Chapter 5
Updating WordPress
IN THIS CHAPTER
Finding upgrade notifications
Backing up your database before upgrading
Upgrading from the Dashboard
Upgrading manually
As I discuss in Book 1, Chapter 3, the schedule of WordPress development and release cycles shows you that WordPress releases a new version (upgrade) of its platform roughly once every 120 days (or every 4 months). That chapter also explains why you need to keep your WordPress software up to date by using the most recent version — mostly for security purposes, but also to make sure you’re taking advantage of all the latest features the WordPress developers pack within every major new release.
In this chapter, you discover the WordPress upgrade notification system and find out what to do when WordPress notifies you that a new version is available. This chapter also covers the best practices for upgrading the WordPress platform on your site to ensure the best possible outcome (that is, how not to break your website after a WordPress upgrade).