You need to know that WordPress is a very flexible CMS (Content Management System) to create a website, because WordPress is also open source so it is very easy to get updates, and install many plugins or themes on this platform.
With the WordPress platform, you can easily create websites such as company profiles, online store websites, marketplace websites and many more. By simply installing a theme that suits your needs, you can customize the look of the theme by installing plugins according to your needs.
Reasons to Downgrade WordPress to a Previous Version
Upgrading your WordPress version is important. It's one of the best ways to keep your website performing optimally. An upgraded WordPress also makes your website more secure from various malicious attacks. For example, data theft or hackers.
Unfortunately, upgrading WordPress often leads to new problems. For example, websites that don't work, pages that can't be opened, page views that change and so on.
A temporary solution is to downgrade WordPress to a previous version. The issue is usually caused by using a plugin or theme that isn't compatible with the latest version of WordPress. Or it could be due to an error in your WordPress core. It's not an easy task to fix.
Keep in mind that using an outdated version of WordPress will make your website more vulnerable. Whether it's vulnerable to security attacks or degraded website performance.
Preparation Before Downgrading the WordPress Version
Before you start downgrading WordPress, make sure to back up all your website data. This is important in case an issue or error arises in the middle of the downgrade process that causes you to lose your data.
There are many ways to back up data in WordPress. You can use the features provided by your hosting service.
If you have backed up the full website data, you can proceed to the downgrade process. Please note that in this article we will explain two easy downgrade methods, namely manually and using plugins.
Downgrade WordPress Manual
Disable All Plugins
Before downgrading, make sure none of your plugins are active. Here's how to disable them.
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Select Plugins in the dashboard menu. Then click Installed Plugins.
Check the Plugins column to mark all plugins to be removed.
Click Bulk Actions and select Disable.
Downgrade WordPress Version with FTP.
Next, you can begin the steps of downgrading your WordPress version with an FTP client.
To download older versions of WordPress files, you can access them at WordPress Release Archive. We recommend that you use the second most recent version of WordPress. For example, if the latest version is currently 5.3.2, then you can choose version 5.3.1.
Once installed, you can open the FTP client application. Then delete the wp-admin and wp-includes files.
Upload the WordPress version files you downloaded earlier, except the wp-content file. Once uploaded, you can select Overwrite to replace the old version with the latest version. Then click OK.
After that, a message will appear offering whether you want to update the database. If so, you can select Update WordPress Database.
Done. You've successfully downgraded your previous WordPress version. To be sure, you can check the version number on the Updates page in the dashboard menu.
How to Downgrade WordPress Version with Plugins
If you've never used an FTP client, you can downgrade WordPress the second way by using a plugin.
Of course, this second method is very much more practical. Because, all the processes will be automated directly through the WP Downgrade plugin. Here are the steps.
Install WP Downgrade Plugin.
Before downgrading, the first thing you need to do is install the WP Downgrade plugin.
Login to your WordPress dashboard page.
Select Plugins in the dashboard menu, then click Add New.
Type the name WP Downgrade Plugin in the search field. Press Enter.
Click Install Now on WP Downgrade Plugin.
Once installed, click Acitvate.
Step 2 - WordPress Version Downgrade
Select Settings in the dashboard menu, click WP Downgrade.
Once on the WP Downgrade Options page, enter the version number of WordPress you want to install. For example, if your current WordPress version is 5.3.2, you can enter a version number below it such as 5.0. Then click Save Changes.
Once saved, you can scroll down and find a message to visit the WordPress Updates page. Then click Update Core.
Once you're on the WordPress Updates page, click Re-install Now to downgrade your WordPress version.
You've successfully downgraded WordPress to a previous version. If you've resolved the issue on your website and want to roll back to the latest version, you can repeat the steps from the beginning.
Good luck and thank you.