Summary: Websites need regular care to stay secure, fast and effective. Use this checklist each month — or hand it to your maintenance partner.
A website is never really "finished". Plugins need updates, content goes out of date and small technical issues accumulate. Regular maintenance prevents emergencies.
Security
- Update CMS core, themes and plugins after testing.
- Review admin users and remove old accounts.
- Check malware scan results.
- Confirm SSL certificate validity.
Backups
- Verify that daily backups are running.
- Test restoring a backup at least every few months.
- Store backups off-site.
Performance
- Check PageSpeed Insights for key pages.
- Review hosting resource usage.
- Clear unused media and database clutter.
Functionality
- Submit each form and confirm emails arrive.
- Test WhatsApp and call buttons.
- Check checkout and payment flows for online stores.
Content
- Update prices, team members, offers and contact details.
- Remove expired promotions.
- Add a blog post or case example.
SEO
- Review Search Console for errors and indexing issues.
- Fix broken links.
- Check that new pages are indexed.
Reporting
Keep a simple log of updates and issues each month.
FAQs
Can maintenance be automated?
Some tasks, like backups and uptime alerts, can be automated; testing still needs a person.
How long does it take each month?
For a small site, a few hours; larger sites need more.
Should we update plugins immediately?
Security updates should be applied quickly, ideally after testing on a staging site.
