Is my WordPress out of date?
Short answer: Check your WordPress version on the Dashboard (or with our free check-up from the outside). If you’re behind, back up the site, update plugins and the theme, then WordPress itself, check the site after each step, and turn on automatic updates. Outdated plugins and themes are the most common way small WordPress sites get hacked.
An old WordPress version or plugin is the most common way small-business sites get broken into. Here’s how to check, and update without breaking anything.
How to check your version
Log in to WordPress and look at the Dashboard: an “Update now” notice or the version number at the bottom right tells you where you stand. Our free check-up also reads the version from the outside and compares it with the current WordPress releases.
Why it matters
Each WordPress release fixes security holes that are then publicly known. Sites that stay several versions behind, or run old plugins, are what automated hacking tools look for. Out-of-date plugins and themes are the most common way small-business WordPress sites get broken into.
How to update safely
- Take a full backup first (files and database). Many hosts have a one-click backup; plugins like UpdraftPlus do it too.
- Update plugins and the theme, then WordPress itself, from Dashboard → Updates.
- Check the site after each step: the homepage, the contact form and anything customers use.
- Delete plugins and themes you don’t use. Inactive ones can still be broken into.
- Turn on automatic updates for minor releases and trusted plugins so it doesn’t fall behind again.
If the site is many years behind, test the update on a copy (a “staging” site, which most hosts offer) first, because a big jump can break an old theme. If it breaks, that usually means the site needs a refresh rather than a patch.
Common questions
- Can updating WordPress break my site?
- Occasionally, especially after years without updates. Back up first and test big jumps on a staging copy.
- Should I turn on automatic updates?
- Yes for minor releases and trusted plugins; it keeps the site from falling years behind.
- What is the latest WordPress version?
- See our WordPress versions page, updated from WordPress’s own release data.
Rather not deal with it yourself?
Send the free check-up to your web designer: every report has a link you can forward. No designer? Tell us what’s wrong and we’ll point you to someone who can fix it. No obligation.
Get helpUpdated October 17, 2026.