Updating Your Outdated WordPress Plugins

Contrary to widespread perceptions, 94% of detected WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins, not from WordPress core itself. This is a wake-up call for many business owners. Your website might be at risk right now, and you may not even know.

While plugins add powerful features to your website, outdated ones can slow it down, cause theme conflicts, and introduce security gaps that hackers love to exploit. But don’t worry – securing your website and keeping it up to date is simpler than you might think.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to identify and manage outdated plugins, set up an effective update routine, and protect your website effectively.

With the right hosting provider, many of these plugin-related challenges can be automatically managed. With InMotion Hosting, you get the reliable support and enhanced security that your website deserves.

The Hidden Costs of Outdated WordPress Plugins

Outdated plugins may seem harmless, but they often carry hidden costs for your WordPress website—and ultimately, your business. Here are a few major ones:

Security Vulnerabilities

When plugin developers release updates, they often include crucial security patches that address newly discovered vulnerabilities. Failing to implement these updates leaves your website exposed to various forms of cyberattacks, including:

• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Remote Code Execution (RCE)
• Privilege Escalation
• Denial of Service (DoS)
• Backdoor Access

A recent study validates the growing concerns regarding outdated plugins:

In 2023, Patchstack discovered a 24% increase in new security issues compared to the year before, and 97% of these issues came from plugins.

Performance Impact Statistics

Outdated plugins can significantly affect your WordPress website’s performance.

As plugins evolve, their developers optimize code to ensure better efficiency and compatibility with newer WordPress versions. If these updates aren’t applied, the plugin may continue running with outdated code and cause various problems.

Increased loading time is one of those common problems. Older plugins often rely on inefficient code, which can slow down your website, especially when used alongside other plugins or heavy media. And remember, even a one-second delay in page load time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.

Moreover, outdated plugins can consume excessive server resources, leading to performance bottlenecks, especially during peak traffic times. The result: Lower engagement levels, reduced conversions, and ultimately, loss of revenue.

SEO Penalties

Search engines, like Google, prioritize websites that offer a secure, fast, and user-friendly experience. When plugins become outdated, they may introduce security vulnerabilities or performance issues that hinder your website’s functionality, which can hurt your search engine optimization efforts.

Moreover, some plugins, when not updated, can become incompatible with the latest SEO practices or introduce errors that affect keyword optimization, meta tags, or structured data. These issues can undermine your website’s ability to rank for targeted keywords.

Damage to Professional Reputation

For businesses, a website serves as the first impression for potential clients, partners, and customers. If visitors encounter broken features, slow loading times, or security warnings due to outdated plugins, they may view your website and business as unprofessional.

Real Business Impact of Outdated Plugins

The impact of outdated plugins is massive for online businesses. Here are some of the consequences your business may have to face due to outdated plugins:

Revenue Loss

As mentioned earlier, outdated plugins can cause crashes, slow loading times, and security breaches. All of these factors combined may disrupt the user experience, leading to lost sales, and missed opportunities.

Additionally, plugin-related issues can lead to website downtime, which can further damage your business. Even a minute of website downtime can cost your small/medium-sized business anywhere between $137 to $427 on average.

Conversion Rate

Outdated plugins can mean BIG trouble for your website’s conversion rates. Here’s how:

• Negative User Experience (UX): Outdated plugins often lead to an overall poor user experience (UX). And guess what? A negative UX can significantly lower conversion rates as frustrated visitors are more likely to abandon your website before completing a desired action (e.g., making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter).
• Page Load Speed: Outdated plugins can slow down your website’s loading speed, resulting in increased bounce rates and lost conversions. A study on online shopping habits found that 40% of users will leave a website if it takes more than three seconds to load.
• Security Concerns: According to one study, 18% of customers won’t share their credit card information on websites they don’t trust. Outdated plugins are more vulnerable to security breaches, which can damage your website’s reputation and weaken user trust.

Client Retention for Agencies

If you’re an agency owner, outdated plugins can serve as obstacles in your attempts to retain valuable clients. These plugins can open up the window to several cyber attacks, which break the trust of your clients.

