Always create a full backup before updating your WordPress theme
Customiser settings are usually safe, but direct file edits get overwritten
Use a child theme to protect code-based changes
Test your site thoroughly after every update
If something goes wrong, restore from your backup
You see the notification in WordPress: “Theme update available.” Your finger hovers over the Update button, but something holds you back. What if your carefully tweaked colours, fonts, and layout simply vanish?
It happens more often than you’d think.
Business owners click Update and watch their website transform into something unrecognisable. Custom styling gone. Layout broken. Hours of work wiped clean.
But ignoring updates creates bigger problems. Security holes remain open to hackers. Your theme may stop working properly with newer versions of WordPress. And you miss out on bug fixes that could speed up your site.
This guide shows you how to update your theme safely, protecting the changes you’ve worked hard to make.
Table of Contents
Why Theme Updates Matter
Skipping updates might feel like the safe option, but it actually puts your website at risk.
Each update typically includes security patches that close vulnerabilities hackers could exploit.
Updates also keep your theme compatible with WordPress itself. When WordPress releases a new version, themes need adjusting to work properly.
An outdated theme may display incorrectly, run slowly, or throw errors. Performance improvements and bug fixes are often bundled in too.
What You Might Lose During an Update
If you’ve edited any theme files directly, adding custom CSS to style.css or code to functions.php, those changes will be overwritten. The update replaces all theme files with fresh copies, and your edits disappear.
This is the most common cause of lost work.
Good news: changes made through the WordPress Customiser (Appearance > Customise) are stored in your database, not theme files.
Your colour choices, logo, and menu settings should survive. Anything done through page builders like Elementor is also stored separately and should remain intact.
Essential Steps Before You Update
Preparation takes 10 minutes and can save hours of stress.
Create a full backup of your website, including files and database. UpdraftPlus is a reliable free plugin for this. Some UK hosting providers like SiteGround and Krystal offer one-click backup tools through their control panels.
Take screenshots of your homepage and key pages, including mobile views. If something changes after the update, you’ll know exactly what needs fixing.
Copy any custom CSS you’ve added through your theme’s options into a text document. Store it somewhere safe outside WordPress.
How to Backup Your WordPress Site
Protect Your Changes with a Child Theme
Using a ‘child theme‘ lets you customise WordPress without losing your work during updates.
Think of it as a layer that sits on top of your main theme (the parent). Your parent theme provides the standard design and functionality. The child theme holds only your tweaks.
When the parent theme updates, your child theme stays untouched.
You don’t need to build one from scratch. The Child Theme Configurator plugin handles the technical work. Install it, select your theme, and follow the setup wizard. Once created, move any custom code into the child theme’s files.
If this feels too technical, ask a WordPress professional for help. Getting it right once protects your changes for years.
How to Update Your Theme Safely
With your backup ready, you’re almost set to update.
First, check your WordPress version is compatible with the new theme version.
You’ll find your WordPress version at the bottom of your dashboard. Theme developers usually list compatible WordPress versions in their changelog or on the theme’s download page.
If your WordPress is outdated, update that first.
Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard. Click the Update Available notification on your theme. WordPress downloads and installs the new version automatically. Wait for the success message before doing anything else.
Test your site thoroughly. Open it in a new browser tab or incognito window.
Check the homepage layout, colours, and fonts. Click through your main pages. Test your contact form. View your site on your phone. Compare everything to your screenshots.
Small changes might be intentional improvements from the developer. Major differences could mean something went wrong.
What Happens to Your WordPress Site If You Don’t Keep It Updated?
If Something Goes Wrong
Don’t panic. You prepared for this.
If your site looks wrong or features have stopped working, restore from the backup you created.
In UpdraftPlus, go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups and click Restore. Your site returns to exactly how it was before the update.
Once restored, investigate what caused the problem.
A plugin might conflict with the new theme version. Contact your theme developer’s support team or ask a WordPress expert if you’re unsure how to proceed.
How a WordPress Care Plan Can Help
If the steps above feel like more than you have time for, a WordPress care plan takes theme updates off your plate entirely.
With a care plan, someone else checks for updates and applies them for you. Before any update, they take a full backup. After updating, they test your site to catch problems before your customers do.
If something breaks, they fix it or roll it back straight away.
This matters because theme updates don’t arrive on a convenient schedule. They appear when developers release them, which might be the same week you’re chasing invoices, meeting clients, or taking a well-earned break.
A good care plan also sets up the safeguards mentioned in this guide.
That means configuring proper backups, creating a child theme if you need one, and documenting your site’s setup so nothing gets lost. You get the protection without having to learn the technical details yourself.
For sole traders and small business owners, the real benefit is peace of mind. Your website stays updated, secure, and working properly whilst you get on with the work that actually earns you money.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Your pages, posts, and images are stored in your database, separate from theme files.
Check Appearance > Theme File Editor in your dashboard. If you’ve modified files there, those changes will be overwritten. Customiser changes (Appearance > Customise) are stored in your database and should survive.
Check weekly and apply updates promptly. Most themes update monthly or quarterly. Delaying updates increases security risks and compatibility problems.
Yes but only if you took a backup beforehand. Restore from that backup to return to the previous version. Without a backup, you’d need to manually find and install the older version.
Yes. Inactive themes can still be exploited by hackers. Either update all installed themes or delete ones you’re not using.
A child theme keeps your changes separate from the parent theme. You need one if you’ve added custom code to theme files. If you’ve only used the Customiser, it’s optional but good practice.
Consider help if your theme has heavy code changes, you’ve edited files directly without a child theme, previous updates caused problems, or downtime would cost your business money.
Related: DIY vs Professional WordPress Maintenance: Which Is Right for Your Business?