How to Enable Auto-Updates for Your WordPress Core and Why?

WordPress sites are the backbone of countless businesses, blogs, and portfolios. With such widespread usage, ensuring your WordPress core is always updated is essential for security, performance, and compatibility. 

In this guide, we’ll explore how to enable auto-updates for your WordPress core and why this small yet powerful step can transform your website maintenance routine.

If you can, first try it on a WordPress staging site and ensure peace of mind.

The Importance of Keeping WordPress Core Updated

The WordPress core powers every functionality of your website, from user management to publishing content. When updates are released, they usually address the following key areas:

1. Security Enhancements: Regular updates protect your site from vulnerabilities exploited by hackers. Staying updated is crucial, especially for older WordPress versions, which are more prone to attacks.
2. Improved Performance: Updates often come with performance enhancements, ensuring faster load times and smoother operations.
3. Compatibility Fixes: Updates ensure your website is compatible with the latest plugins, themes, and PHP versions.
4. New Features: WordPress updates often introduce new features, improving the functionality and overall experience for admins and visitors alike.

Skipping these updates can result in security risks, performance degradation, and even downtime. However, manually updating WordPress core across multiple sites can become a tedious task. Enter auto-updates—the game changer for WordPress maintenance.

How to Enable Auto-Updates for WordPress Core

WordPress provides a built-in way to enable auto-updates, making it easier to stay ahead. Follow these steps to enable auto-updates for your WordPress core:

1. Enable Auto-Updates via the WordPress Dashboard

• Log in to your WordPress admin panel.

• Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.

• Check if your WordPress version is up to date. If not, click the “Update Now” button.
• Scroll down to the “Automatic Updates” section. Here, you can enable automatic updates for major or minor releases by clicking the respective buttons.

2. Enable Auto-Updates via WP-Config File

For advanced users, editing the wp-config.php file is another option:

• Access your site files via FTP or your hosting panel.
• Open the wp-config.php file.

Add the following line of code:

define(‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, true);

• Save the file and upload it back to the server.

This method is particularly useful when working with a WordPress staging site, where you can test the impact of updates before applying them to live environments.

3. Enable Auto-Updates with WP-CLI

If you prefer command-line tools, WP-CLI offers a quick way to enable auto-updates:

• Access your site’s terminal or SSH.

Run the following command:

wp config set WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE true

This command updates your configuration file to allow automatic updates.

How to enable auto-updates WordPress core for all your sites →

Why Auto-Updates Are Essential for WordPress Core

Enabling auto-updates for your WordPress core is a proactive approach to website maintenance. Here’s why:

1. Hands-Free Maintenance

Auto-updates eliminate the need to manually check and update your WordPress core, freeing up time to focus on other tasks.

2. Enhanced Security

New security patches are applied automatically, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and protecting your data.

3. Cost Efficiency

By automating updates, you can avoid costly downtime caused by outdated software. For agencies managing multiple sites, this also reduces the time and resources spent on manual updates.

4. Seamless Compatibility

Auto-updates ensure your site remains compatible with the latest themes, plugins, and hosting environments, preventing potential errors or conflicts.

5. Risk Reduction with Staging

For advanced users, testing updates on a WordPress staging site can mitigate risks. If an update causes issues, you can resolve them in staging before applying changes to the live site.

Best Practices for Using Auto-Updates

While auto-updates are convenient, following best practices ensures your sites remain stable:

1. Test on Staging First

Before enabling auto-updates on a live site, test them on a WordPress staging site to identify any potential conflicts.

2. Enable Notifications

Configure notifications to stay informed about updates. This way, you’ll know when updates are applied and can verify your site’s functionality.

3. Backup Your Site Regularly

Always have a recent backup of your site. In case an update causes issues, you can easily restore it to a previous version.

4. Monitor Your Site

Use monitoring tools to ensure your site remains operational after updates. Performance issues or errors can sometimes arise, even with automatic updates enabled.

Wrapping Up

Enabling auto-updates for your WordPress core is a must for any website owner or manager. It ensures security, enhances performance, and reduces the time spent on manual maintenance. Whether you’re managing one site or hundreds, auto-updates are the key to a hassle-free experience.

When combined with a WordPress staging site, this approach becomes even more powerful, allowing you to test updates without risking your live site. Follow the steps above to enable auto-updates and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your site is always up to date.

Stay secure, stay updated, and let WordPress handle the heavy lifting for you!