A single security breach or poor performance on your website due to outdated plugins can lead clients to question your reliability and professionalism. Eventually, you risk losing them.

Performance of eCommerce Websites

Outdated plugins also affect the performance of an eCommerce website. eCommerce customers are looking for a good user experience and an easy checkout process. 

However, when you have an outdated plugin, it may introduce malfunctioning product displays, broken features, errors during checkout, etc. All of these issues lead to higher cart abandonment rates.

Thankfully, you can mitigate much of these plugin-related issues by choosing the right hosting provider like InMotion Hosting – our business customers report fewer plugin-related incidents with managed WordPress hosting.

Technical Implications of Outdated Plugins

Beyond business impact, outdated plugins also carry a few, but significant technical implications, such as:

PHP Version Compatibility Issues

PHP is the programming language that powers WordPress. Like all software, it gets regular updates that enhance speed, security, and functionality. But if plugins aren’t updated to work with newer PHP versions, they can cause big problems.

For instance, a plugin made for PHP 5.0 might not work correctly—or might not work at all—on a website using PHP 7.0 or 8.0. This can cause errors and crashes or make the website run slowly.

Server Resource Consumption

Outdated plugins aren’t optimized for the latest web technologies or server configurations. That’s why they often consume more CPU memory and bandwidth than necessary.

In the long run, excessive resource consumption can slow down your website, make it less responsive, and even cause downtime in extreme cases.

Database Performance Impact

Plugins often interact with the database to store or receive information. When these plugins are not updated, they might run slow or inefficient queries, or even cause problems with newer versions of WordPress.

Here’s how outdated plugins can damage your database:

• Inefficient database queries: Plugins that are not optimized for the latest WordPress updates can run outdated or redundant SQL queries. These queries may consume excessive resources and lead to slower response times for users.
• Excessive data accumulation: Some outdated plugins fail to clean up unnecessary data, such as old logs and temporary files. Over time, this clutter can bloat your database, and processing query requests gets slower and harder to manage.
• Conflict with database structures: WordPress updates sometimes modify database tables or structures. Outdated plugins may not recognize these changes, resulting in errors or incomplete data retrieval. This can compromise both performance and functionality.
• Difficulty in scaling: Outdated plugins may not be designed to handle the demands of a growing website. As your traffic increases, the strain on your database from these inefficient plugins can cause severe performance degradation.

If you think your WordPress website’s performance is affected by outdated plugins, switch to hosting services that offer optimized server environments (e.g., InMotion Hosting). These servers prevent common plugin-related database performance issues and ensure a smooth-running WordPress experience.

How to Identify Outdated Plugins on Your WordPress Site

Updating or removing an outdated plugin is essential to avoid any website crisis including issues like security problems, low performance, downtime, etc. But before that, you must identify the real culprit.

You can do so easily by following these methods:

Dashboard Indicators

When it comes to spotting outdated plugins, your WordPress dashboard is usually the first line of defense. It provides visual clues and notifications to help you identify issues associated with plugins.

Here’s what to look for:

• Update Notifications: In the Plugins section of your dashboard, WordPress highlights plugins that need updates. These plugins are marked with a yellow or orange banner indicating the availability of a newer version.
• Compatibility Warnings: Some plugins may show warnings about compatibility issues with your current version of WordPress. For instance, messages like “Untested with your version of WordPress” or “Requires WordPress version X.X” indicate that the plugin may not function as intended or could introduce security vulnerabilities.
• Website Health Report: The Site Health tool, available under Tools > Site Health, is another valuable resource for identifying outdated plugins. A high-priority recommendation to update plugins may appear in this section.

Plugin Version Check

There’s another, more simple workaround to help you determine outdated plugins, and that’s to check the version of each plugin you have on your website.

