How To Check Your WordPress Version: 4 Simple Methods

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems globally, powering millions of websites. Keeping your WordPress installation up-to-date is crucial for security, compatibility, and performance. Knowing how to check your WordPress website version ensures that you are always aware of your website’s status, allowing you to take necessary actions like updates or troubleshooting.

Here are four simple methods to check the WordPress version of your website. Whether you’re an experienced developer or a beginner, these steps will guide you to find the version information you need quickly and easily. Understanding how to check the WordPress version is essential for ensuring your site remains secure, compatible, and optimized, as running outdated software can leave your website vulnerable to security breaches and performance issues.

Keeping track of the recent, previous, and latest versions of WordPress helps you stay informed and ensures that your site is always up-to-date with the most recent security patches and new features. It is essential for ensuring your site remains secure, compatible, and optimized, as outdated versions can expose your website to vulnerabilities and hinder its overall performance.

Why Is It Important To Check Your WordPress Version?

Before diving into the methods, let’s understand why checking your WordPress version is so important:

1. Security: each new WordPress version addresses security vulnerabilities found in previous versions. Running an outdated WordPress version makes your website more susceptible to cyber-attacks.
2. Compatibility: plugins and themes are often updated to work with the latest WordPress version. Using an outdated WP version can lead to compatibility problems that negatively impact your website’s performance.
3. Performance: new WordPress versions have performance enhancements, making your website run faster and more efficiently.
4. Troubleshooting: if you’re having problems with your website, knowing the exact WordPress version can help you determine whether the problem is related to an outdated installation.
   Make sure you have access to all the files to perform complete backups or troubleshooting when needed. Using FTP access allows you to manage and modify your website’s files directly, providing greater control over your WordPress site.
   You can easily check your site’s WordPress version through the admin dashboard or by accessing the source code.

Method 1: Check  WordPress Version In The Admin Area

The most straightforward way to check your WordPress version is through the WordPress admin area. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your WordPress sashboard: navigate to your website’s login page and enter your credentials.
2. Navigate to Dashboard -> Updates: once logged in, go to Dashboard -> Updates. Here, you will see the current WordPress version and whether an update is available.
3. Scroll to the footer: the WordPress version number is also in the admin area’s bottom right corner of any page.
4. Use the At a Glance widget: the “At a Glance” widget displays the WordPress version information on the Dashboard. If this widget is missing, it might be due to a custom admin theme or plugin.
5. About WordPress page: hover over the WordPress logo in the top-left corner and click “About WordPress.” The WordPress version number is prominently displayed on this page.

Method 2: Check WordPress Version On The Page Source

If you cannot access the WordPress admin area, you can still check the version via the website’s page source code. This reliable method is also helpful if you want to check the version of another WordPress site:

1. Open the website in a browser: visit the homepage of the WordPress site.
2. View page source: right-click anywhere on the page and select “View Page Source.”
3. Search for ‘generator’ tag: press CTRL + F (Windows) or COMMAND + F (Mac) and type “generator” in the search box. If the WordPress version is not hidden, you’ll find a meta tag like this: <meta name= “generator” content= “WordPress 5.7.2″/>.

Some website owners hide the WordPress version from the source code to prevent potential security risks.

Method 3: Search The Website RSS Feed

All WordPress sites generate RSS feeds, which may include the WordPress version.

How to check:

1. Access the RSS feed: add “/feed” to the end of the Website’s URL (e.g., example.com/feed).
2. Search for “generator”: look for the generator tag in the RSS feed’s XML code.

Checking the WordPress version through the RSS feed is simple, especially if you don’t have access to the site’s admin area.

Method 4: Check Your Version.php File Cia cPanel Or FTP

The most reliable way to find your WordPress version is to access the version.php file stored on your server.

Steps to access via cPanel:

1. Log into your hosting account: navigate to your cPanel dashboard and select File Manager.
2. Open the wp-includes folder: within the public_html directory, find and open the wp-includes folder.
3. Locate version.php: open the version.php file in a text editor.
4. Search for “$wp_version =”: the WordPress version will be listed next to this code.

Accessing via FTP:

1. Use an FTP client: connect to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla.
2. Navigate to wp-includes: find the folder in your website’s root directory.
3. Open version.php: search for the “$wp_version =” code to find your WordPress version.

How To Remove WordPress Version Info

Sometimes, displaying your WordPress version inadvertently exposes your site to potential risks. Here’s how to remove this information:

1. Install a security plugin: choose a reputable security plugin such as “All In One WP Security & Firewall” or “Wordfence Security.” These plugins often offer options to hide your WordPress version.
2. Access plugin settings: after installing the plugin, navigate to its settings in your WordPress dashboard. Look for options related to “Security” or “Miscellaneous.”
3. Locate version information: you can hide your WordPress version within the plugin’s settings. This might involve toggling a switch or selecting a checkbox.
4. Save changes: after hiding the version information, make sure to save your changes. The plugin will handle the rest, ensuring your WordPress version remains private.

Remember: Regularly backing up your site’s files ensures that you can quickly restore it in case of issues or failures.

Keep Your WordPress Up To Date

Remember that keeping your WordPress installation, plugins, and themes up-to-date is crucial for maintaining site security. Outdated WordPress add-ons are among the most common entry points for hackers to access your private files.

While those update notifications in your admin panel might seem annoying, they protect your website. Regularly checking your site’s health can help you identify and resolve potential issues before they affect your website’s functionality.