Plugins like any other piece of software need to be updated from time to time. When a new version of the plugin is released you may need to update the plugin. Most plugins are updated to patch a security risk, or to add more features to the plugin. It is important to keep your plugins up to date for security purposes.

How do I know if a plugin needs to be updated?

First, log into your WordPress Dashboard and select the plugins menu option. If you have a Plugin that needs to be updated, the plugins menu will have a number next to it.

On the Plugins page, you will see a message letting you know there is a new version available. In the following screenshot you will see that the Facebook plugin we previously installed needs to be updated.

Click on the "update automatically" link, and it will lead you to a page to automatically install the update for that plugin. 

Please check the next article on Finding and Installing Widgets in WordPress. If you missed our previous article, please see the Searching for & Installing Plugins tutorial. For more information on this course please visit Introduction to Plugins & Widgets.