Here’s how to do so:

• Go to the plugins section: From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. This will display a list of all the plugins installed on your website.
• Look for the version column: In this section, you’ll see the version number of each plugin listed next to its name.
• Compare with the latest version: Visit the plugin’s official page on the WordPress Plugin Repository or the plugin developer’s website to check if a newer version is available. If the version on your site is older than the current release, it’s time to update.

Abandoned Plugins

Abandoned plugins should be considered a no-go for your website. These plugins are no longer updated or maintained by their developers, which means hackers can exploit them easily.

To identify whether or not a plugin is abandoned, watch for these signs:

• If the plugin is not receiving updates for a long time (more than 6 months).
• If there are no responses to user queries or support tickets at the plugin support forum.
• If the plugin has many negative reviews or has dropped in rating over time.

Tools for Bulk Website Management

Do you have multiple WordPress websites? If so, managing all the plugins on each website can eat up valuable time. Don’t worry. With the support of a few management tools,  you can streamline the process and make it more efficient. Here are some of the tools you can use:

• ManageWP
• InfiniteWP
• MainWP
• WP Remote
• Jetpack

These tools allow you to use a single dashboard where you can manage multiple WordPress websites along with their plugins. You can track outdated plugins, perform bulk updates, even schedule regular checks, and manage all processes more efficiently.

Step-by-Step Guide: Safely Updating WordPress Plugins

Now that you’ve spotted the outdated plugins, it’s time to update them. Here’s a quick guide on how to update WordPress plugins:

Backup Procedures

Before updating the plugins, having a website backup is essential. With it, you can restore the previous, running version of your website in case anything goes wrong during the update procedure.

To help you create a backup, here’s a simple guide:

• Understand what needs to be backed up: First up, make sure your backup includes the following components:
  • Database – Your website’s content, settings, and user information.
  • Core Files – The WordPress installation files.
  • Themes and Plugins – Customizations and third-party tools.
  • Uploads Folder – Media files like images, videos, and documents.

• Backup Your Website: You can create a reliable backup file via various methods. The most common one includes: using a backup plugin like Total Upkeep, UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or Duplicator. Alternatively, you can backup manually by following these steps:
• Access your website files via cPanel or an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla).
• Download the entire /wp-content/ directory and the wp-config.php file.
• Use a database management tool like phpMyAdmin to export your database as an SQL file.

• Verify the Backup: Remember, a backup is only useful if it’s complete and functional. Hence, be sure to check that all necessary files and the database are included. Also, when using the plugin method, use the restore feature on a test site to make sure the backup works properly.

• Store Backups Securely: Never rely on a single storage location. Instead, save the backup files in multiple locations. For this, you may use Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

Set Up a Testing Environment

You won’t want any troubles with your live website due to plugin updates, right? Fortunately, there’s a solution for this: create a testing environment setup.

A testing environment setup or staging website is a replica of your live website. Here, you can safely test WordPress plugin updates, troubleshoot issues that arrive, and much more. If updates run smoothly on the staging site, you can apply them to your live website.

Let’s have a look at simple steps to create a testing environment setup:

• Create a Staging Website: While there are multiple methods to create a staging or replica website, we recommend using one of these two methods:
  • Using your Hosting Provider: Many managed WordPress hosting providers, like InMotion Hosting, SiteGround, WP Engine, or Bluehost, offer one-click staging features. Log into your hosting dashboard, locate the staging tools, and follow the instructions to clone your website.
  • Using a Plugin: Plugins like WP Staging or Duplicator can simplify the process of creating a staging environment. These plugins guide you through cloning your website in just a few clicks.

• Disable Search Engines from Crawling Staging Websites: Since search engines can index the replica website and confuse it with the real website, make sure to toggle off the indexing/crawling feature. Go to the WordPress dashboard on the staging website, navigate to Settings > Reading, and check the box labeled “Discourage search engines from indexing this site.”

• Protect with a Password Prompt: The staged website is available live and can become an easy target for hackers. To avoid that, use password protection via your hosting panel or plugins like Password Protected.

Process to Update WordPress Plugins

After updating plugins in a staged website and ensuring everything works perfectly, it’s time to apply those changes to the real website. Here’s a guide to help you through the plugin update process:

Create a backup of your website. You will want a safe guard in the event your production site is not one-to-one with your staging environment.

