Updates should be planned around your site’s plugins, theme, backups, and the services that rely on it.

Check your maintenance arrangement

If your website is managed, contact support before starting updates yourself. This avoids overlapping changes and keeps the history clear.

Prepare a recovery path

Confirm that a current backup exists and that there is a known way to restore it. Where available, test significant changes in a staging environment.

Check the important journeys

1. Verify the home page and key content pages.
2. Test forms and any checkout or booking process.
3. Check both mobile and desktop layouts.
4. Record anything that changed unexpectedly.

Do not make changes on a live site just to clear an update notification when compatibility is unknown.