How long does WordPress update take

It’s very true that WordPress has taken the world by storm so much so that it has become one of the most used platforms. Plenty of websites rely on WordPress’ functions and efficiency to deliver their content to a worldwide audience. But WordPress is not a perfect machine, completely unbreakable and without a fault. It’s easy to set up WordPress but actually maintaining your WP website is a whole different story. In order to keep all that functionality you like, as well as speed and compatibility, timely WordPress updates are needed. Now, if there’s one thing that people don’t like, it’s wasting time. And that’s what you probably feel like you will do if you waste hours updating your site. But how long does WordPress update take? Contrary to what it might feel like right now, this update won’t take up much of your time.

A person holding a question mark sing, thinking how long does WordPress update take.
Are you having too many questions that you need to have answered? Read on!

The importance of updates

Wondering how long does WordPress update take? This is actually the second step and the second question you should have. The first one is what is the importance of updates and when should you do them. We’ve already mentioned that updates help your website run in its optimal condition. They offer you maximum security, as well as a plethora of cool new features. And all of these features are actually a reason why WordPress has gained worldwide popularity. While some versions contain just small fixes and improvements, others bring about a huge change (remember the WordPress 5.0 version).

Should you want to preserve your site’s functionality, we suggest you update WordPress a few days maybe even a week after a new update becomes available. That’s because it takes some time for developers to adjust the plugins to the new version of WordPress and fix any incompatibility issues in the process. And when incompatibility issue arises, it takes a lot of time and effort to fix it. So why not avoid it alltogether if you have the chance?

How can you tell when a new update is ready? We tackle that and much more very soon, so make sure you pay close attention.

How long does WordPress update take?

The answer is actually a pretty straightforward one – not that long. The actual update process is very simple and quick, and it usually doesn’t take more than minutes. The real work is to be done before updating your website, but we’ll get to that later. When you want to update your WP website, you have to go to the Dashboard and find the Please update now option which can be found somewhere on the very top of the page. Click on this option and watch the magic happen.

A white alarm clock.
You won’t have to waste your time – the most valuable resource of all.

Believe it or not, smaller upgrades can take just seconds, although you probably shouldn’t count on that being the case. Now, when updating WordPress core, plugins, and themes, your site will enter maintenance mode. That means that when visitors open your site, they will see a message informing them that maintenance is currently in place and that they should come back in a minute. If you are worried that this will have a negative effect on your business, don’t be. In case something goes wrong and the update takes too long, WordPress will simply stop and call it a failure. After that, your website will go live again.

And how long is too long? In case it takes more than five minutes, the update will be considered a failure. And that answers your question of how long does WordPress update take. Although this is a rather quick and simple process, it still requires some work on your part. What exactly should you do?

  1. Backup your website before making any changes and updates to it.
  2. Check whether everything works after updating your website.

Always make an effort to back up your website before any updates

We are pretty sure the flies on the wall have learned by now just how important website backup is. Even though this process is something that should be repeated on a regular basis and it can even be done automatically, we still suggest you do a complete website backup right before updating anything. Yes, updates are crucial if you want your site to function at its optimal speed and performance, but they have been known to make a site go haywire. At least temporarily. That’s why it’s very important that you have a recent restore point in place should anything go wrong.

Under construction sign.
Website backup is a process that will save your website when update problems occur.

It might seem like a waste of time, especially if you have done timely updates for dozens of times now, and nothing bad ever happened. Besides, the update process does check for any common problems before proceeding with the action, but it never hurts to be safe. Just because it’s unlikely, doesn’t make it impossible. Besides, all it takes is that one time to show you how wrong you are. When it happens, we here at WP Full Care hope you will have a solution in place and will be able to solve the problem quickly.

Making sure everything is in order after updates is a mandatory part of the process

Once you see the welcome message that informs you you’ve successfully updated your website, you should still take one necessary measure of precaution – checking whether everything works. Exit the screen and take a few minutes to click through your website and see whether all of your high-impact landing-pages and posts are appearing correctly. Also, make sure that everything works the way you expect it and that all of the functionality is preserved.

In conclusion

Updates are a necessary part and they keep your WordPress site at its maximum capacity. How long does WordPress update take is one of the most frequently asked questions we can think of. We hope that our answer helped you realize that this is a necessary yet quick process. And if you are hesitant to update your website now, imagine just how hesitant you would have been had this process lasted for hours. This way, you won’t have to invest anything more than minutes, and even this investment will be well worth it. 

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