Course Content

Build a Code Free Website with WordPress

1. Getting Started with WordPress

Understanding WordPress Preparing Your Environment Installing WordPress Exploring the Admin Panel

2. Understanding the Basics

Pages vs. Posts Exploring Themes and Plugins Getting Started with the Block Editor Structuring a Basic Page

3. Basic Customization

Installing Astra Importing a Starter Template Creating Menus and Widgets Editing and Customizing Pages

4. Essential Plugins

Deep Dive into WordPress Plugins Adding Contact Forms Social Sharing Plugin Managing Plugins for Your Website

5. Content Creation

Creating Posts with Block Editor Adding Media to Posts Organizing Posts with Categories and Tags Previewing, Saving, and Publishing Posts

6. Site Settings

Configuring General Settings Adjusting Reading and Discussion Settings Understanding and Configuring Permalinks Managing Media Settings

7. Building a Complete Website from Scratch

Setting Up the Foundation Customizing the Website Design Installing and Configuring Plugins Creating Essential Pages Finalizing and Publishing the Website

Managing Plugins for Your Website

As your WordPress site grows, keeping your plugins up to date is essential for performance, compatibility, and security. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to manage your installed plugins properly, including how to update, deactivate, and delete them when necessary.

Why Plugin Updates Matter

Plugins are created and maintained by developers, and like any software, they're not perfect. Over time, users may report bugs, and developers release updates to fix those issues.

But it's not just about fixing errors. Updates are also important because:

WordPress itself is constantly evolving, and plugins need to stay compatible with the latest version;
Security vulnerabilities may be discovered in older versions of plugins. Updates often patch these issues to help protect your site;
New features or improvements are often added with each new plugin release.

A plugin that hasn't been updated in a long time may become a risk to your site's functionality or security. That's why choosing well-maintained plugins—and keeping them updated—is so important.

Updating Plugins

To update a plugin:

Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins;
If an update is available, you'll see a notice below the plugin name;
Click Update now to apply the update instantly;
You can also bulk update multiple plugins at once by selecting them and choosing Update from the dropdown menu at the top.

Checking Compatibility Before Updating

Before applying updates, it's a good idea to check if the new version is compatible with your current version of WordPress.

To do this:

Read the message that appears below the update button—it often says whether the update has been tested with your version of WordPress;
Click View details to check the changelog and see what has changed in the new version;
If your site is important or heavily customized, consider backing it up before applying updates.

Deactivating and Deleting Plugins

Sometimes you'll want to remove a plugin that's no longer needed or causing issues.

To do that:

Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins;
Click Deactivate under the plugin name;
After deactivation, you'll see a Delete option appear. Click it to remove the plugin completely from your site.

Tip: you should delete any plugins you're not using; keeping inactive plugins can clutter your dashboard and might still pose a security risk if they're outdated.

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Section 4. Chapter 4

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