Maintaining a website involves far more than simply uploading fresh content or checking performance analytics. Behind the scenes, regular WordPress maintenance is crucial to ensure your site remains secure, functional, and optimised for both users and search engines.
You might already be aware of some basic upkeep tasks—or maybe this is the first time you’ve realised that more is required. So, what exactly does proper WordPress maintenance involve? And how can you make sure you’re covering all the bases?
The good news? Website maintenance doesn’t need to be time-consuming. But it does need to be consistent. Routine WordPress maintenance prevents bugs, downtime, and security threats, all while keeping your site performing at its best.
To help you stay on top of it all, the team at KIJO has compiled a list of the 10 most important WordPress maintenance tasks. These actions are essential for every website owner and are easier to implement than you might think.
One of the most critical WordPress maintenance tasks is keeping the core software up to date. Updates may include security patches, performance improvements, bug fixes, or entirely new features.
If an update is available, you’ll see a notification in your WordPress Admin dashboard. You can install it directly from there, or if you have managed WordPress hosting, your provider may handle it for you.
KIJO Pro Tip: Always back up your site before applying any update. You may also want to use a staging environment to test updates before pushing them live. WordPress has full instructions on how to do this.
Backing up your site regularly is non-negotiable. Should anything go wrong—be it a dodgy update or a cyber attack — a recent backup allows you to restore your site quickly and with minimal disruption.
Many WordPress hosting services include daily backups as standard. At KIJO, for example, daily backups come with our WordPress Hosting package.
Prefer to manage it yourself? Plugins such as Duplicator, UpdraftPlus, or Jetpack make it easy to schedule and automate backups.
Keeping your plugins up to date is another key part of WordPress maintenance. Updates can introduce new features, patch security holes, and fix bugs.
However, like core updates, plugins can occasionally conflict with your site’s setup. Always back up your site before installing any update, and consider waiting a few days post-release in case any issues are reported by other users.
You’ll receive update alerts in your admin dashboard. While auto-updates are available for some plugins, using them may prevent you from catching issues before they go live—so weigh convenience against control.
Whilst KIJO-made websites don’t use standard WordPress themes, if you do, keeping your theme updated is vital. Updates can fix bugs and improve compatibility with WordPress core and plugins.
As with any update, back up your site beforehand. You’ll be notified of theme updates in your dashboard, and some themes can also be set to auto-update. Proceed with caution, as changes may affect the look and feel of your website.
Staying up to date with WordPress, plugin, and theme updates helps minimise security risks — but it’s still wise to add extra protection.
We use SolidWP for added peace of mind. It offers two-factor authentication, brute force protection, file change detection, and admin login obfuscation—handy for thwarting bot attacks.
Make security scanning a standard part of your WordPress maintenance routine to avoid vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
Strong, unique passwords are a basic but critical line of defence. Even if your passwords seem uncrackable, it’s smart to change them regularly—especially if you manage a team.
Tools like 1Password allow secure password storage and sharing, ensuring strong protection without sacrificing convenience.
Broken links and 404 errors can seriously affect both user experience and search engine rankings. That’s why identifying and fixing errors is an essential website maintenance task.
Plugins like AIOSEO allow you to detect and correct these issues with minimal effort. It scans your site every three days, helping you stay ahead of potential SEO or UX setbacks.
As your website grows, its performance can take a hit. That’s why regular speed and performance testing should be a core part of your WordPress maintenance schedule.
We use Google Lighthouse, a free Google Chrome extension that audits performance, accessibility, SEO, and more. It also gives actionable suggestions for improvement.
By ensuring fast load times and smooth user experience, you’re also giving your SEO a healthy boost.
Related Read: Mastering Google Lighthouse: Optimising Your Site Like a Pro
WordPress stores a lot of information in your site’s database—everything from posts and pages to comments and settings. Over time, it can get cluttered with redundant data.
Use the WP Optimize plugin to streamline your database. It allows you to safely delete unnecessary files and improve overall site performance. As always, back up your site beforehand just in case.
Finally, no WordPress maintenance plan is complete without a content and SEO audit. Google’s algorithm is always evolving, so staying ahead means regularly reviewing and updating your content, CTAs, metadata, and keyword strategy.
You can use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console for basic insights, but if you want expert guidance, our KIJO SEO service delivers deep audits covering performance, UX, traffic, and conversions — tracking over 100+ data points to elevate your site’s performance.
It depends on your WordPress website’s complexity and traffic. Breaking tasks into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual checklists can make things more manageable.
At the very least:
KIJO’s monthly WordPress Maintenance Packages ensure all of this is done for you — so you never miss a beat.
Costs vary depending on how often maintenance is needed and whether you choose to do it yourself or hire professionals. Some basic tasks (like manual updates) may be free or included with your hosting. But if you want expert oversight, it may be more affordable than you think.
Chat with the KIJO team about KIJO’s WordPress Hosting and Maintenance packages — KIJO Cloud and KIJO Care – both tailored to your site’s needs and budget.
Staying on top of WordPress maintenance doesn’t need to be complicated. With a plan in place and the right tools (or team), it becomes second nature.
Start by reviewing what’s included in your WordPress hosting package. Then, create a task list for what’s left and schedule them into your calendar. If you’re ever unsure — or want expert support — reach out to the WordPress maintenance specialists at KIJO.
Let us take care of your site, so you can take care of business.
Related Read: How to Put Your WordPress Website in Maintenance Mode
Need expert guidance on your WordPress maintenance? Book a complimentary, 30-minute consultation with our Head of Partnerships & Co-Founder, Kirk Thompson. During your call, we’ll review your brand’s current performance, discuss your goals, analyse competitor insights, and explore your brand’s potential. Let’s bring your vision to life—book your free consultation via the link below:
