Improving WordPress Security: Activating Automatic Updates for Major Releases

Why Should You Prioritize Automatic Updates?

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, ensuring the security of your WordPress website is of utmost importance. One effective strategy to enhance WordPress security is by enabling automatic updates for major releases. While minor updates are already automated, enabling automatic updates for major releases ensures that your website remains up-to-date with the latest security features and enhancements. In this article, we will guide you through the process of enabling automatic updates for major WordPress versions in an effortless manner.

Step 1: Set Up a Reliable Backup System

Before enabling automatic updates, it is crucial to establish a dependable backup system for your WordPress installation. Regardless of whether automatic updates are turned on or off, having a backup system is essential for any website. For an easy and efficient backup strategy, we recommend using the Duplicator plugin. Considered the top WordPress backup plugin available, Duplicator allows you to schedule automatic backups of your entire website and store them remotely, including locations like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

Step 2: Enable Automatic Updates for Major Releases

To enable automatic updates for major releases, follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. Go to the Dashboard » Updates page.
3. Find the message stating, “This site is automatically kept up to date with maintenance and security releases of WordPress only.” This refers to minor releases.
4. Click on the link that says “Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress.”
5. All done! Your WordPress website will now automatically install major releases.

An Alternate Method: Easy Updates Manager Plugin

If you prefer more control over updates, you can use the Easy Updates Manager plugin. This plugin allows you to customize automatic updates for various aspects such as WordPress core, plugins, themes, and more. Follow these instructions to enable automatic updates using the Easy Updates Manager plugin:

1. Install and activate the Easy Updates Manager plugin.
2. Visit the Dashboard » Updates Options page.
3. Under the “Quick configuration actions” section, click on the “Custom” button.
4. In the “WordPress core updates” section, select the “Auto update all releases” button.
5. Avoid selecting the “Auto update everything” button, as this would activate automatic updates for themes and translations as well.

An Advanced Method: Adding Code to wp-config.php

Alternatively, you can add code to your WordPress files to enable automatic updates. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Access your site’s wp-config.php file.
2. Add the following line of code to the file:

define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true );

1. Keep in mind that this code also enables “nightly” updates, which are still in development and not recommended for live websites.
2. To disable nightly builds and development updates, add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or use a code snippets plugin:

add_filter( 'allow_dev_auto_core_updates', '__return_false' );

By successfully enabling automatic updates for major releases, your WordPress site will consistently stay updated, ensuring top-notch security and optimal performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is it crucial to install WordPress updates?
   WordPress is regularly updated and maintained by a large community of developers. Installing updates promptly ensures that your website benefits from the latest security patches, new features, and optimal performance.

2. Are updates safe for my website?
   Updates are generally safe for websites. The WordPress core team ensures that updates are secure and compatible with existing websites. However, it is advisable to back up your website before installing updates as a precautionary measure.

3. Can I enable automatic updates for WordPress plugins?
   By default, WordPress requires manual installation of plugin updates. However, you can enable automatic updates for plugins. Refer to our comprehensive guide on how to enable automatic updates for WordPress plugins for detailed instructions.

4. Is it possible to update multiple websites from a single dashboard?
   Although updating each WordPress website may require individual logins, there are tools available that allow you to manage multiple websites from a single dashboard. These tools streamline the update process for all your WordPress sites.

Enabling automatic updates for major WordPress releases is a proactive step toward improving the security of your website. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can have peace of mind knowing that your WordPress site will consistently benefit from the latest security enhancements and improvements. Do not compromise on the security of your website – enable automatic updates today!