Upgrading WordPress and WordPress Plug-Ins
Those of you who currently run blogs on your unit websites-or as your unit website-may notice that when you log in to your WordPress dashboard, there are occasionally/frequently notices from WordPress that a new version is available and that you should upgrade now.
In general, upgrading your WordPress software is a good idea…but before that oh-so-easy click on the link, there are a few things you need to do first. Above all, you should make sure that everyone with access to the blog dashboard knows who has the responsibility to upgrade.
1) Schedule Your Upgrade During Business Hours and Let MLA HQ Know
If there’s a problem, we want to be able to assist you right away; you want to be sure your members have access to your site. If you can’t upgrade except in the evening or on a weekend, please make sure to follow all the steps below, but most especially backups.
2) Using Plug-Ins and Custom Themes
You need to research to make sure any plugins that are essential to your site are compatible with the new version before upgrading. Visit the WordPress plugin site and search for your plugin to view compatibility. Many plugins also have their own websites, and you can check compatibility there also; these are often part of the plugin information available in the installation.
If they are not compatible, and the plugin is “active,” (i.e., there’s a current developer that continues to work on it), and it’s an essential plugin for your site-you may want to wait. You can even email the developer to see if it is compatible or if it has even been tested. If it is not compatible and does not look like it will be updated again, you may want to find an alternative plugin before upgrading WordPress.
Deactivate all your plugins before upgrading. After the upgrade, turn them on one-by-one, and check the blog in a new tab or window. If there are any compatibility issues, believe me, you will know right away-generally your site will stop working! Go back to the plugin page on your dashboard in your original tab and deactivate that plugin.
Luckily, content is not tied to theme-so if you check your theme and find that your custom theme is no longer compatible with the new version of WordPress, you can quickly switch to another theme until you modify or replace.
3) Backup Your Site Regularly
See full instructions on the Archiving and Backup page.
If you have questions or need help, please let MLA HQ know:
Chao Cheng handles the main cPanel server and has experience with restoring websites (mlafa1@mlahq.org; 312.419.9094 x20)
Kate Corcoran has worked with both cPanel and WordPress for a number of years on multiple sites (corcoran@mlahq.org; 312.419.9094 x12).