How often should I update my WordPress site and how to create backup

In my previous WordPress post I mentioned that it was necessary to do update, backup website… and there were some questions – how often to update and how to create backup …

So today more about it.

How often should I update WordPress?

Ideally, updates should be done regularly. How often, however, also depends on how often do you update the content on the website – e.g. writing a blog, adding new services, editing texts …

For a regular website, I recommend updating monthly.

Before updating, however, I always recommend that you create backups.

What to update?

On the website you should updated at least (depending on how your site is built):

• WordPress system
• All Themes
• All plug-ins.

If necessary, sometimes also the php versions should be updated and database, Woocommerce system and database (if you use the webstore…).

You may be wondering why to update things (such as a themes) that you don’t use? Mainly for security reasons (via older versions of the code, it can be easier to break into the website).

How to update, what is the best process?

Ideally: updates should do your developer. If you do it yourself, I advise you to:
1 | create backup to an external location;
2 | if you use the cache, temporarily disable it;
3 | update WordPress, plugins, themes;
4 | check that everything is working properly;
5 | turn on the cache.

How to backup before updating?

It is always good to create a backup of your website to an external location (for security reasons and if something goes wrong). You can do this manually or automatically (I prefer manual backups, this is safer version).

Manual backup:
1 | create zip of all the files and folders of the website on your hosting;
2 | download the zip;
3 | download SQL database (you can access it via MySQL)

This is how the whole backup is done! There are also automatic ones – in this case you can use a plugin such as UpdraftPlus.