This guide is for website owners and administrators whose sites we build and host. It covers the two simple habits that keep a WordPress website healthy: keeping plugins up to date, and understanding how your backups work. Even if your site is hosted somewhere else, the same advice applies.
Check your plugins once a week
Please log in and check your plugins once a week to make sure everything is up to date. This keeps your site running smoothly and securely.
WordPress websites are made up of three parts that receive regular updates:
- WordPress core – the main software that runs your site
- Your theme – the design layer
- Plugins – add-ons for forms, galleries, shops, SEO, security and more
Updates fix bugs, add features and, most importantly, close security holes. Out-of-date plugins are the most common way WordPress websites get hacked, because automated bots scan the internet looking for sites running old versions with known weaknesses. See Why Cybersecurity Must Be Part of Your Web Design Strategy for more on how this happens.
How to update safely
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Dashboard → Updates, or look for the number badge next to Plugins.
- Read which plugins have updates. If there is a large “major version” update, it is worth making sure a recent backup exists first.
- Update plugins one or a few at a time, rather than everything at once.
- After updating, visit your website and check the home page, contact form and any shop or booking pages still work.
- If something looks wrong, contact us straight away so we can help or restore a backup.
Good plugin housekeeping
- Delete plugins you no longer use, rather than just deactivating them.
- Avoid installing plugins that have not been updated by their developer for a long time.
- Only install plugins from trusted sources such as the official WordPress plugin directory.
- Never install “free” copies of paid plugins from unofficial websites. They often contain malware.
- Ask us first if you are unsure whether a plugin is safe or necessary.
Backups
We now provide free nightly backups as part of your website package. Your site is backed up every night, and backups are kept on the server for 7 days. If you have a major problem, such as a hacked site, a failed update or accidentally deleted pages, we can usually restore your website to how it was on any of the previous seven nights.
Because backups run at midnight, anything you changed during the day before a problem may not be in the latest backup. For example, if you spend Tuesday afternoon adding new pages and something goes wrong at 4 pm, restoring to Monday night’s backup would lose Tuesday’s work. That is not always the case, but it is worth keeping in mind.
Tips to avoid losing work
- Keep your own copy of important text, such as in a Word document, before pasting it into the website.
- Keep the original photos and files you upload, in a folder on your computer or cloud storage.
- If you are about to make big changes, contact us and we can take a manual backup first.
- Tell us as soon as you notice a problem. The sooner we know, the more backup options we have.
Your own off-site copy
For extra peace of mind, some clients like to keep their own occasional copy of their website, for example once a month or before a redesign. We are happy to provide a full backup file on request, or to set up a plugin that saves a copy to cloud storage.
Other good habits for site administrators
- Use strong, unique passwords for every user, and do not share logins between staff.
- Remove old user accounts for staff or contractors who no longer need access.
- Give users the lowest role they need. Most people who only write content do not need Administrator access.
- Be wary of phishing emails about domain renewals, hosting suspensions or WordPress “security alerts”. Check with us directly before clicking any links.
- Keep your content current. Out-of-date prices and services frustrate customers and can affect how Google sees your site. See what Google’s helpful content changes mean for local businesses.
Need help?
If you would rather not handle updates yourself, we can look after them for you for a moderate fee. Nightly backups are included in all our hosting plans. For help with updates, a restore or a manual backup, contact us. If you are not yet a client and want a website that is looked after properly, get a quote.