Updating Drupal

Keeping a Drupal site updated is important for stability and security reasons. This article describes several methods for how to update a Drupal site.

This article describes several methods for updating a Drupal site.

Updating Drupal

You should update a Drupal installation frequently to ensure it is running the latest version. There are several reasons for this:

  • Security: Drupal updates contain fixes that patch security vulnerabilities. One of the most important things you can do to maintain a more secure Drupal site is apply updates regularly.

  • Stability: Drupal updates contain fixes that patch bugs and other issues. Your site is more stable when you apply the latest updates.

  • New features: Drupal is continually improving, and by running the latest version, you have access to the latest features and functionality.

Use one of the following methods to update Drupal.

Method #1: Drush

You can update Drupal from the command line using Drush. This method is quick and easy, and it also enables automation possibilities—for example, you could run Drush in a daily cron job to ensure that your Drupal site is always up to date.

For information about how to update Drupal using Drush, please see this article.

Method #2: Softaculous

If you used Softaculous to install Drupal, you can also use it to update Drupal. For information about how to do this, please see this article.

Method #3: Manual update

For detailed instructions about how to do a manual update, please see the official Drupal documentation at https://www.drupal.org/node/1494290.