Are you still using an older version of your WordPress theme and want to update it to the latest version?
Like everything WordPress makes it extremely easy to update your WordPress themes too. In this article we will show how you can update your WordPress theme.
Importance of keeping your WordPress theme up-to-date
Many people wonder why they should update the theme of their WordPress website if it’s working completely fine. Below are a few reasons for updating your theme.
- Security – Many times there are vulnerabilities found in the theme which can be serious for your websites safety. Developers release security fixes with the updates which will prevent hackers from gaining access to your website.
- Performance Improvement – As a theme grows there can be many features which could be slowing the theme down. Developers sometimes release updates which remove such bloats and help in improving the performance of your website and increase the page loading speeds.
- UI Improvement – The UI/UX trends constantly change and it’s important that you stay up to date with the changes to prevent your website from looking older. Developers make new design and user interface changes to the themes which they release as updates.
How to update the theme of your WordPress website
WordPress makes it as easy to update the theme of your website as clicking a button. There are two ways to update your theme.
First Method
Visit Dashboard -> Updates from your admin area.
If an update for your theme is available then you will see the theme name in a table.
Select the theme from the table and click on the Update Themes button.
Your theme will now be updated to the latest version.
Second Method
Visit Appearance -> Themes from your admin area.
If an update is available for your theme then a note will be displayed above your theme card saying New version available. Click on the Update now button beside it.
Your theme will now be updated to the latest version.
Warning
If you have made changes to the parent theme without using a child theme then all the changes will be removed after the update process. It is best to always take a backup of your theme before any update and use a child theme for making any changes to the theme.
Final Thoughts
Updating your theme is an important part of running your WordPress website properly. Failing to update your themes for longer periods of time can make them vulnerable to hacking attempts and put your website at risk.
Learn How to Install a New WordPress Theme
