What happens when you skip WordPress versions

Can you really just skip a few updates and be fine?

It’s tempting to avoid updates – especially when your site is working just fine and the idea of breaking something feels riskier than doing nothing. But skipping WordPress versions comes with its own set of problems. And they usually show up at the worst possible time.

When you skip updates, you don’t just miss out on features – you’re also skipping crucial security fixes. Each release often patches known vulnerabilities. Hackers keep track of these just like developers do, and they actively scan for sites that haven’t patched up.

Plus, updates aren’t always backward-compatible. Skipping several versions can lead to plugin conflicts, broken themes, or even total site failure if you try to upgrade too late. In some cases, you might even need to rebuild parts of your site to bring it back up to speed.

Bottom line: staying current is easier and safer than trying to leapfrog over a pile of updates later. If you’ve fallen behind, we’ll guide you on how to catch up – safely and step by step.