Keeping WordPress up to date is critical for security and performance—but letting your plugins, themes, or WordPress core update automatically is one of the fastest ways to break your website.
It sounds like a helpful feature. Set it and forget it, right?
Not quite.
If your website matters to your business, automatic updates are a risk you can’t afford to take lightly. Here’s why—and what to do instead.
What’s the Problem with Auto-Updates?
Automatic updates apply changes to your live website without your review or control. This means:
- Plugin or theme updates may conflict with each other
- Your site may crash from incompatible changes
- Custom code can be overwritten without warning
- You may not even know something is broken until a customer tells you
While WordPress core updates are usually safe, plugins and themes come from third-party developers with different standards—and some updates introduce major changes that should never be applied blindly.
What Can Go Wrong?
Broken Layouts
A theme update could wipe out custom styling, rearrange your homepage, or break your mobile view.
Plugin Conflicts
Two plugins that used to work fine together might not after one of them updates. Suddenly, your contact forms, popups, or store checkout stop working.
Lost Functionality
A plugin update may remove features you rely on, rename key settings, or change how data is stored—breaking your workflow behind the scenes.
White Screen of Death
In some cases, your entire site goes blank. You can’t access the dashboard, and your visitors can’t see anything.
Security Holes From Incomplete Updates
Auto-updates that partially fail can leave your site in an unstable state, creating more risk instead of less.
The Safer Way to Handle Updates
Back Up First
Always back up your site before making changes. This includes both files and the database.
Use a Staging Site or Local Environment
Test updates in a controlled environment before pushing them live. This lets you catch problems early, without risking your public site.
Update One Component at a Time
Don’t update 10 plugins at once. Update them one at a time, check your site, and confirm everything is still working as expected.
Stick to a Regular Update Schedule
Instead of letting updates happen randomly, schedule a consistent time (weekly or bi-weekly) to review and apply updates safely.
Work With Trusted Developers
As we’ve covered in earlier articles, stick to plugins and themes from providers with good reputations, frequent updates, and real support.
Should You Ever Use Auto-Updates?
In rare cases—such as well-maintained, low-risk utility plugins—you may choose to enable auto-updates selectively. But even then, you should have backups and monitoring in place to catch problems early.
The default should always be: review updates manually and deploy them on your terms.
Final Thoughts
Automatic updates are convenient—but convenience isn’t worth risking your site’s functionality, stability, or reputation. If your website is part of your business, control matters more than convenience.
Take the time to update safely, test carefully, and protect your site from avoidable surprises.