WordPress Maintenance Tasks & Tips for 2025: 10+ Checklist

WordPress maintenance may act as a miracle cure-all to everything that drives you crazy running a site based on the famous CMS. Just take a quick peek at this blacklist:

• slow load times,
• broken links,
• spam overload,
• database bloat,
• hacked site and security events,
• 404s eruption,
• white screen of death,

and… ok, let’s stop before we get trapped in an infinite loop! Anyway, it’s just the tip of the iceberg…

At the outset, before we make things a bit more complicated, we must debunk one myth:

No, switching to another CMS won’t do the trick!

Why? It’s simple: they go with their own beasts… Just think for a sec. There’s a reason why, according to W3Tech, 63% of all websites are built on WordPress, don’t you think? In this crowd, you’ll find Ted’s Blog or sites of NASA, Harvard University, and Capgemini.

WordPress site maintenance is ongoing upkeep, fixing and optimization to make it fast, secure and functional. That said, it’s performed to tackle or prevent issues like the ones listed above. For private users – it is highly recommended. For companies – it’s a daily routine saving fortunes.

In this post, I will do my best to guide your maintenance efforts with a detailed checklist. Tasks, tips, examples – all covered.

Ready? So let’s not drag it out!

Is WordPress Website Maintenance Worth It? – 5 Key Benefits

WordPress maintenance is what keeps your site secure, fast, and problem-free on an ongoing basis. Without it, you risk slow loading times, security breaches, traffic losses, and other unexpected incidents – none of which you want to deal with, do you? Maintenance perks become more apparent when enumerated and briefly discussed, so let’s do it!

On top of maintenance benefits, I’d place enhanced security. Hackers love outdated WordPress sites, and if you’re not keeping your plugins, themes, and core files updated, you’re basically inviting trouble. Regular maintenance means patching vulnerabilities before they become a real issue.

Moving ahead: have you ever visited a turtle-slow website and immediately clicked away? Exactly. Better site performance is another big win. Cleaning up your database, optimizing images, and managing plugins all help your site load faster, keeping both visitors and search engines happy.

Speaking of search engines, it’s not a secret that they prefer well-maintained websites to neglected ones. Also, SEO rankings can take a hit if your site has broken links, slow pages, or outdated content. Staying on top of technical SEO and keeping things running smoothly helps to level up your visibility.

There’s also the peace of mind that comes with fewer unexpected issues. If you’ve ever dealt with a random error breaking your site or a mysterious “White Screen of Death”, you know how stressful it can be. Regular maintenance helps prevent those headaches before they happen.

And let’s not forget long-term cost savings. Fixing a hacked or broken site can be expensive – not to mention the revenue you lose if your site goes down. A little ongoing maintenance now saves you from major (and costly) problems later.

Think of WordPress maintenance services as a kind of insurance – it feels unnecessary at times, especially when it comes to paying for it. But when disaster strikes, you’re so glad you have it at hand.

WordPress Maintenance Tasks (10+ Checklist)

WordPress maintenance checklist includes various tasks that should be performed daily, weekly, quarterly, or once a year. Below, you will find a comprehensive list of them, along with core details. Keep, however, in mind that our recommendations apply to typical cases, while ideal maintenance frequency depends on:

• your site’s complexity,
• security needs,
• traffic volume,
• updates timeline,
• hosting environment,
• and the number of third-party integrations in use.

That said, let’s get to it one by one!

Daily Maintenance Tasks

1. Flush WordPress Cache

Caches store static files of your site, reducing the need to regenerate them on every request. While this improves load times, it can also serve old versions of your site.

Flushing the cache clears out old files, ensuring your visitors are seeing the most up-to-date version of your site.

How to flush your WordPress cache?

1. Using a caching plugin – If you’re using a plugin like W3 Total Cache or Object Cache Pro (check out the screenshot below), you’ll typically find a flush option within the plugin settings. This allows you to clear both the page cache and the database cache with just a click.
2. Server-level cache – If you’re using a managed WordPress hosting service like Kinsta or WP Engine, these often implement server-level caching. You’ll usually have an option to clear the server cache from your hosting dashboard.
3. CDN cache – If you’re using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) such as Cloudflare or KeyCDN, make sure to purge the CDN cache as well. CDN cache can sometimes conflict with the local cache, showing outdated versions of your pages.

