A monthly WordPress maintenance checklist

Most WordPress problems are maintenance problems. Use this routine to review your site each month.

1. Backups first

Confirm the last automatic backup completed and restore it to a staging copy once a month. A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a backup.

2. Updates, in order

1. Plugins (read changelogs for anything marked “breaking”)
2. Theme
3. WordPress core
4. PHP version at the host, if the site passes its compatibility check

Apply on staging, click through the key pages and forms, then repeat on production.

3. Security

• Remove unused plugins and themes, not just deactivate them
• Review administrator accounts and enable two-factor authentication
• Check the malware scanner and file-change log
• Confirm SSL renews automatically

4. Performance

Run a Core Web Vitals test on the home page and the most visited post. Watch for image bloat and plugins that inject scripts on every page.

5. Content and forms

Submit every contact form, fix broken links, and check that Google Search Console shows no new coverage errors.

Continue with our website planning and migration guidance.