Keeping your WordPress website up-to-date is important for security, performance, and access to the latest features. However, updating your WordPress website can be risky on shared hosting plans where you don’t have full control over the server environment.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to safely update a WordPress website on shared hosting, step-by-step. Plus, I’ll cover some common issues and questions around the update process.

Why You Should Update WordPress

Before jumping into the how-to, let me quickly cover why keeping WordPress updated matters:

• Security – WordPress releases regular security patches that fix vulnerabilities and holes that hackers could exploit to break into your site. Staying updated closes these loopholes.
• Performance – WordPress updates often include speed and scaling enhancements that can optimize your site’s backend and frontend performance.
• Features – With each release, WordPress adds new features, design options, customization settings and more that can improve your site.

By keeping your WordPress core, plugins and themes updated, you benefit from these continued improvements with every new version.

How to Update a WordPress Website

Step 1 – Back Up Your Website

The #1 rule before updating WordPress or any software is to properly back up your site. This gives you a way to restore your site if something goes wrong.

On shared hosting, backup options are usually limited. However many hosts provide automatic daily or weekly data backups you can use. Check your control panel.

If unavailable, manually back up your WordPress files and database:

• Use an FTP program to download a copy of all WordPress files
• Use phpMyAdmin to export your database to a SQL file

Store these backup files in a safe off-server location in case you need to restore them.

If you are not that techy, use easy solutions like Updraft Plus to take backups of your WordPress website. Here is a guide on How to Backup a WordPress Website Using Updraft Plus.

Step 2 – Test Updates on a Staging Environment

If possible, create a staging website and test updates there before updating your live site. This gives you a safe space to identify any issues before they go public.

Some shared hosts provide staging sites. Alternatively, you can create a subdomain (something like test.yourdomain.com) and install a separate WordPress instance to test updates.

Step 3 – Update Plugins & Themes

Start by individually updating all active plugins and themes to the latest version. This avoids conflicts between code written for different versions:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard
• Go to Settings > Installed Plugins then check for updates.
• Click “Update Now” for each plugin with an update available

Repeat this process under Themes. Go to Appearance > Themes.

Check that your website looks and functions correctly after each update. If issues emerge, restore the previous version and troubleshoot.

Step 4 – Update WordPress

After updating all plugins and themes, you can update the WordPress core software:

• In your dashboard, go to Updates > Core Update
• Click “Update Now”

WordPress will download and install the latest version automatically

As with plugins, test that your entire site works properly after the core update finishes. It can take some time for changes to propagate completely.

Troubleshooting Issues

Sometimes updates cause issues with site functionality, layout, speed, etc. Here are some common problems and solutions:

Site Down After Update

Your host may disable aspects of WordPress during updates. If your site stays down, try manually reactivating plugins or switching themes. Still down? You may need to restore from a backup.

Regressions After Update

Occasionally, an update introduces new bugs or removes features. Revert to your previous version backup if an update makes things worse. Report the specific issue to the developer for troubleshooting.

Site Slow After Update

An update may have introduced inefficiencies or your hosting resources may be maxed out during the update process. Try clearing all caches and reloading without plugins enabled to isolate the culprit.

Content Reverted After Update

Some updates may revert customizations to templates. Implement changes again and save frequently to your staging site after updating to prevent losing work.

These are just some common issues that can arise during WordPress updates. Having backups and a staging site gives you more flexibility to quickly fix problems.

Final Words

Updating WordPress is easy and important on shared hosting plans, you just need to be cautious and strategic:

• Always backup fully before updating
• Test updates on a staging environment first
• Update plugins, themes, then WordPress core
• Take your time and check everything twice
• Troubleshoot carefully if issues emerge

Following this process allows you to benefit from the latest WordPress features and security with minimal risk. Let me know in the comments if you have any other update best practices for shared hosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions around updating WordPress on shared hosting:

How often should I update WordPress?

You should update WordPress core, plugins and themes as soon as new versions are released to get urgent security fixes. But only after you’ve backed up and tested them first.

What’s the best way to update plugins/themes?

The standard way is to log in to your WordPress dashboard, then use the menu options to check for updates and update each plugin/theme individually. Updating them all at once risks conflicts.

Is it bad to update WordPress while my site is live?

It’s generally fine to update a live WordPress site. But on shared hosting, you don’t have access to fix issues caused by an update which is why it’s critical to test updates first on a staging environment before pushing live.

Can updating cause security issues?

Rarely, but usually quite the opposite! WordPress updates provide security patches and resolving vulnerabilities is the #1 reason you should keep your site updated in the first place.

Will updating WordPress delete my content?

Updating the WordPress software will definitely not delete your page content or database data. However, occasionally an update might impact changes made to code/templates which is why thorough backups and staging tests are key.

Updating your WordPress site does not need to be intimidating or risky even on limited shared hosting plans, if you stay organized and exercise some caution at each step.

If you need help with maintaining your WordPress website, which basically involves updating your WordPress website, taking offsite backups, and so much more, check out our WordPress Care services. Our team of WordPress experts are always ready to help.