Next, log in to your WordPress admin panel. You need admin permissions to access and update plugins.

On the left side of the screen, click on “Plugins.” This will show you all the plugins installed on your website. 

If there are updates, you’ll see a notice next to the plugin’s name. You can also click “Update Available” to see only the plugins that need updates.

Before updating, click the plugin name to see what’s new in the update. This might include new features or fixes.

To update one plugin, click “Update Now” next to it. For multiple plugins, select the ones you want to update, choose “Bulk Actions > Update,” and then click “Apply.”

WordPress will automatically download and install the latest version of the plugin. Do not navigate away from the page until the process is complete. The system will notify you once the update is successful.

Once the plugin is updated, return to the Plugins section. You should see the latest version listed. If you experience any issues, refer to the troubleshooting section for solutions.

Compatibility Check

If the plugin you update isn’t compatible with the WordPress or PHP version you’re currently using, your website may experience theme conflicts, downtime, and other technical troubles.

Here’s how to check plugin compatibility:

• Plugin update log and Instructions: Plugin creators usually add an update log with every new version release. This log lists bug fixes, new additions, and notes on compatibility. Look through the instructions to see mentions of plugin compatibility with your WordPress version.
• Use tools to check compatibility: There are many tools you can use to find out if a plugin will work with your website’s PHP version. For example: PHP Compatibility Checker.
• Ask for user opinions: If you’re not sure if a plugin update is compatible with your website infrastructure (WordPress and PHP), check what other users are saying. Look at reviews or join discussions on places like the WordPress support page for that plugin. Other users might have had the same problems and can share their experiences or fixes.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If any issues arise after the plugin update, don’t panic. Simply follow our troubleshooting guide:

Problem 1: Plugin Conflicts

Sometimes, newly updated plugins may conflict with other plugins or the WordPress theme. This can cause errors or even a complete breakdown of your website.

Solution: Deactivate all plugins and then reactivate them one by one to identify the culprit. Then delete the plugin that’s causing problems.

Problem 2: Site Performance Issues

An update might affect your website’s load time or responsiveness. This can happen if the new version of a plugin is resource-heavy.

Solution: Clear the cache from your browser and any caching plugins you use. You can also implement website optimization techniques like lazy loading, image compression, CDN, and more.

Problem 3: Broken Layouts or Missing Styles

After updating a plugin, you might notice that some elements of your website’s design are broken or missing.

Solution: If your website uses a caching plugin for CSS, clear the cache to ensure the latest styles are loaded.

Emergency Response and Recovery

When facing an emergency, quick action is critical to ensure your WordPress website remains secure and fully functional. Here’s a breakdown of key steps you should take to recover from plugin issues or any other technical failure:

Backup Restoration

To restore a backup:

Get ready to restore: Before you restore the backup, check how big the problem is. If the issue is only with one plugin, you might not need to restore the whole website. Instead, you can just fix or roll back that specific plugin.

Restore the backup: Follow the steps provided by your backup tool to bring back your files and database. Usually, this means uploading your backup files to the server or using a restore option in your backup plugin.

Test the website: After restoring, check your website carefully to make sure everything works as it should. Focus on how the plugins work, the website’s speed, and other important parts like user logins, content, and design.

Update the plugins: Once the backup is restored and your website is running smoothly, update your plugins to the newest versions to prevent problems later on.

WordPress Plugin Rollback Processes

Is your WordPress website experiencing a disruption or vulnerability due to a specific plugin? If so, rolling back to a previous stable version can be an effective emergency solution.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to safely perform a plugin rollback:

Download the Previous Version: If you have a backup of your website, you can revert the plugin from there. Alternatively, you can search for older versions of plugins on trusted sources such as the plugin’s official WordPress repository or GitHub.

Deactivate and Delete the Current Plugin Version: Before installing the previous version, deactivate the plugin from the WordPress admin dashboard. Once deactivated, delete the plugin to ensure a clean installation.

