Which WordPress Version is Best for Your Needs? Updated on March 11, 2024 by InMotion Hosting Contributor 2 Minutes, 27 Seconds to Read When WordPress releases an update or a new version, business owners have to decide whether to continue using their current version or proceed with upgrading. Operating with the latest WordPress version provides you with additional features, functionality, and security. This article explains why you should always update WordPress when you can and how to easily do it. You can find all of the WordPress releases in the WordPress.org site! Always Use The Latest Version of WordPress How To Easily Update Your WordPress Website Installing The Latest WordPress Version Automatically Improve your website performance with our NGINX-powered WordPress Hosting. Always Use The Latest Version of WordPress Security is one of the main reasons why you should always use the latest WordPress version. WordPress powers a very large number of websites worldwide, so it’s often targeted by hackers. When the team at WordPress discovers a security vulnerability, they will release an update to patch it to better protect their users. You’ll leave yourself vulnerable to being attacked if you don’t update WordPress right away. How To Easily Update Your WordPress Website When you login to WordPress, simply look on your Dashboard and click on the Updates page. If an update is available, there should be a highlighted number next to Updates, indicating how many updates are available. In a matter of two clicks, you can have your WordPress operating under the latest version. If you don’t have to log into your WordPress site daily, but want to make sure it’s always updated, you can implement email notifications with a plugin such as Better Notifications for WP. Select the options you desire based on the choices available and you will receive an email notification every time an update is available. Installing The Latest WordPress Version Automatically The best thing to do to always ensure you have the latest WordPress version is to install automatic updates. There are multiple ways to do this: Edit your wp-config.php file Use plugins such as Jetpack to manage updates It’s important to note that using automatic WordPress updates can be a little risky if you aren’t working with managed WordPress hosting. Major updates sometimes can create issues with your theme or other functional aspects of your website. This is why we recommend creating backups regularly. If you don’t use managed WordPress hosting, you’ll have to check your website after a major update to ensure it’s operating properly. Now that you know why it’s important to always use the latest version when choosing WordPress, you can be on the lookout for updates when they are available so your website is ready to dominate every day! Always updating your website will take your business to the next level, and we are here to help you every step of the way. Check out our WordPress Hosting plans to get started with recommended plugins, themes, and NGINX optimization. Share this Article InMotion Hosting Contributor Content Writer InMotion Hosting contributors are highly knowledgeable individuals who create relevant content on new trends and troubleshooting techniques to help you achieve your online goals! More Articles by InMotion Hosting Related Articles How to Install WordPress using Softaculous The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing WordPress Performance Complete Guide to WordPress Widgets: How to Add, Customize, and Manage The Ultimate Guide for Migrating WordPress Websites W3 Total Cache – Guide to WordPress Caching Cleaning Up Old Post Metadata in WordPress How to Log into Your WordPress Dashboard Getting Started Guide: WordPress How to Enable or Disable Automatic WordPress Updates How to Optimize your WordPress Database with WP-Optimize Settings