WordPress updates and backups, explained
Two words come up in every conversation about looking after a site, and they are often left unexplained. Here is what WordPress updates and backups really are, how they depend on each other, and who should be doing them.
What gets updated in a WordPress site?
Three layers. WordPress itself, which is the core. The theme, which controls the look. And the plugins, which add the functions. Each layer is made by different people and released on its own schedule. Underneath them sits the server software provided by your hosting company, which also moves forward over time. An update notice in the dashboard refers to one of these layers.
Why not leave a working site alone?
Because it does not stay still even if you do. Updates close security holes, fix faults and keep each layer compatible with the others. A site left untouched for a long time falls further behind with every release, and catching up in one jump is riskier than keeping pace in small steps. Regular small updates are the calm option.
Why does an update sometimes break something?
Because the layers come from different makers. A plugin may not be ready for a new release of WordPress, or two plugins may change the same thing in different ways. Changes written directly into the files of a theme are also overwritten when that theme updates, which is why custom work belongs in a child theme. Breakage is uncommon on a tidy site, but it is never impossible.
How do I update without holding my breath?
Take a backup first, every time. Update in small groups instead of pressing everything at once, so that if something goes wrong you know what caused it. Afterwards, open the main pages, send a test through each form and, on a store, place a test order. WordPress can apply some updates automatically. Decide which ones you allow and which you prefer to watch.
What is inside a backup?
Two parts, and you need both. The files: the theme, the plugins and everything you uploaded, such as images and documents. And the database, which holds the content itself: pages, posts, settings, users, and on a store the products and orders. A backup of the files alone restores an empty shell. A backup of the database alone restores text without its images.
Where should backups live, and how often?
Somewhere other than the server the site runs on, since a fault there would take the site and its backup together. How often depends on how fast the site changes. A company site edited now and then needs far fewer copies than a store receiving orders every day. And test a restore at least once. A backup nobody has restored is only a hope.
How I handle it
The question of who updates and who backs up belongs in the first conversation about a site, not the last. The sites I build on WordPress use Elementor Pro, are designed in Figma and approved by you first, and are handed over with the dashboard. For 180 days from the day the site goes live, support covers anything that breaks and your questions about managing the site. Tell me about your site and who looks after it today.
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