{"id":20509,"date":"2026-11-03T14:47:17","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T13:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surver.nl\/kennisbank\/wordpress-updaten-core-themas-en-plugins-veilig-bijhouden\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T14:47:17","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T13:47:17","slug":"updating-wordpress-safely-maintaining-the-core-themes-and-plugins","status":"publish","type":"kennisbank","link":"https:\/\/surver.nl\/en\/kennisbank\/wordpress-updaten-core-themas-en-plugins-veilig-bijhouden\/","title":{"rendered":"Updating WordPress: Keeping the Core, Themes, and Plugins Up to Date Safely"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Updating<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The little red number next to Dashboard > Updates<\/strong> It gets higher every week, but you\u2019re afraid to click \u201cUpdate\u201d because you\u2019re worried your site will go down afterward. You can update WordPress safely by first creating a backup, performing the updates in small batches (plugins first, then the theme, then the WordPress core), and checking after each batch to make sure your site is still working. Below, you\u2019ll find the order in which I update, what I let run automatically, and what to do if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Types of Updates Does WordPress Have, and How Risky Are They?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A WordPress site receives updates at three levels: the core, the theme, and the plugins, and each level carries its own risks. The core is WordPress itself. Minor maintenance releases are issued\u2014such as from 6.8.1 to 6.8.2\u2014which primarily fix security vulnerabilities and bugs. WordPress installs these automatically by default, and they almost never cause any issues. Major releases, such as from 6.8 to 6.9, add new features and sometimes change things that plugins rely on. With such a release, I usually wait a few days until the first fix release is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theme updates affect the design. They\u2019re especially risky if someone has ever edited the theme files directly, because the update will overwrite those customizations without warning. That\u2019s why customizations should be placed in a child theme<\/a>, a subtopic that keeps your customizations safe. Plugin updates are the most common and cause the most conflicts. That makes sense, since you\u2019re having software from dozens of different developers work together. There\u2019s something else to consider as well. Translations also receive updates, and the PHP version on the server changes accordingly. A plugin that requires a newer version of PHP than the one your server is running may no longer work after an update, so if in doubt, check the requirements on the plugin page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here's how to update in the correct order<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The safest order is to create a backup, check the requirements, install plugins in small batches, install the theme, and finally update the core\u2014with a quick test after each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n