2. Backup Your WordPress Website

A backup is your last line of defense in an emergency. Data or resource losses are one of the most common and most painful WP issues. They may occur due to:

• server failures,
• cyberattacks,
• software conflicts,
• or human error.

Without a recent and functional backup, recovering your site can be both costly and time-consuming. Especially if you run a big e-commerce, a service-based site with crucial customer data, a high-traffic affiliate marketing site, or a content-heavy blog with years of valuable posts…

To ensure comprehensive protection, backups should be automated, frequent, and – if you can afford it – stored in multiple locations, both off-site (cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3) and locally (on an external drive or a secure local server).

There are three primary ways to back up a WordPress website:

1. Hosting provider backups – Many managed WordPress hosting providers (e.g. SiteGround), offer automated backups. While convenient, relying solely on hosting backups can be risky if your server becomes inaccessible.
2. Backup plugins – Tools like UpdraftPlus, VaultPress (Jetpack Backup), and BlogVault provide customizable scheduling, remote storage options, and one-click restorations. This gives you more control over your backup strategy.
3. Manual backups – Advanced users may prefer manual backups using cPanel (phpMyAdmin) or SSH commands to export the database and site files. This method provides full autonomy but requires much technical expertise.

Weekly Maintenance Tasks

3. Scan for Malware and Address Security Threats

Security issues are of utmost importance, particularly if you run complex sites or deal with client data, which should be kept safe and secured.

Perform vulnerability and malware scans daily or weekly to maintain your WordPress site’s security. Even if everything looks fine on the surface, hidden malicious code can harm your site’s reputation, compromise user data, or get you blacklisted by search engines.

Use trusted security plugins and tools like Wordfence, Sucuri, or iThemes Security to detect suspicious files, unauthorized changes and strange behaviors (e.g., too many requests).

If you notice anything suspicious or of concern, enable cross-checking. Don’t just rely on automated scans – review WordPress security logs to spot any abnormal activity. A series of failed login attempts, file modifications at odd hours, or unexpected admin account creations can signal trouble.

4. Fix Broken Links

Broken links can significantly harm the user experience and negatively impact your site’s SEO performance.

Regularly check for broken links (especially so-called 404s) to ensure smooth navigation and maintain positions in Google, Bing, etc. The easiest method is using a plugin like Broken Link Checker or utilizing online tools like Dead Link Checker.

Alternatively, you can inspect your Google Search Console (GSC). Sign in to your Google Account and then type in your browser’s navigation bar “https://search.google.com/search-console/”. Move to the Indexing Tab and localize “Not Found (404)”. Click on this item to see the list of pages affected.

404 errors are the most serious, but as you can see, the GSC report can help you track down also other potential issues. Pay special attention to the categories “Crawled – currently not indexed” and “Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag“.

Once broken links are identified, you have a few options. First, redirect them to an active, relevant internal page. This not only helps with UX but also ensures the page authority isn’t lost. For external links, you can either update them with new, equally relevant URLs or remove them entirely.

To set redirects you can use WordPress plugins (like Redirection or Perlmalink Manager) or edit .htaccess file. If you bet on the second option, you may add redirect rules at the bottom. Here is the formula you should follow:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://yourwebsite.com/new-page

Monthly Maintenance Tasks

5. Test Your Website’s Performance

Slow loading times, unoptimized scripts, and large media files can drive users away and negatively impact SEO rankings. That’s why regular performance testing is a must.

Start by measuring your site’s current performance using tools like:

• Google PageSpeed Insights,
• GTmetrix,
• or Pingdom (see below the example dashboard from their page speed test).

These tools will provide a detailed breakdown of what’s slowing down your site, from large images and unoptimized CSS to excessive third-party scripts.

Pay close attention to Core Web Vitals, as they are key ranking factors in Google’s algorithm. Basic information is available in Google Search Console (in a tab under the same title) with a breakdown for desktop and mobile:

If your site isn’t performing well, the first step is optimizing images. Compress large files using plugins like Smush or Imagify without losing quality.

Next, consider implementing caching using software like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, which can drastically reduce load times by storing static versions of your pages.

Additionally, you may take a closer look on your hosting provider. A slow server can bottleneck even the best-optimized site, so upgrading to a managed WordPress hosting solution may be necessary if your performance remains poor.

Finally, reduce unnecessary plugins and external scripts, as these can add bloat and slow things down.

