From your phone to your site Dashboard and even to your TV (or maybe fridge!), you’ve likely seen one of those glaring red notifications alerting you to a software update. For some, software updates may seem nerve-wracking – a potential slippery slope into broken integrations or jarring UI changes. For others, they may just seem like regular maintenance.

If updates leave you feeling anxious, let’s talk about why they happen and how to prepare.

Why do softwares update?

Each version of a software typically includes various features, fixes, and security enhancements. When an update is made available by its development team, a process runs in the background to shift your technology in question – phone, TV, website, etc. – to sync it with the most up-to-date release. 

We might not think about it often, but softwares are made by people, just like us. This means that there are development teams who plan, organize, and build software changes. They write new code to fix known errors, they draft documentation to explain new features, and they test, test, and test some more to make sure the latest version is ready to launch. Depending on the focus of the changes being made, the software release may be a minor update – think, bug fixes and security enhancements – or a major update, like a large shift in features, usability, and appearance.

Each release is a bit of a snapshot in time. In between releases, developers and customers alike may find features that break under certain circumstances or integrations that fail as different softwares update in different directions, so to speak. The release schedule allows development teams to integrate any needed changes – like a security flaw – with any new features or tools they’d like to integrate into their software. 

The result is a regular cadence of updates that end-users (that means you!) need to install.

Why does it matter?

I suspect some people are suspicious of updates because they’ve had an experience where updating caused significant and unexpected changes to their site or other technologies. This might mean a big switch in how the interface looks or a split with third-party tools. 

While the short-term convenience of maintaining the status quo can be tempting, it’s important to remember that the longer you wait to update, the more likely you are to run into trouble. Gradual, small updates are much more stable than a couple of large jumps. It’s kind of like going up the stairs step-by-step versus trying to jump five at the same time. You might be able to do it, but the first one is definitely a safer option.

What to expect when updating?

1. New features

During the development process, teams work together to scope, define, and develop new features and tools they’d like to integrate into their software. Using WordPress as our main example, a new version was just released – version 6.9 – on December 2, 2025. This major update includes a handful of new features, such as:

• New blocks, like the Accordion and Time to Read blocks
• Block visibility options, to hide blocks that aren’t yet ready for live time
• Improvements to the developer API
• And more!

A software update is when all of the work towards building these new features that are designed to improve, enhance, and just generally make the software better can finally be delivered to those using the product.

2. Security enhancements

Ensuring security is an ongoing effort for development teams. When a software has a security flaw – either discovered internally or reported from a third-party – it’s important to craft and integrate a fix for that flaw as quickly as possible. Most new updates include security enhancements, either to fix those known flaws or to keep the software up-to-date against rapidly advancing attacks.

Keeping your software updated is one of the most basic ways you can enhance your site’s safety and security.

3. Bug fixes

Related to security enhancements, bug fixes are frequently included in a software updates, too. But what’s a bug?

A known bug is an issue or error that shows up in the course of using the software. This can be something like an error message appearing when you click on a certain button (and in a certain browser!) or a link not taking you to the expected place. As bugs are discovered and reported, development teams typically track and prioritize them in a way that makes sense for them to fix, according to priority and related work.

Preparing for an update

So now that you know why software updates happen, let’s talk about best practices for updates.

Consider the timing

When does your site get the most traffic? If possible, explore some options outside of that timeframe. Planning a large launch? Maybe bump your update for a few days to avoid any unexpected hiccups.

Back everything up

Once you’ve decided on the timeline, use your favorite backup service to ensure there’s an accessible snapshot of your site before the update. This way, if anything goes wrong, you have a safety next while you figure out the kinks.

Leverage documentation and support communities

Before updating, give yourself a game plan for how you can get help, if you need it. Check the software documentation or social media for any helpful guides or known issues. Make sure you know who you can reach out to in a pinch, whether that’s your web developer or a local tech meetup. Having a plan in place can help ease any worries in a worst case scenario.

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Software updates are part of a regular maintenance cycle. Staying up-to-date and making a plan for changes helps give you access to the latest features, as well as basic security enhancements. Take each update one step at a time!