How to Check Your WordPress Version

What Does a WordPress Version Number Mean?

A typical WordPress version looks like 6.9.4 or 7.0. The numbers identify a specific release of the WordPress core software.

• Major releases usually introduce significant features, editor improvements, new APIs, or broader platform changes.
• Maintenance releases generally fix bugs discovered after a major release.
• Security releases address known vulnerabilities and may be issued alongside maintenance fixes.
• Development versions may include labels such as alpha, beta, or RC for release candidate.

Do not confuse the WordPress core version with your PHP version, database version, theme version, or plugin version. These are separate parts of the same website. Think of WordPress as the conductor of an orchestra: PHP, MySQL or MariaDB, themes, and plugins are all playing different instruments, occasionally with one plugin insisting it deserves a solo.

Why You Should Check Your WordPress Version

Security

Older software may contain vulnerabilities that have already been corrected in newer releases. WordPress states that its latest major release is the officially supported version, while older branches may receive security fixes only in certain circumstances. Knowing your installed version helps you determine whether your website needs attention.

Plugin and Theme Compatibility

Plugins and themes frequently specify a minimum required WordPress version. If a plugin installation fails, an editor feature disappears, or a theme update produces an error, comparing its requirements with your WordPress core version is an excellent first troubleshooting step.

Technical Support

Hosting companies, developers, and plugin support teams often ask for the exact WordPress version before diagnosing a problem. “It is probably recent” is not especially useful. “The site is running WordPress 6.x.x” gives them something concrete to investigate.

Update Planning

Checking the version helps you understand how large an upgrade may be. Updating from the immediately previous maintenance release is usually different from modernizing a website that has been ignored since people still debated whether every homepage needed a visitor counter.

Method 1: Check the Dashboard Updates Screen

The Updates screen is usually the fastest and most informative way to check your WordPress version.

1. Sign in to your WordPress administration area.
2. Choose Dashboard from the left menu.
3. Select Updates.
4. Read the WordPress core status near the top of the page.

The screen should tell you which version is installed and whether a newer release is available. It may also show updates for plugins, themes, and translations.

This method is especially useful because it answers two questions at once: “Which version am I using?” and “Is an update waiting?” It is the WordPress equivalent of opening the refrigerator and immediately discovering both the milk and its regrettable expiration date.

If you manage a WordPress multisite network, open the Network Admin area and look under Dashboard > Updates. Access to core update information depends on your user permissions.

Method 2: Look at the WordPress Admin Footer

Many WordPress administration pages display version information in the lower-right corner.

1. Log in to the WordPress dashboard.
2. Open almost any administration screen.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Look for text such as Version x.x.x.

If an update is available, the footer may display a link to the newer release instead of presenting the installed number in the way you expect. Custom admin themes, white-label plugins, managed hosting tools, and permission restrictions can also modify or hide the footer.

For that reason, the footer is convenient but not always definitive. If the version is missing, WordPress is not playing hide-and-seek with you personally. Move on to the Updates screen or Site Health.

Method 3: Use the “At a Glance” Dashboard Widget

The main dashboard may include an At a Glance widget. In addition to showing the number of posts and pages, the widget can display the active theme and installed WordPress version.

1. Go to Dashboard > Home.
2. Find the At a Glance box.
3. Check the text beneath the content totals.

If you cannot see the widget, open Screen Options near the top of the page and confirm that it is enabled. A dashboard customization plugin may remove or replace it entirely.

Method 4: Check Tools > Site Health

Site Health provides one of the best technical summaries available inside WordPress. It is also helpful when you need more than the core version.

1. Open Tools > Site Health.
2. Select the Info tab.
3. Expand the WordPress section.
4. Find the row labeled Version.

The Info screen may also show your site URLs, language, permalink structure, environment type, active theme, plugins, database details, server configuration, filesystem permissions, and PHP version.

You can use the Copy site info to clipboard feature when a developer or support representative requests technical details. Review the copied information before sending it, particularly when discussing a private website or sharing it in a public support forum.

Method 5: Open the About WordPress Screen

On many installations, the About screen displays the installed major version prominently.