Install the Previous Plugin Version: Upload the older plugin version to your website. You can do this manually via FTP by navigating to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory, uploading the plugin files, and then activating it from the WordPress dashboard.

Test the Website for Stability: After rolling back the plugin, thoroughly test your website to ensure everything is functioning correctly. Check the specific features or sections affected by the plugin to confirm that the rollback resolved the issue.

Monitor for Updates: Keep an eye on the plugin for future updates, as developers frequently release bug fixes and security patches. Rollbacks should be temporary until a stable, updated version is available.

Database Restoration Protocols

In the event of a website issue caused by outdated plugins or other factors, restoring your website’s database is critical for returning your website to its previous functional state.

Here’s how to follow proper protocols for restoring it safely:

Backup First: Before initiating any restore process, always ensure you have a current backup of your database. This will allow you to revert any changes if something goes wrong.

Access the Hosting Control Panel: Most hosting providers offer a control panel (like cPanel or Plesk) where you can access the database management system, often through phpMyAdmin or a similar tool.

Select the Correct Backup: In cases where you have multiple backups, ensure you’re selecting the one that corresponds to the issue-free version of your database. If you are unsure, it’s better to choose the latest stable backup.

Use phpMyAdmin for Restores:

• Login to phpMyAdmin and select the database you need to restore.
• Navigate to the “Import” tab and upload the backup file (usually in .sql format).
• Once the import is complete, phpMyAdmin will notify you of any errors. Address them immediately.

Verify Database Integrity: After the restore is complete, check that all your website content and settings are intact. You should test critical functionality like logins, comments, and any dynamic content generated by plugins.

Test the Website: Finally, once the database is restored, thoroughly test your website to ensure that it operates as expected. This includes checking links, page layouts, and functionality that depends on database data.

Emergency Response Templates

Having predefined emergency response templates ready can save valuable time during a crisis. These templates should include steps for:

• Immediate plugin deactivation
• Backup restoration
• Communication procedures with users and clients
• Detailed logs of actions taken for troubleshooting and auditing

Client Communication During Issues

Transparent communication with your clients during emergencies is critical. Inform them promptly about the problem, what actions are being taken to resolve it, and the expected timeline for recovery.

Use the following best practices:

• Acknowledge the issue quickly
• Provide consistent updates throughout the process
• Offer solutions or workarounds to minimize downtime
• Ensure support availability for any client questions

In case of an emergency, having a trusted team on hand can make all the difference. When you choose InMotion Hosting’s Managed WordPress service, our technical support team will be ready 24/7 to assist with emergency recoveries.

When to Replace or Remove Outdated WordPress Plugins

Knowing when to replace or remove outdated WordPress plugins is crucial for your website’s health. Here’s a guide to help you understand the best measures.

Assessment Criteria

Before starting the outdated plugin cleanup process, consider these key criteria:

CriteriaAction ItemSecurity RisksCheck if the plugin has unresolved vulnerabilities using tools like WPScan.Compatibility IssuesDetermine if the plugin conflicts with WordPress versions or other plugins.Updated FrequencyVerify if the plugin has been updated in the last six months.Developer SupportAssess if the developer is still active and responding to queries.Website PerformanceMonitor if the plugin is causing slowdowns or performance issues.Essential FunctionalityEvaluate if the plugin’s features are critical or can be replaced.

Once you have evaluated an outdated plugin, follow these steps to ensure your website remains secure and functional:

• Replace the Plugin: If the plugin fails to meet the assessment criteria and its functionality is essential, search for an actively maintained alternative with similar features.
• Remove the Plugin: If the plugin is unnecessary or its features are no longer relevant, safely deactivate and delete it from your website.

