How to Update the Genesis Framework (With Video)

Last updated on August 13th, 2018 at 09:23 am

In this Genesis Framework tutorial, I’m going to walk you through step by step on how to update Framework. If you’ve been using it for a while, you know that every now and then they release updates.

I still remember the first time that I got my first update notice. I was so scared to update it, all these thoughts kept running through my head.

• Will this cause my site to crash?
• Will I lose my blog posts?
• If something happens, what will I do?
• What if..?

So you know what I did?

Nothing, I logged out of my blog and didn’t upgrade it for the longest time.

If you’ve ever stared at the release update notification at the top of your WordPress dashboard wondering how do I update the Framework.

Then you’re about to find out how easy it is to learn how to update the Framework. It’s no different than doing a WordPress upgrade except that they don’t happen as often.

Which is good because you can focus on writing great content and not worrying about dong these types of maintenance tasks.

I’m going to walk you through the process step by step with pictures. When you get done reading this post, you won’t have to worry about not keeping the Framework up to date with the newest releases.

Of course, if you’d rather not deal with these types of issues, you can consider StudioPress hosting (which I think was acquired by WP Engine) which I believe takes care of everything for you?

You may want to check up on that before you change hosts.

What Is Genesis For WordPress?

As a new blogger, it’s important to find the right WordPress theme for your blog. The Genesis Framework is just that, it’s a Framework.

It sits below your child theme and offers benefits of SEO, security and tons of design options. Although, it does have a little bit of a learning curve if you’ve never used it.

So don’t expect to jump into it and quickly pick up everything that you need to know. Just like growing a blog, it takes time to really learn how to use the framework.

The cool thing is that you won’t have any issues finding a great looking child theme for your Genesis site.

The great thing is that you pay for it once and you get lifetime updates for free.

Think of the framework as the engine of a car. The child theme would then be like the body frame of the vehicle. You can’t have one without the other.

The child theme is a mobile responsive and html5 theme built for the Genesis Framework. Which will make your site look like you spent thousands and even hired a custom design.

However, we both know that you didn’t, you’re just using one of the premium Genesis themes.

Watch Over My Shoulder

If you’d rather follow along with me on video, I’ve created it to help you out. Of course feel free to follow my step-by-step tutorial below, I’ll share screen shots of the entire process on updating a Genesis site.

Genesis Framework Tutorial Updating the Framework Step-by-Step

While I can’t guarantee that the update will go smoothly. I do recommend that you take the time to backup your blog before proceeding with the upgrade.

I always back up my blog with BlogVault before I make any changes to my blog. Whether I’m updating plugins, the WordPress core or making theme changes, I always make a backup first.

Now that we’ve covered the backup part, don’t come crying to me if something happens to your blog. You’ve been warned.

Log Into Your Dashboard

Once you’re inside of your WordPress dashboard, you’ll see a notice if the Framework needs to be updated. It will be staring at you every day until you upgrade. You’ll notice that you’ll see the Genesis Framework latest version staring at you until you update it.

Click on the update now link. You can check out what’s new in the release, by clicking that link to read the Genesis Framework changelog. You will be able to read everything you need to know about the new updated version to see what’s been updated.

Personally, I never read what’s been released, I just go ahead with the upgrade. Here’s the changelog to all the different versions, just in case you’re that type of person 🙂

Complete the Upgrade

Next, you’ll be asked to complete the upgrade.

Go ahead and click on the link and give it some time.

Once you’ve done that the Genesis Framework should be updated and you can breathe again.

Upgrade Completed

If everything went well you’ll be taken to this page.

You’ll see the current information of the Framework that you’re running. You can see that I’ve successfully upgraded to the 2.5.3 version, which at the time of this writing is the current version.

You won’t have to worry about doing this again until the next update release. However, before you continue your daily blogging tasks, I recommend spending a minute or two checking your blog.

Check Your Blog

Updating Genesis is pretty basic. I’ve only run into issues on this blog once. Thank goodness I had a backup, so I just restored the blog to the previous version.

If you run into any type of trouble, I recommend checking out the StudioPress documentation or logging into the StudioPress Community to get any questions you have answered or get Genesis theme support.

Honestly, I don’t know why I experienced upgrade issues. I think it was because I had some plugins and the WordPress core that need to be updated at the same time.

Instead of updating the WordPress core first, I decided to update the theme first.

