My WordPress site keeps getting slow after updates
Every time I update WordPress or a plugin my site becomes painfully slow for a few days. It eventually speeds back up but it's annoying. Is there a way to prevent this?
1 Answer(s)
Yes, and it's simpler than you think. The slowdown after updates is usually caused by cached data conflicts and database bloat. Here's how to prevent it.
Before every update, do these 3 things: 1) Clear all caches (server, CDN, plugin). 2) Take a full backup (use UpdraftPlus). 3) Disable all caching plugins temporarily.
After the update, immediately: 1) Re-enable caching. 2) Run a plugin like WP-Optimize to clean up your database (it removes post revisions, trashed items, and transient options that accumulate over time). 3) If you use a CDN like Cloudflare, purge the cache there too.
The real fix long-term: switch to a managed WordPress host like Kinsta or WP Engine. They handle updates in a staging environment first, so your live site never goes down. Shared hosting is the #1 cause of update-related slowness because the server can't handle the temporary spike.
Also, limit your plugins to only what you actually use. Every plugin adds database queries. If you have 20+ plugins, that's your problem right there.