How often should a WordPress website be updated?

WordPress core security releases should be applied within one to two weeks of release — not months later. Plugin updates should be reviewed weekly and tested on a staging environment before pushing live. Major theme updates need testing before deployment. A site that goes six to twelve months without maintenance isn’t just outdated — it’s a target, and catching up becomes a significant project.

WordPress Core Updates

WordPress releases minor updates (security patches and bug fixes) frequently throughout the year, alongside major version releases every few months. Minor security releases should go live as fast as practical — typically within one to two weeks. Major version releases (like 6.x to 6.x+1) should be tested on a staging copy first, because they occasionally introduce incompatibilities with plugins or themes.

Plugin Updates

Plugins are the most common attack vector for WordPress sites. Most hacks exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated plugins — vulnerabilities that were patched in the update you didn’t apply. A weekly review cadence is the right baseline:

• Check the changelog before updating — understand what changed.
• Test major version jumps on staging before pushing to production.
• Flag and replace plugins that haven’t been updated by their developer in over 12 months — these are abandoned software and a security risk.

Theme Updates

If you’re using a third-party theme (Divi, GeneratePress, Astra), update it on staging first. Major theme updates can affect your layout, custom CSS, or child theme functionality. A custom-built theme has no upstream updates, but still needs code audits periodically for security best practices.

What Happens When Updates Are Skipped

A site that hasn’t been updated in six months likely has multiple plugins with known, publicly documented vulnerabilities. At twelve months, it’s running on a version of WordPress that may no longer receive security patches. Catching up isn’t just applying updates — it’s an audit, a cleanup, and sometimes a conflict-resolution project. The compounding risk is real and the catch-up cost is avoidable.

Our care plans handle the full update cadence for your WordPress site so nothing falls through the cracks. Get in touch to get your site on a proper maintenance schedule.