How to Check Your WordPress Version

Fastest way: log in and look at the bottom right of any admin screen — the version is printed there. Dashboard → Updates shows the same number plus whether anything newer exists.

If you cannot log in, use one of the other methods below.

From the dashboard

• The footer of every admin page shows "Version x.y.z".
• Dashboard → Updates shows the current version and any available update.
• Tools → Site Health → Info → WordPress shows the version alongside the PHP version, database version, memory limit and server details. That screen is the one to screenshot when asking for support.

From the filesystem

Open wp-includes/version.php over SFTP or the hosting file manager:

<?php
$wp_version = '6.7.1';

Do not edit this file. The value is used by core to decide what upgrades apply, and changing it causes update problems rather than hiding anything useful.

From the command line

wp core version
wp core version --extra          # includes the database version and package
wp core check-update             # is there anything newer?

WP-CLI is also the fastest way to check across many sites at once, which matters if you maintain a portfolio.

From outside, without logging in

The version is often exposed publicly:

• The generator meta tag — view source and search for <meta name="generator" content="WordPress.
• Version strings on assets — ?ver=6.7.1 appended to core stylesheets and scripts.
• The REST API — https://example.com/wp-json/ sometimes includes version information.
• readme.html in the web root on older installs.

These are also how third-party "what version is this site running" tools work — the same technique as finding what theme a site uses.

What the numbers mean

6.7.1 breaks down as:

• 6.7 — the major release, bringing features and interface changes. Applied manually by default.
• .1 — a minor release: security and maintenance fixes only. Applied automatically by default.

The practical implication: if you are on 6.7 and 6.7.2 exists, you are missing security fixes and should update immediately. If you are on 6.7 and 6.8 exists, you are missing features and can plan the update.

Update behaviour is configurable — see how to disable automatic updates for what each setting actually controls.

Checking whether you are current

Dashboard → Updates compares against the release channel and reports plainly. So does wp core check-update.

Two situations worth recognising:

• "You have the latest version" but the number looks old. Some managed hosts hold major updates deliberately while applying security patches. Check with the host before forcing an update.
• A version several major releases behind. Do not jump straight to the newest release on a live site. Back up, test on staging, update plugins and themes first, and check the PHP version — the failure modes are in what breaks after a PHP update.

Before updating anything

1. Take a backup, per how to back up a WordPress site.
2. Update plugins and themes first, following how to update WordPress plugins safely.
3. Test on staging if the site is commercial.
4. Update core.
5. Check the front end, the admin, a form and, on a store, a checkout.

Should you hide the version?

Removing the generator tag and stripping version query strings is common advice with little practical benefit. Automated attacks scan for the presence of vulnerable files, not for a version string, and stripping asset version numbers interferes with browser cache invalidation.

The effort belongs in keeping the install current and the credentials strong instead — the priorities are ordered in the WordPress security checklist.