The Importance of WordPress Plugin Updates

Any WordPress administrator will tell you that many tabs are on the admin dashboard. Sadly, some things go unnoticed when they shouldn’t. This includes plugin updates. Whether you have a hundred plugins or just one, it’s very important that you always update your plugins the day an update comes out. If you don’t have this habit, here are some reasons why you should:

#1 Security Flaws

All plugin developers aren’t created equally. Some can create flawless code while others can’t. Since most work on their code daily or listen to the community feedback, there are times when flaws can be found. This is just a way of life. It’s important to update this right away because if the wrong person finds out about your old plugin version, you could put your website at risk.

#2 Function

It’s no secret that WordPress updates its version every few weeks. There’s probably a good chance that you update your WordPress every time an update comes out, right. If you don’t, it’s important to do so. If you update your WordPress version but you don’t update your plugins, you could put the functionality at risk. To make sure that everything is running smoothly, it’s advisable to update your plugins before you update the version.

#3 Features

Sometimes a plugin doesn’t offer an update because of function or flaw reasons. Instead, the developer may have added some features that can make your life a lot easier. Most reputable developers will offer an update documentation sheet before you update. On this documentation, it will state what was updated and what will be included. Most of the time, these features are added due to the feedback from the users across the web.

#4 It’s Fast

If you’re using the recent WordPress version, you should know by now that updating your plugins literally take a few seconds. For those who are lazy, you can be assured that you can update all of your plugins with one click. Back in the day before this nifty feature was around, you had to manually upload the update to your server. Thankfully, those days are long gone. If you’re using laziness as an excuse, you should probably review that.

#5 Performance

Today, a slow website can harm your search engine rankings and really annoy visitors. While many plugins are fast, some can drag your website down over time. What developers fail to realize is that they don’t notice this when they release the plugin. Instead, they wait for the community to tell them. So, if your website seems like it’s taking a generation to load, it could be due to a slower plugin.

#6 Spam Attacks

Similar to the security flaws mentioned above, some faulty plugins can lead to spam attacks, especially if you have a comment-related plugin. What automated bots can do is pick out a line of code from your website or a footprint that each plugin has. With that information, they can then spam your comments or even attempt a backdoor hack.

Updating a plugin is very easy. In fact, you probably could have updated 50 plugins by the time you have read this article. The next time you see a number next to the update section on your admin panel, don’t ignore it. Instead, take a few seconds of your time to update it. By doing so, you can keep your website safe.

Category: Website Tips, WordPress