I still remember that day, after the update, my site had all kinds of PHP errors.

If I didn’t have a backup, I might have freaked out. But all I did was log into Blog Vault and restored my site to the previous version.

I’m not saying that you’ll run into issues. However, I suggest that after you’re done with the upgrade, you spend some time checking out your blog.

Make sure that everything went smoothly. Most likely it did, but it never hurts to double check everything.

Related posts on managing WordPress:

• How to Update the WordPress Core – Dealing with Issues
• WordPress Maintenance Tasks – Routine Checkups
• 51 Most Common WordPress Questions Answered

It’s better to catch any errors before your readers see it.

Do I Need to Update The Framework

You might be thinking that updating the Genesis Framework is not important and you’ll get to it later. One of the reasons that so many people choose to use it is because of the built-in security.

These new releases will make sure that the Framework is as secure as possible. You don’t want to ignore the updates, otherwise, your Framework won’t be as secure as it could be.

Why Use It?

Yes, you can start out with a completely free theme if that’s the route you want to take. However, if you’re serious about building a business with your blog, I suggest starting your blog with the a premium theme that will give you some advantages.

Related: How to Choose A WordPress Theme And What I’m Using

There are so many WordPress tasks we need to do as bloggers. The last thing you want to have to worry about is using a theme that doesn’t help you take to tackle your SEO, security and make designing easier.

Plus there are thousands of other bloggers who use it for their blog.

Genesis theme support is right around the corner when you need it. If you’re looking for some amazing child themes, you won’t have to look for.

I suggest starting with Restored360 or the StudioPress themes. I actually purchased access to all the themes when I started using them back in the day.

You don’t need to purchase all the themes. At that time, I was working as a WordPress freelancer and having access to all the themes made sense.

If you’re the type of person who loves changing themes a lot, then it may make sense to buy access to all the themes?

How to Buy The Genesis Framework?

Once you’ve installed WordPress and have decided to use the Framework, head on over here to buy it.

You’ll get access the StudioPress site where you can download the zip file and then install it on your blog. Don’t worry, installing it is just like installing any other theme.

The only difference is that after installing the Framework, you need to install and activate your child theme.

If you purchase the Pro Package, you’ll have access to several premium Genesis themes that you can use for your blog. I personally think that this is the best deal because I’ve already changed out my child theme twice on this blog and haven’t had to make another purchase.

There are some free Genesis Framework WordPress themes available if you don’t want to invest in any child themes. Just do a quick search on Google and I have no doubt that you’ll be able to find several of them.

Don’t forget to check out the child themes by Restored 316 if you’re looking for some feminine styled themes.

What About Support?

No one wants to buy a theme theme that doesn’t come with support. The cool thing is that the Genesis Framework support is fantastic.

They have a forum that is dedicated to helping you get answers to your problems. Whenever I have a question, I always go to the forum and type in my question.

There’s a good chance that someone has already asked it before you. If it hasn’t been asked, then just pop your question into the forum and someone will answer it.

I’ve never not asked a question in there that didn’t get a response quickly.

Is Genesis Framework Worth It?

If you’re looking for a theme that has your security in mind and comes with lifetime updates, then yes it’s definitely worth it. With everything that we have to pay to run our blogs on a monthly basis.

It’s nice to know what you’ll never have to pay for a new update. Of course, if you decide to change child themes that’s a different story.

My suggestion would be to wait for a Genesis theme discount price that usually happens on special holidays or occasions and then buy the one you want.

That’s how I managed get access to all the studio Genesis themes which I believe there are over 100 at the time of this writing.

Final Take Away

Hopefully, you found this tutorial easy to follow along with. I tried to make it as simple as possible so that you wouldn’t run into any issues.

Unfortunately, whenever you’re on a self-hosted blog, you’re going to have to take care of all the maintenance issues with WordPress. The great thing is that these things don’t take very long.

Sure you can outsource these tasks, but the truth is that most of us who are brand new bloggers can’t afford to outsource little tasks like this.

These small tasks don’t take very long. In fact, I highly recommend doing them by yourself the first couple of times. This will help you get more comfortable with your blog.

Eventually, if you want to outsource your WordPress management tasks, there are plenty of WordPress experts you can check out.

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• How to Add An Affiliate Disclaimer to Genesis
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Let me know, are you using the Genesis Framework? Do you take care of all the basic WordPress tasks or how do you handle these maintenance tasks? I’d love to know.