8 Dec 2023
Updates are important. We won’t deny that!
But…
You want to avoid problems in general. What are the chances of getting hacked due to an outdated plugin, and how likely is it that a new plugin conflicts with other plugins or with WordPress itself, causing errors that make your website non-functional?
The chances are higher that your plugin encounters an error and your WordPress stops working due to conflicts with other plugins or WordPress than the chances of your website getting destroyed by a hack.
Examples
We often come across WordPress websites that stop working, for example, because themes with WooCommerce templates use code that suddenly doesn’t work anymore in the latest WooCommerce update. Suddenly, your online shop stops functioning!
Or plugins that were coded 2 years ago may not work with the latest version of WordPress.
Plugin compatibility can also be an issue. For instance, translation plugins may be coded to work together with certain themes, WordPress, and other plugins used at that time, but after a year, the code may no longer be compatible.
Plugins still need to be updated
We will never say that you shouldn’t update your plugins. But as a tip, we suggest updating them regularly after making a backup, and update them all at once, not for every single release but on a regular basis.
Unless you want to run a backup of your data and database with each release so that you can roll back in case of any issues.
A new release
A new release or update is tested in advance, but it can never be tested on all platforms with every PHP version that exists. So, if it is found to have issues, the feedback will be posted on forums, and the developer will release a new update. Therefore, it’s advisable to wait at least 3-5 days before updating a plugin or WordPress, so you avoid being in the test phase.
It’s just a tip, do with it what you want 😉
