WordPress is an open source content management system, and it is one of the most widely used systems on websites. For this reason, WordPress is constantly updated to secure the site and correct any errors or security problems that appear in it, so as not to leave any opportunity for the site to be hacked through it!
Therefore, you must make sure to update the WordPress used on your site periodically. In our article today, we will explain to you the features of updating WordPress, and how to activate automatic updates for WordPress and its plugins installed on the site in multiple ways.
The importance of updating the WordPress system
Why should you update your WordPress version? Will updating WordPress cause your site to crash? The answer is yes! Your site can crash due to a new update if it is not compatible with your plugins installed on the site.
Read also: How to update your WordPress website safely without causing any problems with the website
But at the same time, you should always update to the latest version of WordPress because it gives you a large list of features, starting with protection, security, and fixing errors in previous versions, all the way to new features integrated into the latest versions. Updating WordPress offers you the following benefits:
1- Fix errors in old versions
Bug updates in WordPress come in the form of a three-digit update (XXX), such as the WordPress update that fixed 20 bugs in WordPress 4.2. That’s why if you ask Ali about any problem or advice in the WordPress forums, the first answer you will often be given is to update WordPress to the latest version, as the updated version usually solves many common problems in older versions.
2- Increase security and protect your site
Since the launch of WordPress, it has been an open source system, and therefore anyone can easily access and study WordPress codes, and therefore if any security error appears, this may enable vandals to penetrate all WordPress sites around the world.
Therefore, WordPress is constantly updated to fix any security errors that may appear in it, and to prevent anyone from exploiting these vulnerabilities incorrectly.
Security errors may also appear in the themes and plugins you use and not in the WordPress platform. Therefore, it is recommended, in addition to updating WordPress to the latest available version, to also update all plugins and templates installed on the site to the latest available version.
3- Get new features in WordPress
In every major update to WordPress, many features are included that were not present in previous versions.
For example, in WordPress 5.0, the traditional editor was changed and the advanced editor was added. In WordPress 5.3, the user interface was updated to be better, faster, and more editable. In WordPress 5.4, new blocks were added to the advanced editor to make it easier to use.
Let us not forget the speed feature, as it is a very important feature and is taken care of in every new update. This is why WordPress developers are always looking for the best way to increase the speed of the system to the maximum possible extent, and this is observed in new systems as they become better and faster than before.
Enable automatic updating of WordPress plugins
A new feature has appeared in the latest versions of WordPress that facilitates the process of updating plugins on the site, given the importance of the update in protecting the site from any hacking attempt and its role in speeding up the site.
You can activate automatic updating of plugins by going to the WordPress control panel, then going to: Plugins > Installed Plugins
After that, choose the add-on for which you want to activate automatic updates, then click on the Activate automatic updates button next to the add-on name.
Then repeat this step for all add-ons for which you want to activate automatic updating (it is preferable to activate it for all add-ons on the site).
Automatic update of WordPress
After activating the automatic update of plugins, Automattic, Inc. , the company that developed WordPress, made it possible to activate the automatic update feature to the WordPress system itself through custom plugins, code, or via the Cpanel hosting control panel. In the following paragraphs, we will explain each of these methods to you in detail.
Enable automatic updates using Easy Updates Manager
The Easy Updates Manager add-on is one of the most popular free add-ons that activates automatic updates directly on your site. You can learn the steps to install and activate the WordPress plugin .
Then access the plugin settings through the updates button that appears at the top of the WordPress control panel interface.
After that, scroll down until you reach the WordPress core section, and activate the Auto update all releases option in order to activate the automatic update of WordPress versions on your site, as shown in the following image.
Thus, the add-on will install the update as soon as it is available
Manually update WordPress
This method eliminates the need to use plugins, and requires writing a simple code that is added to the wp-config.php file to activate the automatic update of the WordPress version. Here’s the explanation.
Log in to the CPanel for hosting your website and choose the file manager .
Then go to the public html folder or the location where your site files are located.
Finally, find the wp-config.php file, modify it, and add the following code:
To find its location in the file as follows:
Save the changes to the file and that’s it. With this simple code, you will have activated the automatic update feature for your WordPress with ease.
Through the Softaculous package in cPanel
The Softaculous package is a package for installing content management systems with one click of a button from the cPanel control panel, as Softaculous provides the feature of activating automatic updates directly.
This method is considered one of the best ways to activate automatic updating of WordPress. It is currently integrated into most hosts that rely on CPanel, and you can find it at the end of the home page of your cPanel. Click on it and choose the WordPress icon.
Log in to the CPanel, then choose the WordPress script from the bottom of the page, as in the picture.
A page will appear in front of you containing all the WordPress sites that you have installed on the hosting.
Choose the site you want to activate automatic updates for.
Then activate the automatic update of WordPress by activating the Upgrade to any latest version available option shown in the following image, then go to the bottom of the page and click the Save modifications button.
In the end, Softaculous only shows WordPress sites that were installed through it. It does not show sites that were installed manually or that were transferred from another host.
Conclusion
At the end of our article, we hope that you have a complete idea of the ways to update WordPress and activate its automatic update.
We note that the best way to update WordPress is to activate the automatic update of plugins, templates, and the WordPress system itself through Softaculous if you have installed WordPress on your hosting through Softaculous in order to ensure that WordPress is continuously updated to the latest versions.
You must also, of course, ensure that all plugins and templates installed on your site are official plugins and templates, whether from the WordPress store or from the official programmer if they are paid plugins, so that you can constantly update them. Hacked plugins that are downloaded from any unofficial source cannot usually be updated. .