6. Update Themes and Plugins

Keeping your plugins and themes updated is critical for security reasons. Outdated software is one of the biggest vulnerabilities aimed by hackers.

Begin by navigating to your WordPress dashboard and checking the Updates Tab. If updates are available, don’t delay – apply them as soon as possible. You can also set automated updates. In the Plugins Section it is visible whether auto-updates are enabled or not.

For WordPress themes, ensure you’re using a well-maintained one that receives regular updates. If you’ve made customizations to your theme files, consider using a child theme to prevent losing changes when updating.

For plugins, avoid unnecessary bloat by removing any that you no longer use. Keeping inactive or outdated plugins on your site increases security risks and can slow down performance. Stick to reputable plugins from the WordPress repository or trusted developers, and verify their update frequency before installing them.

To maintain WordPress plugins working and organized, set a routine to check for updates.

7. Optimize WordPress Database

Over time, your database accumulates unnecessary data – revisions, spam comments, transients, and deleted posts – that can slow down your site and increase backup sizes.

Start database optimization by manually deleting spam and trashed posts, clearing post revisions, and removing expired transients. If your site has WooCommerce, be sure to clean up old customer sessions and expired carts, as they can take up a lot of space.

Use plugins like WP-Optimize or Advanced Database Cleaner, which automate the process and allow scheduled cleanups. These tools can compact database tables, reducing overhead and improving database performance.

Quarterly Maintenance Tasks

8. Optimize Your Content

Content that felt relevant a year ago might now be outdated, underperforming, or no longer aligned with your audience’s needs. Thus, regular updates are an absolute must-have.

First, identify pages with declining traffic. You can use here Google Search Console:

If key articles or landing pages aren’t pulling in visitors like they used to, consider refreshing headlines, rewriting sections, or improving keyword targeting. Content decay is real, and small updates can revive search rankings.

Sometimes, sites grow in traffic but decrease in conversions. To investigate it, review Google Analytics data. It’s another clear sign that improvements in your page content or/and conversion flow are needed. In GA4, you can also check the main sources for your traffic and the most popular access device to adjust content accordingly (e.g., using long passages is a bad idea if the lion’s share of your audience accesses your sites via mobile).

Read through your site with a fresh perspective. Is the tone still appropriate? Are there any outdated references, broken formatting, or missing visuals? Sometimes, a simple rewrite or a better-placed CTA can dramatically improve engagement.

Internal linking is another easy win. If you’ve published new, relevant content, link to it from older posts. This helps both site visitors and search engines navigate your site more effectively.

But optimization isn’t just about SEO – it’s also about user experience. If a page feels cluttered, overly dense, or hard to scan, restructure it. Break up text, add visuals, and make sure your message is clear. Small tweaks can lead to big improvements in readability and conversions. You can use Microsoft Clarity (it’s free!) or Hotjar to review how users interact with your pages and what hinders their journeys.

9. Clean Up and Reorganize Media Library

An overloaded media library slows down your site and makes content management frustrating. Over time, unused WordPress images, duplicate files, and outdated media pile up, taking up valuable storage and “oversizing” your database.

Thus, regularly clean up unused media files. Plugins like Media Cleaner can help detect and safely delete files that aren’t attached to any post or page.

Optimize also existing images using compression tools such as ShortPixel or Smush. It’s a way to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.

Reorganizing is just as important. Rename files with descriptive keywords to make searches easier. Use folders or media organization plugins to categorize assets logically. A structured library:

• improves workflow,
• speeds up your website,
• and keeps everything easily accessible when you need it.

10. Update Site Passwords

Passwords guard your WP fortress against unauthorized access, yet they’re often overlooked in routine maintenance. Weak or outdated credentials can become a security risk, especially if they’ve been reused across multiple sites or compromised in data breaches.

Hence, review website passwords regularly and make sure they meet the most up-to-date security standards. You can do it in the Users Section ina Tab Profile:

Ideal passwords should be relatively:

• long,
• complex,
• and unique for each account.

A strong password should be at least 16 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. However, managing multiple complex passwords manually isn’t practical. That’s why using a password manager is highly recommended. It allows you to generate, store, and autofill secure credentials without relying on memory.

Beyond just WordPress admin access, don’t forget about:

• database passwords,
• hosting credentials,
• SFTP logins,
• and third-party API keys.

