Bluehost Automatic Updates 2026: WordPress Core, Plugin, and Theme Auto-Update Guide

Automatic updates are a double-edged sword. They keep your WordPress site secure by installing patches immediately, but they can also break your site if a plugin update is incompatible with your theme or other plugins. Bluehost provides tools to manage automatic updates intelligently — enabling security patches automatically while giving you control over major updates. This guide covers the optimal configuration for safety and convenience.

Three Types of WordPress Updates

How to Enable Auto-Updates on Bluehost

Method 1: Via Bluehost Dashboard

1. 1.Log into your Bluehost dashboard at my.bluehost.com
2. 2.Navigate to WordPress Tools > Auto Updates
3. 3.Toggle on WordPress core auto-updates (recommended: minor + major)
4. 4.Toggle on Plugin auto-updates (recommended: select trusted plugins only)
5. 5.Toggle on Theme auto-updates (recommended: only if using a well-maintained theme)

Method 2: Via WordPress Admin

1. 1.Log into your WordPress admin dashboard at yourdomain.com/wp-admin
2. 2.Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
3. 3.Click "Enable auto-updates" on each plugin you want updated automatically
4. 4.For themes: Go to Appearance > Themes and enable auto-updates for your active theme

The Safe Auto-Update Strategy

Here is the optimal configuration that balances security with stability:

• ✓WordPress core minor updates: Enable automatic. These are security patches and bug fixes. They are tested by the WordPress core team and rarely cause issues.
• ✓WordPress core major updates: Enable automatic, but test on staging first. Bluehost's staging environment lets you test major updates before they affect your live site.
• ✓Trusted plugins (Yoast, Wordfence, Contact Form 7): Enable automatic. Well-maintained plugins from reputable developers rarely break.
• →Complex plugins (WooCommerce, LearnDash, Elementor): Disable automatic. Test on staging first. These plugins interact with many other plugins and themes, making compatibility issues more likely.
• →Custom themes: Disable automatic. Custom themes should be tested manually before updating.
• ✓Default themes (Twenty Twenty-Four, etc.): Enable automatic. These are maintained by the WordPress core team.

Using Staging to Test Updates Safely

Bluehost includes a staging environment on all plans. This creates a clone of your live site where you can test updates without affecting production:

1. 1.In your Bluehost dashboard, go to WordPress Tools > Staging
2. 2.Click Create Staging Copy — this clones your entire site
3. 3.On the staging site, update WordPress core, plugins, and themes
4. 4.Test your site thoroughly — check pages, forms, checkout, and custom functionality
5. 5.If everything works, push the staging site to live. If something breaks, fix it on staging before going live.

Backup Strategy: Your Safety Net

Even with staging, updates can occasionally cause issues that are not immediately visible. Backups are your safety net:

• →Bluehost Business plan and higher: Daily automatic backups included. Restore from the Bluehost dashboard with one click.
• →Bluehost Starter plan: Add CodeGuard ($2.99/month) for daily backups, or use the free UpdraftPlus plugin.
• →Before any major update: Manually create a backup. Do not rely solely on daily backups if you update mid-day.

For more Bluehost guides, see our Bluehost Review 2026, SSH Access Guide, and Best Hosting for WordPress 2026.