You heard the new version of WordPress is hot off the press. You login to your dashboard and get ready to push the big button. But wait? Can your website handle the latest WordPress upgrade?
Here are a few tips to ensure your WordPress update is smooth sailing.
WordPress Readiness Checklist
- Do you meet the requirements for 4.0? Server (your webhost) requirements are PHP 5.2.4 (or greater), MySQL 5.0 or greater and mod_rewrite Apache module (makes it possible for permalinks so you don’t have ID numbers for a URL). You can do this quickly with Sucuri’s malware scanner online. Click on the Website Details tab.
- Theme compatibility. Is your theme compatible with WordPress 4.0? Check your vendor to be sure.
- Plugin compatibility. Are your plugins up to date? Plugins are 3rd party software and not produced by WordPress. Check to make sure they are compatible. I use Better Plugin Compatibility Control which adds to the plugin version info to the plugins dashboard. If it isn’t listed for 4.0, has it has been tested with your version? Plugins are the main reason for update problems.
- Backup Your Website. Your webhost may or may not be doing nightly backups (many don’t). Backup your website first before you upgrade to WordPress 4.0. If you encounter problems, this is a lifesaver so you can revert back! My favs are VaultPress and Backup Buddy (affiliate link).
If you followed all of those steps – you are probably ready! Go push that big shiny button!
Thanks for the info