Each of these can be an entry point for attackers if left unprotected.

If your site has multiple users, enforce strong password policies and consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security.

Lastly, if you suspect any security breaches or unauthorized access, reset passwords immediately and review logs for any suspicious activity. Prevention is always better than recovery when it comes to security.

11. Audit Your WP Website

And the closing item: WP audit. Only thorough auditing may uncover untypical security risks, performance issues, and SEO weaknesses before they cause trouble. It’s generally a perfect scenario to make WordPress audit a starting point and, based on its results, create a list of WordPress website maintenance tasks with clear prioritization.

Of course, a comprehensive audit is not as easy as pie and requires technical expertise, but it truly deserves it. It’s a kind of guarantee that your maintenance efforts are focused on the issues that really need your intervention. WP audit includes, among others, the following subject clusters:

These are essential items, but on demand, professional auditors examine also WordPress user accounts settings, staging site health, hosting, themes and plugins configuration, and many more aspects.

4 More WordPress Maintenance Tips Before You Go

Let’s finish with some quick and easy maintenance tips that require minimal effort yet can yield a positive impact on your site’s health and performance.

• Constantly monitor uptime to prevent traffic and/or revenue losses from unexpected outages (downtimes). You may use tools like UptimeRobot, Pingdom or Better Uptime.
• Test how your WordPress site appears on different browsers and devices to avoid rendering issues (this causes user frustration and, as a result, immediate page exits).
• Optimize contact forms by reducing the number of fields to stop the lead outflow and increase conversions.
• Clear out old embed scripts and tracking codes to boost site speed and ensure privacy compliance.

Summary

There you have it – 15 of the most important WordPress maintenance tasks and tips to keep your site stable, fast, secured, and, hopefully, moving up in search engine rankings.

Though maintenance may look a bit complex and steal some of your time, there is no escape from it, especially if your site gains in size and its importance for your business is on the rise. Even so, there are ways to deal with it. WP Kraken offers different packages for regular WordPress website maintenance (C.A.R.E.) customizable to your individual needs. For a fair fee, you get ongoing professional oversight of your website and enjoy peace of mind.

So, DYI or hire pros – which way to follow? No obvious answer here. It depends on your skills, time resources and specific needs. In the case of one-pagers or private sites, you can choose the first one, while most of the established companies outsource it to experts or agencies. Which path will you take?

FAQ

Do WordPress Sites Need Maintenance?

Yes, WordPress sites require regular maintenance to stay secure, fast, and functional. Without updates, security checks, and performance optimizations, they can become vulnerable to hackers, slow down, or develop compatibility issues.

Is WordPress Maintenance Time-Consuming?

WordPress maintenance doesn’t have to be time-consuming if you set up automated backups, security scans, and updates. However, neglecting it can lead to bigger issues that require much more time to fix.

What Tools Are Best for WordPress Maintenance?

For backups, UpdraftPlus or Jetpack Backup are solid choices. For security, Wordfence and Sucuri help monitor and protect your site. For performance optimization, WP Rocket or Autoptimize improve speed and caching. For database cleanup, WP-Optimize keeps things running smoothly. If you want an all-in-one solution, ManageWP or MainWP offer centralized maintenance for multiple sites.

Is WP Site Maintenance Challenging?

It may be hard if your site is complex, untypical, and overall in bad condition. In such cases, hiring maintenance experts is a good direction, while for private sites with very few subpages, maintenance is straightforward with appropriate tools and some minimal guidance (so you can do without paying for professional maintenance services).

How Often Should I Perform WordPress Maintenance?

You should perform WordPress maintenance tasks at least once a month to keep everything running smoothly. However, for high-traffic sites or e-commerce platforms, weekly check-ups are highly recommended. Some tasks, like checking backups, monitoring site performance, and reviewing security logs, should be done daily so you can spot issues early and prevent escalation. Regular updates and plugin checks can typically be done weekly or monthly, depending on your site’s needs.

What is WordPress Maintenance Mode?

WordPress maintenance mode is a temporary state that restricts visitor access to your site while you perform updates, changes, or fixes. Instead of displaying broken pages or unfinished updates, the site presents a message informing users that maintenance is underway. This mode is automatically activated when updating WordPress core, themes, or plugins, but it can also be manually enabled using WP maintenance mode plugins (e.g. WP Maintenance Mode) or custom code.