1. Log in to WordPress.
2. Hover over or select the WordPress logo in the upper-left corner.
3. Choose About WordPress.

The page usually highlights the release and describes important features. Depending on the release and update status, it may not always be the best place to confirm every maintenance digit. Use the Updates screen when you need the exact installed version.

Method 6: Search the Website’s Page Source

When you cannot access the dashboard, the public HTML source may reveal the WordPress version through a generator meta tag.

1. Open the website in a browser.
2. Right-click the page and choose View Page Source.
3. Press Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F on macOS.
4. Search for generator or WordPress.

You may find code resembling this:

This method is quick, but it is not guaranteed. Themes normally call the WordPress head functions that produce the generator output, but developers and security plugins can remove it. A content delivery network may also serve cached HTML created before an update.

You can also inspect the site’s RSS feed by adding /feed/ to the domain and searching for a generator element. Once again, the information may be filtered, removed, or cached.

Does Hiding the Version Make WordPress Secure?

Removing public version output can reduce casual information disclosure, but it is not a replacement for updates. WordPress installations can sometimes be fingerprinted through scripts, stylesheets, files, APIs, and behavior. Strong security depends on timely updates, trustworthy extensions, secure credentials, backups, restricted privileges, monitoring, and properly configured hosting.

Method 7: Check the version.php File

If you have access to your hosting file manager, SFTP account, or SSH terminal, the core version.php file provides a reliable answer.

1. Open the website’s WordPress installation directory.
2. Find the wp-includes folder.
3. Open version.php.
4. Search for $wp_version.

The relevant line will look similar to this:

Your WordPress files may be inside public_html, www, a domain-specific directory, or another document root selected by your host. Do not rely on a tutorial’s line number because file contents change between releases. Searching for $wp_version is faster and more reliable.

A file manager is safer than editing through the browser when you only need to inspect the file. Do not modify version.php. Changing the displayed number does not upgrade WordPress; it merely gives your installation an identity crisis and may break core behavior.

Method 8: Run a WP-CLI Command

Developers, agencies, and server administrators can check the version through WP-CLI. Connect to the server with SSH, move to the WordPress directory, and run:

The command returns the installed WordPress version. For additional details, use:

If WordPress is installed somewhere other than your current directory, specify its path:

WP-CLI is particularly efficient when managing multiple sites. A technician can query installations without clicking through dozens of dashboards and developing a personal grudge against browser tabs.

Method 9: Retrieve the Version in PHP

Developers can request the current version within WordPress code. The standard site information function supports the version value:

Modern WordPress development also provides the following function for obtaining an unmodified core version value:

The second approach is valuable because plugins should not alter the global WordPress version in an attempt to create security through obscurity. Use these functions in a custom plugin, diagnostic tool, or controlled development environment rather than pasting temporary code into a production theme and forgetting about it until the next redesign.

Which WordPress Version Check Is Most Reliable?

Choose the method that matches your access level and purpose:

For most site owners, Dashboard > Updates is the best starting point. If the dashboard is unavailable, inspect wp-includes/version.php or use WP-CLI.

What to Do After Finding Your WordPress Version

Compare It With the Official Release

Check the WordPress.org download or versions page to see whether your installation matches the latest stable release. Avoid relying on an old blog post that declares a particular number “the latest.” Software moves quickly; archived tutorials do not.

Back Up Before Updating

Create a complete backup of the database and website files. Confirm that the backup can be restored. A backup that has never been tested is less of a safety net and more of an inspirational concept.

Review Compatibility

Check whether your active theme and essential plugins support the target WordPress version. This is especially important for ecommerce, membership, learning-management, reservation, and custom business websites.

Test on a Staging Site

For a business-critical website, clone the site to a staging environment and perform the update there first. Test forms, checkout pages, account areas, search, navigation, scheduled tasks, integrations, and the content editor.

Update and Verify

After updating, clear the page cache, object cache, browser cache, and CDN cache when applicable. Then verify the version again and inspect the front end and dashboard for errors.

Common Problems When Checking the WordPress Version

The Version Is Missing From the Footer

Your permissions, an available update, a custom dashboard plugin, or managed hosting modifications may change the footer. Use the Updates or Site Health screen instead.

