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# How to Update WordPress, Themes, and Plugins

Keeping WordPress, your theme, and plugins up to date is the single most important thing you can do for security. Outdated software is the leading cause of hacked websites.

**Before updating — take a backup**

Always back up your website before running updates. In cPanel, go to **Files → Backup** and download a full account backup.

**Update WordPress core**

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel at **https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin**.
  2. If an update is available, you will see a notice at the top of the dashboard.
  3. Go to **Dashboard → Updates**.
  4. Click **Update Now** under the WordPress version section.
  5. Wait for the update to complete. WordPress will display a success message.



**Update plugins**

  1. Go to **Dashboard → Updates**.
  2. Under **Plugins** , check the plugins you want to update (or click **Select All**).
  3. Click **Update Plugins**.



**Update themes**

  1. Go to **Dashboard → Updates**.
  2. Under **Themes** , select the themes to update and click **Update Themes**.



**Enable automatic background updates (optional)**

WordPress can apply minor security updates automatically. To enable this, add the following line to your **wp-config.php** file:

**define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);**

**After updating**

Visit your website and check that everything still works correctly. If something breaks after an update, you can restore your backup or deactivate the updated plugin to identify the conflict.