How to update only Drupal core to latest version

Update Drupal Core

Introduction

Keeping your Drupal site secure and stable requires regular core updates. In this guide, you’ll learn how to update only the Drupal core to the latest version—without affecting contributed modules or themes—using Composer and a few essential maintenance steps.

Step 1: Check Drupal core version and create a backup

Before updating, check your current Drupal core version to confirm what release you’re running.

Always create a full backup of both the database and files so you can quickly restore the site if something goes wrong during the update.

Instructions for creating a full site backup

Check Drupal core version

composer show drupal/core-recommended

Check current version of installed Drupal core

Step 2: Update Drupal core

Updating Drupal core only is essential to apply security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements while keeping contributed modules and themes stable.
The process involves running composer update command, applying database updates, and finally clearing caches to ensure the site runs smoothly.

Update Drupal core

composer update drupal/core "drupal/core-*" --with-all-dependencies

Update Drupal core to latest available version

Drupal core update process

Step 3: Run database updates

When Drupal core or modules are updated, the database schema may change—new tables, fields, or indexes can be added, and existing structures modified. Running the database update process (/update.php or drush updb) applies these changes so the code and database stay in sync.

Skipping this step can lead to errors, broken functionality, or data loss.

For convenience we included the Drush commands necessary to complete an update.

Process required database updated

drush updb

Run Drush command "updb" to process required database updated

Step 4: Final prepare, Cache Clear and Rebuild

After updating Drupal, clearing caches ensures the site loads the latest code, configuration, and templates.
Cached data may reference outdated code or database structures, causing errors or unexpected behavior.

Drupal database update process

Clear and rebuild Drupal check

drush cr

Clear and rebuild Drupal check, this operation is required after fully completed update process.

Conclusion

This article details how to update only the Drupal core using Composer. It covers creating backups, restricting dependency changes, running composer command and verifying site stability to avoid unintended module or theme updates.