The Page Source Shows Nothing

The generator tag may have been intentionally removed. It can also disappear if the active theme does not call the expected WordPress head function. Check the site files or hosting dashboard.

The Source Code Shows an Older Version

A cache may still contain HTML created before the upgrade. Purge all caching layers and inspect the source again. Confirm the actual version through the dashboard or version.php.

The Hosting Panel and WordPress Disagree

Confirm that both tools are looking at the same domain, environment, and installation directory. Staging copies, subdomains, migrated installations, and abandoned folders commonly create confusion.

WordPress.com Does Not Show the Same Controls

WordPress.com is a managed service, while WordPress.org software is commonly installed on independent hosting. Some WordPress.com updates are handled automatically, and available menus depend on the plan and enabled hosting features.

Experience-Based Field Notes: Lessons From Real WordPress Version Checks

The following field notes summarize recurring situations encountered during WordPress maintenance, migrations, support investigations, and inherited-site audits. The central lesson is simple: checking the number is easy, but correctly interpreting it sometimes requires detective work.

Experience 1: The Dashboard Is Not Always the Final Authority

A common scenario begins with a site owner reporting that the dashboard says WordPress is current, even though a hosting scanner claims the installation is outdated. The first step is to verify that both systems are examining the same website. Many hosting accounts contain a production site, a staging copy, an old migration folder, and a forgotten test installation called something wonderfully descriptive like new-site-final-2.

Opening wp-includes/version.php in each installation usually identifies the outdated copy. The production site may be fully patched while the abandoned test site remains publicly accessible. That forgotten installation still matters because vulnerable files do not become harmless merely because nobody remembers them.

Experience 2: Cached Source Code Can Tell Yesterday’s Story

Another frequent puzzle occurs after a successful core update. The dashboard displays the new version, but the generator tag in the public page source still displays the old one. This is usually a cache issue rather than a failed update.

Page caching plugins, server-level caches, reverse proxies, and CDNs can continue delivering HTML generated before the update. Purging each caching layer normally resolves the discrepancy. Checking version.php or running wp core version confirms what is actually installed while the cached pages catch up with reality.

Experience 3: A Missing Generator Tag Is Not Proof of Anything

Site owners sometimes search the source, find no WordPress version, and conclude that the website is not running WordPress. That conclusion is risky. Security plugins frequently remove generator output, custom themes may omit it, and headless WordPress websites may serve a front end built with an entirely different framework.

Public source inspection is best treated as a clue, not a verdict. When accuracy matters, use authenticated dashboard information, server files, or WP-CLI.

Experience 4: Updating Core Can Expose an Existing Compatibility Problem

A site may appear healthy on an older WordPress release because its theme or plugin has not been forced to interact with newer APIs. After a core update, an old extension may trigger warnings, broken layouts, or fatal errors. The update did not necessarily “damage” the site; it may have revealed technical debt that had been quietly collecting rent.

This is why experienced maintenance workflows record the current WordPress, PHP, theme, and plugin versions before making changes. A staging test and verified backup make it far easier to identify the incompatible component and restore service when necessary.

Experience 5: The Exact Maintenance Number Matters

Support requests often mention only the major branch, such as “WordPress 6” or “WordPress 7.” That is not always enough. A bug may affect one maintenance release and be corrected in the next. Recording the complete version number, including every digit and any beta or release-candidate label, gives developers a much clearer diagnostic starting point.

A practical maintenance log should include the check date, environment, installed WordPress version, target version, PHP version, active theme, important plugins, backup location, and test results. This simple record can save hours during future incidents and makes handoffs between developers far less dramatic.

Conclusion

The easiest way to check your WordPress version is to open Dashboard > Updates. You can also find it in Site Health, the admin footer, the At a Glance widget, or the About WordPress screen. When dashboard access is unavailable, inspect the public source, open wp-includes/version.php, or run wp core version through WP-CLI.

Once you know the version, compare it with the current official release and plan updates carefully. Back up the site, confirm plugin and theme compatibility, test important functionality, and use staging for high-value websites. Hiding the version number may reduce casual disclosure, but regular maintenance remains the security measure that actually does the heavy lifting.