Now it’s time to update what’s left from the previous step as well as the WordPress core.
This will let you take care of the latest features, code optimizations and performance updates, making for a website that runs a lot smoother. It’s also an important step in keeping your site safe. Out of date WordPress versions are one of the biggest reasons why websites get hacked.
Below is how WordPress explains their version numbering and what it all means:
A major WordPress version is dictated by the first two sequences. For example, 3.5 is a major release. So is 3.6, 3.7 all the way up to 4.0. Version 4.0 is no different than 3.9 and 4.1. There isn’t a “WordPress 3” or “WordPress 4” – we’re weird like that for historical reasons.
Major releases add new user features and developer APIs. Though typically a “major” version means you can break backwards compatibility (and indeed, it normally means that you have), WordPress strives to never break backwards compatibility. It’s one of our most important philosophies, and makes updates much easier on users and developers alike.
A minor WordPress version is dictated by the third sequence. Version 3.9.1 is a minor release. So is 3.8.2. A minor release is reserved for fixing security vulnerabilities and addressing critical bugs only.
So, just because it is only a minor release still means you need to pay attention to it as it is most likely going to keep your site save, secure and running as smooth as possible.
Fortunately, updating in WordPress is easy as pie
All available updates can be found under “Dashboard” >> “Updates”.
Make sure to bring everything listed here up to speed.
This WordPress WorkOut is only short and sweet but it can make a huge difference to the both the performance and security of your website.
