Outdated Software Is the Number One Cause of WordPress Hacks. Automatic Updates Close That Vulnerability Forever.
Automatic updates keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins at the latest version without you having to log in and click update. The majority of successful WordPress hacks exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated versions. Enabling automatic updates closes those vulnerabilities within hours of a patch being released — not days or weeks later when someone remembers to log in.
“Automatic updates are the simplest, most effective security measure you can implement on WordPress. Enable them once and your site stays protected forever.”
Configuring Automatic Updates
WordPress core: Minor updates (security and maintenance) are enabled by default since WordPress 5.6. Major version updates can be enabled in wp-config.php with define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);. Plugins and themes: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins. In the “Automatic updates” column, enable for each plugin. Same for themes in Appearance > Themes. Plugin: Easy Updates Manager. Provides granular control — enable auto-updates for everything, disable for specific plugins you need to test before updating, configure email notifications when updates occur, and set update schedules. Managed WordPress hosting: Many managed hosts handle updates automatically as part of their service. Caution: Before enabling auto-updates, ensure you have automatic daily backups. An update that breaks your site can be reversed in minutes by restoring a backup. For professional update management, see our WordPress Services page.
“Automatic updates are the set-and-forget security strategy. Enable them, ensure backups are running, and sleep better knowing your site updates itself.”
