How to Check Your WordPress Version: A Step-by-Step Guide

Keeping your WordPress version up to date is crucial for security and compatibility with plugins and themes. Here’s how to check your WordPress version easily.

Why Check Your Current WordPress Version?

Ensuring your WordPress site is running the latest version is vital for maintaining security, improving performance, and ensuring compatibility with plugins and themes. By regularly updating WordPress, you can safely use new themes and plugins designed for the latest version. More importantly, updating can protect your site from security vulnerabilities, as 5% of WordPress vulnerabilities are linked to the core software. Checking your WordPress version and updating it can help you avoid these issues.

Four Methods to Check WordPress’s Current Version

There are several ways to check which WordPress version your site is using. You can do this via the admin area, page source, version.php file, or Hostinger‘s hPanel.

Method 1: Checking WordPress Version in the Admin Area

The WordPress admin area provides multiple places where the version number is displayed:

WordPress Updates section: Log into your dashboard, go to Dashboard > Updates, and see the installed version and the latest version available.
Admin area footer: Scroll to the bottom of any admin page to find the version number on the bottom right.
At a Glance widget: Check the widget on your dashboard for the version number and theme information.
About WordPress screen: Click the WordPress logo for a drop-down menu, then select About WordPress to see the version number.

Method 2: Checking WordPress Version in the Page Source

If you can’t access the admin area, you can check the version from the site’s source code:

Open your website, right-click, and select View Page Source.
Use CTRL + F (or COMMAND + F on macOS) to search for generator and find the meta tag showing the WordPress version.

Note: This method only works if the WordPress version isn’t hidden, as exposing it can increase security risks. Consider hiding it by adding remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator'); to your theme’s functions.php file.

Method 3: Checking WordPress Version in the version.php File

This method involves more technical steps but is reliable:

Log into your hosting account and access the file manager.
Navigate to public_html/wp-includes/version.php and find the version number on line 16.

Method 4: Checking WordPress Version in hPanel

Hostinger users can easily find the WordPress version via hPanel:

Log into hPanel and go to the WordPress section.
Select Dashboard and locate the version number on the right side.

If an older version is running, update it via the admin dashboard.

Hostinger offers reliable web hosting solutions to keep your WordPress site running smoothly. Check them out for affordable hosting plans.

Check WordPress Version FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about checking your WordPress version:

How Do I Find My WordPress Version?

Log into your WordPress dashboard, go to the Updates section, and check the installed version.

How to Check My PHP Version WordPress?

Access Dashboard → Tools → Site Health, click on Server, and find the PHP Version section.

How Do I Update to the Newest WordPress Version?

In the WordPress admin dashboard, if a newer version is available, click Please update now to start the update process.

Conclusion

Checking your WordPress version is essential for security and performance. Use any of the four methods outlined to ensure your site is up-to-date and compatible with the latest plugins and themes. Remember, knowing your WordPress version is just the first step. Stay informed about the latest updates and make regular checks a part of your website maintenance routine.