Let’s face it, the web is constantly changing and forcing us to keep up to date on everything digital including your website. Every platform, plugin, app, software program, device and operating system requires periodic updates to keep secure and working properly. These updates are sometimes daily, monthly, yearly and in many cases are in response to some newly discovered security threat, breach or vulnerability that will enforce or place additional measures to prevent.

Website hosts and many platforms offer automation to help provide these needed updates but not all automation is recommended especially when it comes to wordpress websites. Yes, when you are strapped for resources that include time and tools but professional experiences with automated website updates has often caused more work to fix often non compliant apps in the wordpress environment. In other words, not all automation updates will occur at the same time. Some plug in developers do not keep up with the core platform and periodic updates with plugins will result in some plugins eventually breaking a site. Thankfully when a plugin breaks a site, you will see “error” codes pointing out the culprit and in most cases simply deactivate and/or remove the offending plugin. One of the most valuable tools / plugins you can install is a “jQuery Migrate helper” which will help pinpoint any out of date plugins.

As mentioned above, since many of the updates tend to not happen all at the same time, this is mostly a reason why a plugin may break or become incompatible to the other plugins and versions. And for that reason I am not in favor of setting any automatic updates for any site. Too many variables that will undoubtedly cause more headaches and may actually cost you more time fixing and restoring websites. But if you do decide to place some automatic updates, please be sure to have frequent back ups available in case a plugin fails or causes the site to break. A backup restoration can be done in most cases in less than an hour.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have additional questions or would like to speak to me about your website.

Stellar Online Services

SEO, SEM Account Manager

Over 30 Years of award winning and successful advertising, internet, and digital media management as well as effective website and landing page design for human visitors and search engine optimization.

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