It is the first thing you see after logging in. Most people skip it — and it holds the notification that matters most.
What is on the start page
At a Glance — how many posts, pages and comments you have. It also shows the WordPress version and the active theme.
Activity — recently published posts and the latest comments.
Quick Draft — a box for a quick note. Rarely useful.
WordPress Events and News — news from the community. It can be hidden.
Tip: at the top right there is a Screen Options button. From there you switch off what you don’t need, and the dashboard becomes much easier to read.
Updates — the most important part
The red badge next to “Updates” means something is waiting. It isn’t cosmetic.
Most hacked WordPress websites are hacked through an outdated plugin. Not through a weak password, not through the hosting — through an add-on that sat for months with a known hole.
What gets updated
WordPress core — minor releases (5.9.1 → 5.9.2) are security fixes and install automatically. Major ones (5.9 → 6.0) bring changes and deserve attention.
Plugins — the most frequent and the most important.
Themes — less frequent, but just as important.
Translations — harmless; let them through.
An order that doesn’t cause problems
- Backup. Always the first step.
- Update plugins a few at a time, not all at once — if something breaks, you know which one did it.
- Check the website after each group.
- Core last.
If you have a staging copy, do everything there first.
What if something breaks
Usually: a white screen or an error message.
If you can’t get into the admin — rename the folder of the most recently updated plugin over FTP. That deactivates it and the website comes back.
Then either look for a replacement or wait for a fix from the author.
A plugin that hasn’t been updated in years
If the author hasn’t touched it for more than a year, it is abandoned code. Look for a replacement while it still works — not when it breaks.
How often
Once a week is enough for most websites. For a store — more often, and always with a backup.
Automatic plugin updates are an option, but for a website that makes money it is better to stay in control.
Don’t want to maintain WordPress yourself — updates, backups and security? We take care of it.
WordPress maintenance →