Over the last few years, WordPress has evolved from a blogging tool to a powerful website builder and a robust content management system. Thanks to this, WordPress software has become popular in countries all around the world. In fact, research has shown that over 32.3% of all websites on the internet are now powered by WordPress and use WordPress plugins.

WordPress plugins are brilliant tools. They allow users to add features to their websites without knowing a single piece of code. However, although these tools can add some amazing features to a website, there are some things you need to keep in mind before using them.

One of the main things you need to consider before installing WordPress plugins is who will be responsible for keeping them up to date? Outdated plugins not only cause security concerns, but they can also make your website buggy too.

If you want to know more about WordPress plugins and what you should do if a developer doesn’t update their plugins, then keep reading below:

What Are Plugins?

Plugins are pieces of software that can be added to websites. They are designed to add a specific kind of feature or perform a specific set of functions. WordPress plugins can enhance a WordPress site in several ways. For example, they can be used to improve user experience, speed up a site, streamline workflow, and they can increase security on your site. However, it’s important to remember that no matter what type of plugins you use on your website, you will need to keep them up to date.

Why Keep WordPress Plugins Up to Date?

There are several reasons why you should update WordPress plugins on your site:

• Security – WordPress plugins can contain security vulnerabilities. Hackers and cybercriminals are always looking for weaknesses in apps, software, and plugins. They rely on people not updating their plugins. In fact, research has shown that a whopping 83% of all WordPress hacks were caused by people not updating their software.
• A bug-free website – outdated plugins can make your website buggy. This can mean a bad experience for customers who visit your site. They may encounter problems like slow loading speeds, dead ends, broken features, or annoying bugs.
• New features – updates do not just include security fixes. They usually also include added functionality and features too.

What to Do if a Developer Doesn’t Update a WordPress Plugin

If the developer of the plugin has not updated it in a while, then you will might want to contact them to ensure your site remains secure and bug-free. If your website is hacked, it might take days or weeks to fix it, so it is important to get it sorted as soon as possible.

If the developer is unwilling to update the plugin, then you might be better off switching to a different plugin that has been tested with your version of WordPress.

WordPress plugins are amazing. They allow you to enhance the functionality of your WordPress website. However, it is important for security reasons that you keep the plugins updated. If your website developer has not updated the plugins on your website, then you will need to contact them and ask them to update them for you. If they don’t do this in a reasonable amount of time, then it might be a good idea to complete this task yourself or switch to a different plugin.