Updating plugins for a WordPress website is crucial for its security; however, if done without care, it can also cause errors on your site and sometimes even stop it from working. That’s why it’s recommended for every webmaster to update the plugins only:
- After taking a complete backup of the site
- Under the supervision of a professional web developer
- One by one, so that the faulty plugin can be traced easily.
In this blog post, we have shared some errors that are commonly seen & reported by the webmasters when they update plugins on their WordPress site.
#1 White Screen of Death (WSOD)
Have you ever experienced your website showing a white blank screen immediately after you update a plugin, or after updating multiple plugins? Well, this is the most common error that most website owners face when they update all their outdated plugins without any proper planning.
What’s the reason behind WSOD?
When updated plugins conflict with other website plugins, they may trigger a PHP error, resulting in a white screen of death (WSOD).
What should you do about it?
- The first step is to enable debugging (in wp-config.php, set WP_DEBUG to true) to check the exact error causing this issue.
- Once you locate the faulty plugin in the error logs/path, temporarily deactivate it via FTP or the hosting file manager.
- Roll back the plugin to its previous version (before the update) if possible.
#2 Plugin Conflict Warnings
Another standard error that most WordPress site owners face after updating the plugins is the display of warnings on the website.
Why does this happen?
If the updated plugins use hooks, CS, or JS code that overlaps with other plugins, it could trigger warning messages on the website.
How to resolve?
- Try always to update the plugins on a staging website first. This will eliminate the risk of your live website showing errors or warnings. When you hire a professional website developer to do this, they will always set up a staging website.
- Update one plugin at a time. Don’t update them all at once.
- Before updating any plugin, always ensure you have a complete backup of your website, just in case you need to restore it.
#3 Data Loss
Another common error that most webmasters face after updating plugins on their WordPress sites it the loss of data from the section that was being rendered through that plugin.
Why does this happen?
Some plugin updates also cause changes to the database schema. Also, if database operations fail mid-way, the data may be corrupted.
How to prevent data loss?
- As usual, our advice is always to take a complete backup of your website.
- If the update fails, restore the backup and report the issue to the plugin developer.
#4 Slow-loading Speed
If you have been using a WordPress site for quite a long time, you must have experienced a slowdown of your site after updating its theme and plugins.
How can a plugin update slow down your site?
After updating a plugin, it may include new code and scripts, such as large CSS files, additional database queries, or other resource-intensive processes. All of this can cause your WordPress site to slow down.
How to fix?
- Don’t make any changes to the live site. Make sure to update the plugins on staging and monitor performance.
- Hiring a web developer would be a great idea to improve your website’s loading speed if a plugin update has slowed it down. You can find an abundance of Indian website builders who can repair your website at an affordable cost.
#5 Disappearance of features
After updating a plugin on your WordPress site, a section or feature may disappear. Especially if your WordPress developer had made many customizations to that plugin, updating it may wipe out all this custom code, causing the features to disappear or behave unexpectedly.
What’s the solution?
- Ensure that you have a complete backup so that you can restore it, just in case.
- Make sure to consult your website developer before updating any plugins.
- List the names of plug-ins that contain intensive customizations and don’t update them with a DIY approach. Ask your developer to do it for you.
