How to Safely Update a Very Old WordPress Site
Five versions behind and afraid to click? The safe order for updating an old WordPress site, the PHP trap, and when rebuilding beats updating.
Category WordPress Updates
WordPress Auto-Updates: Good or Bad? By Site Type
Auto-updates are neither good nor bad. What to enable by site type, the detection rule that decides it, and when to leave the button off.
Stuck in WordPress Maintenance Mode? The One-File Fix
"Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance" and it has been an hour. What the message means, the one-file fix, and what to do if it keeps coming back.
“Update Failed: Could Not Copy File”: What It Means
The same WordPress update error on every retry. What "could not copy file" actually describes, what to check yourself, and when it needs your host.
Site Went White After a PHP Upgrade? Fix It in Order
Your host changed your PHP version and the site went blank. The ordered fix, starting with the fastest safe response before you touch any plugin.
PHP 7.4 Is the WordPress Minimum: Check Yours Safely
WordPress 7.0 raised the PHP floor to 7.4. How to check what you're running, whether it affects you, and how to upgrade without breaking the site.
Which of Your Plugins Will Break? How to Find Out
A triage method for checking plugin compatibility before a WordPress update: sort into three tiers, read four signals, and know where research runs out.
What “Tested Up To” on a Plugin Page Really Means
Tested up to is typed by the developer and verified by nobody. What the field can tell you, what it cannot, and the four signals worth reading instead.
The 20-Minute WordPress Pre-Update Checklist
A timed pre-update checklist for WordPress, with a cost against every step, the four findings that mean do not update today, and what to cut first.
How to Roll Back a WordPress Update Safely
Roll back a plugin, a theme, or WordPress core without losing content. The safe order, the database catch, and when to restore a backup instead.