Use the WordPress Updates screen to apply an available supported core release after checking compatibility and preparing recovery. This guide covers the native WordPress dashboard; NabWP also provides service-level update controls in WordPress Manager.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Prepare the update
Read the release information and confirm that your active theme, important plugins and PHP version support the intended release. For a major upgrade or a site with custom code, test a representative staging copy first. Do not treat an old version number mentioned in a historical tutorial as the current recommended target.
Create a current backup of the database and files. Confirm how to restore it and choose a maintenance window that suits the site's activity. Record a small test plan covering login, editing, navigation, forms, search and any checkout or membership workflow.
02 Apply updates deliberately
- Sign in with suitable administrator permissions and open Dashboard > Updates.
- Review the available core update and the accompanying information. Check plugin and theme compatibility before proceeding.
- Start the intended update and wait for the completion message. Avoid opening several update jobs at once or closing the process merely because it takes longer than expected.
- If WordPress requests a database update, complete that step for the correct site. On Multisite, the network administrator must review the network upgrade process as well.
- Review remaining plugin and theme updates in a controlled sequence, following their developers' compatibility guidance.
Confirm the expected result
Confirm the reported WordPress version, open the public site while signed out and complete the recorded tests. Purge relevant caches after checking that the updated files and pages are correct. Review critical plugin settings and scheduled jobs if the update affects them.
What should I do if a WordPress update fails?
If an update fails, save the exact message and check whether the site is accessible before retrying. A timeout does not prove that no files changed. A persistent maintenance message needs a check that the update is no longer running before any maintenance file is removed.
For a fatal error, use the available recovery process or request support with the domain, update attempted and error text. Restoring older files alone may be incompatible with an updated database. Use a coordinated recovery point and account for new transactions received after the backup.
Review automatic-update settings after the manual update, but keep a monitoring and backup routine even when automatic updates are enabled. Automation does not confirm every business workflow still works.