Why keep WordPress updated
We see it all the time. A business gets a WordPress site built, it looks great on launch day, and then nobody touches it for two years. By the time they notice something's wrong, the site is riddled with outdated plugins, security holes, and sometimes actual malware. Keeping WordPress updated is what keeps your website working instead of turning it into a liability.
Last updated
The short answer
WordPress updates fix security vulnerabilities, improve performance, and keep your plugins compatible with each other. In 2026, over 11,000 new WordPress vulnerabilities were disclosed in a single year, 96% of them in plugins, not WordPress itself. The average time from a vulnerability being published to attackers exploiting it is just five hours. If your site isn't being updated regularly, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong.
What to consider
Security holes get exploited fast
Once a vulnerability is made public, automated tools start scanning the internet for unpatched sites within hours, not days or weeks.
Plugins are the main risk
The vast majority of WordPress security issues come from plugins, not WordPress core. Every plugin you install is another thing that needs updating.
Outdated sites get blacklisted
Google flags compromised sites with 'this site may be hacked' warnings in search results, which tanks your traffic and your reputation.
Updates can break things
This is why people avoid them, but a controlled update with testing and a backup is far less painful than recovering from a hack.
Updates fix more than security
Updates also fix bugs, improve page speed, and keep your site working properly on new browsers and devices. Ignore them and your site slowly degrades.
Recovery costs more than maintenance
Cleaning a hacked WordPress site typically costs $3,000 or more. A year of proper maintenance and updates runs around $750 to $1,500.
Who this guide is for
- Business owners with a WordPress site that hasn't been updated in months (or years).
- Anyone who's been ignoring update notifications because they're worried about breaking something.
- Businesses that had a site built by a developer who then disappeared.
- Owners who want to understand why their web team keeps talking about maintenance.
What to do next
- Check when your site was last updated. Log into your WordPress dashboard and look at the updates page. If there are dozens of pending updates, that's a sign things have been neglected.
- Make a full backup first. Before updating anything, take a complete backup of your files and database so you can roll back if something goes wrong.
- Update in the right order. Update plugins first, then your theme, then WordPress core, and check the site after each batch to catch any issues early.
- Remove what you don't use. Deactivated plugins still pose a security risk if they're installed, so delete anything you're not actively using.
- Set up ongoing maintenance. Talk to us about a maintenance plan so updates happen regularly, safely, and without you having to think about it.
How WaTo can help
- We run WordPress maintenance plans that cover updates, backups, security monitoring, and uptime checks.
- We test updates in a staging environment before applying them to your live site so nothing breaks unexpectedly.
- If your site has already been hacked, we can clean it up, restore from backup, and secure it properly.
- We audit your plugins and remove anything unnecessary to reduce your attack surface.
- We've been managing WordPress sites for Adelaide businesses for years. We know the common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Related questions
Can't I just turn on automatic updates?
WordPress does have auto-updates for minor releases, but automatic plugin updates can sometimes cause conflicts. A managed approach, where updates are applied and tested, is safer than hoping auto-updates don't break anything.
How often should WordPress be updated?
At minimum, monthly. Security patches should be applied as soon as they're released, ideally within days. If a critical vulnerability is announced, it should be patched the same day.
My site looks fine. Does that mean it's safe?
Not necessarily. Many compromised WordPress sites look perfectly normal to visitors while silently redirecting search traffic, injecting spam links, or harvesting data in the background. A security scan is the only way to know for sure.
What if my developer built something custom that breaks with updates?
Custom code should be built to handle updates gracefully. If updates consistently break your site, that points to a build quality issue. We can review your setup and fix the underlying problems so updates work smoothly.
How WaTo can help with this
Still not sure?
If your WordPress site hasn't been touched in a while and you're not sure what state it's in, get in touch. We'll take a look and tell you honestly what needs attention, and whether a maintenance plan makes sense for your business.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
