Maintenance Tutorials January 19, 2025 Marcin Hylewski

WordPress Website Health Check: How to Perform and Why It Matters?

This article explains what it is and why it's good to perform a WordPress website health check (preferably on a regular basis). It also points out how to do it using built-in WordPress tools, what insights you can expect, and which external tools work best in monitoring your site health.
How to Perform WordPress Health Check - cover image

WordPress website health check should be routine for all who care about their site’s security, smooth user experience, and performance. Numerous studies demonstrate how these factors influence conversion rates and, as such, the overall business value of web pages at all. As reported by Portent, e-commerce sites loading in less than a second generate 2.5 times higher CR than those with load times exceeding 5 seconds. So, the one million dollar question sounds: which one club would you like to join? If the first one is your pick, stay tuned!

In this article, you will find a handful of information and answers to the following key questions focused around site’s health:

  • what website’s health actually is?
  • how to easily check your site health status in WordPress?
  • what benefits are related to keeping track of it?
  • which health check WordPress plugins work best?
  • when and why opting for professional services is recommended?

Ready? Let’s jump into this!

What is Website Health?

WordPress website health is the overall condition of your website in terms of security, performance and functionality. It encompasses a range of technical, design, and content-related factors that ensure the site runs efficiently, provides a good user experience, and meets its intended goals.

What are Key Components of Website Health?

Key components of site health encompass technical performance, search engine optimization (SEO), responsiveness, security, UX interface and content quality. What exactly do these concepts mean? What are some essential optimization best practices? And, what is the importance of each one? If these questions have just flashed into your mind, take a look at the table below.

GroupFactorHow to optimize?Importance
PerformancePage SpeedSlow-loading websites can frustrate users and negatively affect search engine rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure and optimize speed.****
Server Response TimeEnsure your server efficiently processes requests by optimizing server configurations and using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).****
UptimeRegularly monitor your website’s uptime using tools like UptimeRobot to make sure it’s available for users 24/7.*****
SEOKeywordsUse relevant keywords strategically in titles, headers, and content (but avoid keyword stuffing!).***
Meta TagsEnsure proper use of meta descriptions, title tags, and alt attributes for images.****
CrawlabilityFix issues like orphaned pages, wrong links, or blocked resources that prevent search engine bots from indexing your site.****
SitemapSubmit an XML sitemap to search engines to help them understand your website structure.***
Mobile ResponsivenessAdaptive DesignUse responsive design to ensure the site adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes.***
NavigationTest menus, buttons, and forms on mobile devices to ensure usability.***
Page Load Time on MobileOptimize mobile assets to ensure quick loading, even on slower connections.****
SecurityHTTPSInstall and maintain an SSL certificate to encrypt data between users and the server.*****
UpdatesRegularly update plugins, themes, and your CMS to patch vulnerabilities.****
FirewallImplement a web application firewall (WAF) to block malicious traffic.****
BackupsSchedule automated backups to quickly recover your site in case of an attack or failure.*****
UXNavigationEnsure menus are intuitive and consistent across all pages.***
AccessibilityFollow WCAG guidelines to make your site usable for people with disabilities (e.g., screen reader compatibility, alt text for images).***
Readable ContentUse clear fonts, sufficient contrast, and proper line spacing to improve readability.***
EngagementInclude interactive elements like forms, buttons, or media to encourage user interaction.***
Content qualityRelevanceRegularly review content to ensure it’s up-to-date and aligned with your audience’s interests.****
Grammar and SpellingMaintain professional quality by proofreading for errors (you can also use automated language guards like Grammarly).***
Length and DepthProvide thorough answers or explanations, but avoid unnecessary fluff.***
Media OptimizationCompress images and videos without sacrificing quality to enhance page load speed.***
Technical QualityBroken LinksUse tools like Broken Link Checker to identify and fix dead links.****
Missing FilesCheck for missing images, scripts, or stylesheets that could disrupt the site’s appearance or functionality.**
Code QualityValidate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to ensure there are no syntax errors or deprecated code.****
Error MonitoringImplement monitoring tools to track server or application errors in real-time.****
Analytics and TrackingSetupUse tools like Google Analytics or Matomo to monitor traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.***
GoalsDefine specific goals (e.g., form submissions, downloads) to measure success.****
HeatmapsUse heatmap tools (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg) to visualize where users click and scroll.**
Regular ReportingGenerate monthly or quarterly reports to track progress and identify trends.***

By investigating how your site is doing in these categories, you can determine the overall site health score. This helps you see the big picture of what works smoothly and where is room for improvements, laying the basis for efficient optimization.

Why Website’s Health is Important?

The website health score is essential, as it (or rather everything it refers to) directly impacts visitor trust, search engine rankings, and overall site functionality. Achieving goals you tie with your websites probably depends on all of these greatly too. This will become clearer as we briefly discuss the four key benefits of keeping sites healthy.

Better User Experience

When your site is experiencing issues, users may face slow loading times, broken links, etc., causing frustration. A healthy site ensures seamless navigation and quick access to its resources. These are the first steps to satisfying users and boosting engagement.

Higher Search Rankings

If your site is doing badly, you can expect to lose positions in search rankings like Google or Bing. Uptime, linking, or crawling issues are plainly negative indicators for search engines.