Alternative Solutions

When dealing with outdated plugins on your WordPress website, it’s essential to explore alternative solutions that can fulfill your needs without compromising security or functionality. Here are some of the best approaches to consider:

• Find Working Alternatives: Search for up-to-date plugins with similar features. The WordPress Plugin Repository is an excellent place to start since it provides details like compatibility with the latest WordPress version, user reviews, and update frequency. Before choosing a replacement, ensure that it’s: actively maintained by developers and highly rated by the WordPress community.
• Explore Native WordPress Features: Sometimes, you may not need a plugin at all. WordPress regularly introduces new built-in features with its updates, potentially replacing the role of some plugins. For example, the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) may eliminate the need for certain page builder plugins.
• Use Third-Party Tools or Services: For specific functions, such as analytics, backups, or email marketing, consider leveraging third-party services outside WordPress. These tools often provide more robust and secure alternatives. Examples include:
  • Google Analytics: Used for tracking website performance.
  • Total Upkeep or UpdraftPlus: Schedule automated backups for your WordPress site with on-server and cloud-based storage options.
  • Mailchimp or Constant Contact: Used for streamlining email marketing.

Legacy Support Considerations

Legacy support refers to the ongoing maintenance and updates provided by plugin developers for older versions of their products. Even though these plugins may no longer be actively developed, some developers offer extended support for legacy versions to help users transition smoothly.

However, relying on legacy support comes with challenges. Here’s what you should consider:

• Security Risks: Legacy plugins may not receive important security updates, which means your website is vulnerable to emerging threats.
• Compatibility Issues: As WordPress releases new versions, plugins that are no longer updated may struggle to remain compatible.
• Performance Decline: Older plugins may not be optimized for the latest web technologies, which in turn, leads to slower page load times and inefficient resource usage.
• Developer Availability: Even if legacy support is offered, developers may no longer be available to address issues promptly. This means you could face delays in troubleshooting or resolving critical problems.

In most cases, it’s a good idea to replace or remove outdated plugins that rely on legacy support, especially if they pose a security risk or hinder performance. If you must continue using a legacy plugin temporarily, mitigate risks by using additional security measures, such as regular backups and a solid firewall solution.

Still confused? Refer to our flowchart to make a sound decision.

Prevention Strategies for Future Plugin Management

Securing and maintaining plugins is an ongoing task, and taking a proactive approach can significantly reduce the risk of future vulnerabilities. Here are some prevention strategies to help ensure your WordPress website stays safe and up to date:

Automated Updates

With automated updates, you don’t have to worry about manually checking for updates or remembering to install them. WordPress can automatically update your plugins whenever a new version is released.

To enable automatic updates, follow these simple steps:

Go to your website’s URL followed by /wp-admin (e.g., yourwebsite.com/wp-admin).

On the left-hand sidebar, click on Plugins to open the Plugins management page.

Under each plugin’s name, you’ll see an option to Enable auto-updates. Click on it, and the plugin will automatically update whenever a new version is released.

Monitoring Systems

A good monitoring solution will notify you of outdated plugins, potential conflicts, or security breaches in real-time, so you can address problems before they escalate. To enable such a solution on your WordPress website, we recommend using a security plugin that includes monitoring features like WordFence.

Documentation Processes

Establishing a clear documentation process for managing plugin updates is crucial for long-term website security. This documentation should include:

• A list of all installed plugins, their current versions, and the frequency of updates.
• A log of each plugin’s update history, noting when and what was updated.
• A backup procedure to ensure you have restore points in case an update causes issues.
• A clear protocol for handling deprecated plugins, such as removing unsupported plugins and replacing them with secure alternatives.

For a seamless experience, consider InMotion Hosting’s WordPress plans, which include automated plugin updates and security monitoring. This lets you focus on other aspects of your business with peace of mind.

Wrapping Up

To wrap it all up, keeping your WordPress website secure and efficient requires regular attention to outdated plugins. By following our guide, you can protect your website from potential threats and avoid downtimes.

Remember, having a reliable hosting provider is a crucial aspect of plugin management. That’s where InMotion Hosting steps in. With our commitment to security, regular backups, and fast customer support, let us help you run your WordPress smoothly and securely. Keep your WordPress website secure and up to date with InMotion’s optimized hosting for WordPress. Get started today.