Why WordPress updates trigger so much uncertainty

The most uncomfortable button in the WordPress backend is not “Delete”, but “Update now”. Hardly anything causes more uncertainty for website owners than an upcoming update. Not because WordPress is fundamentally unstable – but because many have experienced what can happen afterward.

Suddenly something stops working. Or worse: everything looks fine, but in the background the site is no longer usable properly. That fear is real – especially on older websites.

“I’m afraid nothing will work afterwards”

This concern is not exaggerated. A WordPress website rarely consists of core only. It relies on plugins, themes, custom code and dependencies that have grown over years.

After an update, for example:

• your contact form might stop sending emails,
• the editor might behave differently,
• a plugin might suddenly throw errors.

Especially tricky: many issues don’t show immediately. The site loads and looks stable – but core functions are already broken.

Loss of control because of missing transparency

Many owners don’t know what actually happens during an update. Version numbers and changelogs help technical users – but mostly increase uncertainty for everyone else.

The underlying feeling is simple: I trigger something whose consequences I can’t assess. The update isn’t the main problem – the loss of control is.

Left alone after the click

Especially in small businesses, responsibilities are often unclear. The website was “built at some point”, documentation is missing, and the original contact person is gone.

If something goes wrong, you are suddenly alone – under time pressure, with revenue concerns and the fear that you “broke” it.

Especially critical: older WordPress sites with big version jumps

When maintenance was postponed for years

Many sites were not updated consistently over a long period. Not because people didn’t care, but because “it still worked”.

The problem: every skipped update increases the later jump. Plugins age, PHP versions change, functions become deprecated. What used to be normal maintenance eventually turns into a renovation.

Big version jumps are not a normal update

Currently (as of 02/12/2025), WordPress is version 6.9. Jumping from a much older version to this state is not “one click” anymore – many changes hit at once:

• core changes
• plugin dependencies
• theme logic
• server and PHP version

The risk increases – and the bad gut feeling can be justified.

Why it feels “dangerous”

Because technically, it is often closer to a renovation than a regular update. The bigger the jump, the more important a controlled process becomes.

Why WordPress updates are still non-negotiable

As understandable as the fear is – updates are not optional. Not because of “new features”, but because of stability and security.

Security

Updates close known vulnerabilities. An unmaintained WordPress install is an easy target – regardless of how small or “unnoticeable” the website seems.

Technical future-proofing

Servers, browsers and PHP keep evolving. A website that is not updated will sooner or later fall out of the technical frame – often without warning.

Not updating increases risk

What feels safe short-term creates bigger problems long-term:

• higher update costs,
• higher outage risk,
• more complex failures.

The longer you wait, the harder the way back.

“Better not touch anything” – why this strategy fails

Avoiding updates feels calm. But that calm is deceptive. At the latest when hosting forces a PHP upgrade, a plugin drops support or a security incident happens, the update becomes unavoidable – and usually under pressure.

The real cause of fear: no update strategy

Almost all update uncertainty comes from the same root: no plan. No overview of the technical state, no risk assessment, no clear order. Then every update becomes a gamble.

Control instead of gut feeling

An update is not a risk by itself. It becomes dangerous when it’s done blindly, unprepared or postponed out of fear.

Especially for older sites, what matters is:

• checking the current state properly,
• classifying big version jumps,
• running updates in a structured way.

Then even a big update loses its terror – and becomes what it should be: a controlled step forward.

Conclusion

WordPress updates cause fear – for good reasons. That fear should be taken seriously. But it is not a reason to avoid updates. The real risk factor is missing strategy.

If updates are planned, tested and executed cleanly, they are not a jump into the unknown – but controlled maintenance.