Conversely, a “healthy” website is easier to crawl by robots, earns higher ratings in Google, and collects better user signals (e.g., more time spent on the page, higher engagement, etc.). This all leads to better visibility and better positions in SERPs as well.

Security and Trust

An insecure site with outdated software or weak passwords is vulnerable to hacks and breaches.

On the other hand, an optimized site protects user data, builds trust, and prevents potential financial and reputation damage from security threats.

Business Effectiveness

In light of the aforementioned, well-maintained websites are more likely to satisfy both users and search engines. It usually results in higher conversion rates, which is the ultimate goal of any business, isn’t it?

  • WP Mayor reports that 4.7 million WordPress web pages fall victim to hackers.
  • Think with Google’s study shows that 88% of users don’t revisit sites after a poor experience.

Do you care enough about your website’s health? Join Volvo, Twitch, and Placester, who trusted dr Kraken to take C.A.R.E. of their WordPress affairs.

What is WordPress Site Health?

WordPress site health is a kind of checklist for your site’s well-being designed to provide you with detailed information on performance, security, and recommended improvements to keep your site up and running.

Where to Find WordPress Site Health Feature?

You can access the site health panel directly from the main WordPress dashboard. It is located under the Tools section:

WordPress website health screen

How to Check Your Site Health in WordPress?

To check your WP website condition, head to the Site Health section and take a look at the site health score displayed at the top center of the page. If a good score shows up, no actions are needed on your end. If you, however, see the “Should be improved” alert, you should address the issues indicated in the Status Tab.

WordPress checks if your site health elements work correctly

Status Tab

The Status Tab in the WordPress Site Health section is where you’ll find a detailed overview of your website’s current performance, configuration, and potential issues. It’s designed to help you identify bugs and potential improvement areas.

Every time you access the Status Tab, WordPress runs a series of tests concerning key health aspects. More specifically, it:

  • examines whether your WordPress install is properly configured and up-to-date,
  • detects inactive plugins that should be removed,
  • investigates if your site communicates seamlessly with external services,
  • ensures that your files can be uploaded,
  • checks whether HTTP requests work properly,
  • verifies if your site uses the recommended PHP version,
  • confirms if the REST API is available,
  • and plenty more.

To see the full list of performed tests, click the Passed tests button (the list is collapsed by default). Then, you can head to the chosen test and click on it to see the results.

Note, that even if your health score is good, WordPress can recommend some improvements. They are visible right at the top of the Status Tab.

WordPress tests detecting unused plugins and critical issues

Info Tab

As you’ve probably noticed, there is also an Info Tab (just next to the Status Tab). It provides all the nerdy details about your WordPress installation – from info on the default theme through active plugins and their versions to server configuration and PHP settings.

valuable debugging information on php version, wordpress plugins, hosting provider, etc.

What is WordPress Health Check Plugin?

Regardless of the built-in site health tool, to monitor your site health in WordPress, you can also use a complementary plugin called Health Check & Troubleshooting. It’s designed to help site administrators diagnose and resolve common issues. It enriches the built-in Site Health WordPress functionality and adds two additional tabs:

  • Troubleshooting Tab, which temporarily disables all plugins and switches to the default theme, but only for the logged-in administrator. This helps to isolate compatibility issues without affecting visitors or breaking the live site.
  • Tools Tab, providing additional utilities related to key functions like email delivery, file permissions, and automatic updates.

To make good use of the plugin, a certain level of technical expertise and experience is necessary, so I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners. Especially since, at times, this plugin is able to mess up the whole WordPress setup!

plugin to WordPress core site health feature

What are Best WordPress Site Health Plugins?

The most recommended external WordPress site health AIO plugins are WP Debugging and Activity Log, but there are also a bunch of narrow-scope tools that get the job done. Find below a complete list of the top users’ picks.

  1. WP Debugging enables and manages WordPress debug mode, making it easy to identify and fix PHP errors or warnings.
  2. Activity Log tracks and logs changes or activities on your WordPress site, helping with security and troubleshooting.
  3. Query Monitor provides detailed insights into database queries, PHP errors, and performance bottlenecks for developers.
  4. WP Server Stats displays real-time server performance metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, and disk space.
  5. Advanced Database Cleaner optimizes and cleans your database by removing unused data, such as orphaned options or old revisions.
  6. Sucuri Security offers website monitoring, malware scanning, and other security-focused health checks.
  7. Better Search Replace helps troubleshoot and fix database issues by enabling safe search-and-replace operations within your database.
  8. Log Deprecated Notices logs deprecated functions and arguments in WordPress for debugging and improving code compatibility.
  9. PHP Compatibility Checker scans your plugins and themes to ensure compatibility with different PHP versions.

Don’t Compromise Your Site Health

WordPress site’s health is like your own – great when it’s in top shape, but still worth regular check-ups. Just like a routine blood test or X-ray can catch serious health issues early, regular site health monitoring can uncover potentially big problems before they escalate and/or cause adverse effects on your business.

If you don’t have enough expertise to tackle identified issues, you can reach out to WP Kraken’s team of specialists, who are always standing guard, even in an emergency. It’s also the right address if you need a more complex and multi-faceted site audit. Security, technical performance, SEO, WCAG, checkout flow – all are covered.

Meanwhile, may the health be with you – and with your sites as well!