TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are Plugins?
• How to Keep Your Plugins Up to Date:
  • Navigating to Plugins Menu
  • Updating Plugins Individually
  • Updating Plugins in Bulk
• Should I back up my website before updating the plugins?

What are Plugins?

Think of plugins as tiny superpowers for your website – they're tools that add specific functionalities, like a contact form, a gallery, or the ability to have members-only sections and sign-up forms.

Regularly checking and updating your WordPress plugins is crucial for maintaining a secure and high-performing website. Plugin updates often include vital security patches, bug fixes, and new features, ensuring your site stays resilient against potential threats and functions optimally. Neglecting updates could expose your website to vulnerabilities, making it susceptible to security breaches and hindering its overall performance.

How to Keep Your Plugins Up to Date:

Only website users with the Admin role may access plugins. If you are still getting familiar with WordPress user role types, please read our article, User Roles, for more information.

Navigating to Plugins Menu

1. Log into your website as an Admin.
2. Click the Plugins menu option in your dashboard.
   1. If you do not see the "Plugins" option, your account may not have permission to add, remove, or update  plugins.
   2. An orange circle containing a number indicates that plugin updates are available; The number indicates the number of plugins with updates available.
3. Click on the "Plugins" menu option to see a list of plugins installed on your website.

Updating Plugins Individually

You can update plugins with updates pending by clicking "update now" on the plugin itself.

Updating Plugins in Bulk

You can also update multiple plugins at once:

1. Check the box to the left of one or more plugins.

2. Click the "Bulk actions" drop-down menu.

3. Click "Update" in the "Bulk actions drop-down menu.

Click the "Apply" button.

Regularly updating plugins ensures you benefit from the latest improvements and keep your site in top-notch shape.

Should I back up my website before updating the plugins?

Always back up your website before making changes. If your host provides automatic daily or weekly backups, standard plugin updates are generally safe without manually backing up your website. If you are unsure about the backups provided by your website's host, read this article on backup services offered by varying website hosts for more information: Host Provided Backups

Look for a "Heads up, Please Backup before upgrade!" message on the Plugins page. In such cases, consider manually backing up your website using the Updraft Backup plugin. Updraft backups can be faster to restore than host backups and serve as an additional layer of protection.

For detailed instructions on backing up your website with Updraft, visit: Updraft Website Backups