Update WordPress with WP-CLI
Another way to update the WordPress version you can do is use the WP-CLI. This is a tool that allows you to manage WordPress without having to open a web browser.
To use WP-CLI, you must first install it on your hosting via an SSH client. You can learn how to use the WP-CLI guide.
If you have WP-CLI installed, you can use an SSH client to update WordPress by following the steps below:
1. Check WordPress Version
Please switch to your root directory by typing the following command:
cd public_html
Then, check if there is a newer version of WordPress with the command:
wp core check update
If so, you will get a message like the one below:
+—–+————-+——————– ————————————————+
| version | update_type | package_url |
+—–+————-+——————– ————————————————+
| #.#.# | minor | https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-#.#.#.zip |
| #.#.# | major | https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-#.#.#.zip |
+—–+————-+——————– ————————————————+
If you have the latest version of WordPress, you will get the following message:
Success: WordPress is at the latest version.
2. Update WordPress
To install a WordPress update, type the command below:
wp core update
When the installation is complete, the following message will appear:
Updating to version #.#.# (en_US)… Downloading update from https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-#.#.#-no-content.zip… Unpacking the update.. . Cleaning up files… No files found that need to be cleaned up. Success: WordPress updated successfully.
Thus, you have successfully updated WordPress using WP-CLI!
c. How to Update WordPress on Dashboard
How to update the WordPress version via the Dashboard is the most practical way. To do this, you just need to log into WordPress and check the update notifications in the Dashboard. Then, you click the update menu on the notification. What is the complete way like? Come on, see below!
1. Log In to WordPress Dashboard
Access the WP admin page and log into your WordPress.
2. Click the Update Button on the Dashboard
If there is a newer WordPress version, you will see a small notification in the top left corner of the Dashboard. Click the Please update now button in the notification.
A page showing the update installation process will appear. When the process is complete, a message will appear explaining the new features in the version of WordPress you have installed.
It’s easy, isn’t it?
d. How to Automatically Update WordPress via Plugins
If you don’t want to bother checking if there is a new WordPress version from time to time, you need to know how to update WordPress automatically. The trick, using the Easy Updates Manager plugin. To use the plugin, follow the steps below:
1. Install Easy Updates Manager
In the WordPress sidebar, click Plugins > Add New. Then, type Easy Updates Manager in the search box.
Once the plugin appears in the search results, click the Install Now button. Don’t forget to click Activate after the installation is complete.
2. Enable WordPress Automatic Updates
After installing Easy Updates Manager, you need to enable the WordPress auto update option. To do this, click Dashboard > Updates Options in the WordPress sidebar.
On the next page, click Auto update all releases in the WordPress Core Updates option.
This way, your WordPress will be updated automatically whenever there is a new version.
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