Backup your database and files

The second link, Please Update Now, takes you to another page in the

WordPress Dashboard — the WordPress Updates page, as shown in Figure 6-3.

Important: before updating, please backup your database and files. For help with updates, visit the Updating WordPress Codex page

At the very top of the WordPress Updates page is another important message for you:

 

 

Both links in the message take you to pages in the WordPress Codex that
contain helpful information on creating backups and updating WordPress.

Book II, Chapter 7 has extensive information on how to back up your WordPress Web site, content, and files.

The WordPress Updates page tells you that an update version of WordPress is available. You can update two ways:

 

✦ Automatically, by using the built-in WordPress updater

✦ Manually, by downloading the files and installing them on your server These ways to update are discussed later in the chapter.