WordPress Maintenance

WordPress Website Maintenance: How to Keep Your Website Secure and Up to Date

A WordPress website needs regular maintenance to stay secure, updated and running properly. Installing WordPress and building a website is only the beginning. Over time, WordPress core, plugins, themes, hosting environments and security requirements change.

WordPress Maintenance
Website Security
Website Management

Without regular WordPress website maintenance, an outdated website can become vulnerable to security threats, plugin conflicts, spam, broken features and other technical problems.

In this guide, we explain what WordPress maintenance involves, why it is important, how often you should maintain your website and how much WordPress maintenance can cost.

Why WordPress Website Maintenance Matters

Regular website maintenance helps prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems.

A typical WordPress website may contain WordPress core, multiple plugins, a theme, custom code, user accounts, forms and third-party integrations. All of these components need to work together properly.

Regular WordPress website maintenance helps you:

Keep WordPress, plugins and themes updated
Detect security vulnerabilities and malware
Protect administrator accounts
Maintain regular website backups
Reduce spam and unwanted activity
Check that important website functions are working
Identify plugin or theme conflicts
Keep your hosting environment secure

From WordPress itself

WordPress itself recommends keeping the WordPress software, plugins and themes updated as an important part of website security.

What WordPress Website Maintenance Includes

A good WordPress maintenance checklist should cover more than simply updating plugins.

Here are the key areas that should be checked regularly.

2.1WordPress, Plugin and Theme Updates
2.2Security Scanning and Wordfence
2.3Administrator Accounts and Login
2.4Hosting Security and Backups
2.5Spam and Function Testing

2.1WordPress, Plugin and Theme Updates

Keeping WordPress, plugins and themes updated is one of the most important maintenance tasks.

Updates can include:

Security fixes
Bug fixes
Compatibility improvements
Performance improvements
New features

However, you should not simply update everything without checking.

A plugin update can sometimes conflict with another plugin, your WordPress theme or custom code. Before major updates, having a recent backup is also important so the website can be restored if something goes wrong.

WordPress CoreCheck the version
PluginsReview available updates
ThemesReview available updates
Compatibility CheckPlugins, theme, custom code
BackupA recent restore point
UpdateApply, then re-check

As part of WordPress maintenance, we recommend checking:

WordPress core version
Plugin updates
Theme updates
Outdated or abandoned plugins
Update errors
Plugin and theme compatibility

Dashboard → Updates: check the WordPress core version, plugins and themes in one place.

Housekeeping

Unused plugins and themes should also be removed rather than left installed.

2.2Security Scanning and Wordfence Configuration

Website security is one of the most important parts of WordPress security maintenance.

A WordPress security check can look for:

Security checkScanning

Malware
Suspicious files
Modified files
Vulnerable plugins
Vulnerable themes
Suspicious administrator accounts
Unusual login activity

Illustrative example

WordPress Plugin Security Scan

A regular security scan can help identify potential problems before they become more serious.

For websites that require additional protection, Wordfence is one of the commonly used WordPress security solutions.

Wordfence provides features including:

Firewall protection
Malware scanning
Login security
Brute-force protection
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Security alerts
IP blocking
Vulnerability detection

Wordfence → Scan: the scan stages and results of a completed scan.

Worth knowing

Simply installing Wordfence is not always enough. The available security settings should be configured according to the website’s requirements.

Advanced Wordfence Security Settings

For websites that require stronger WordPress security, advanced Wordfence features can be configured as part of the maintenance process.

Depending on the website, this may include reviewing:

Web Application Firewall settings
Advanced malware scanning
Login security
Brute-force protection
2FA
Security alerts
IP blocking
Vulnerability notifications

Wordfence also provides additional security and audit features depending on the version and configuration.

Set Up Wordfence Email Alerts

Security alerts help you react quickly when something changes on the website. In Wordfence, the email alert settings let you choose which events send a notification, so important issues are not missed.

Depending on the version and configuration, Wordfence can send email alerts for events such as:

Wordfence being deactivated
The Web Application Firewall being turned off
Scan results above a chosen severity level
An IP address being blocked
Someone being locked out from login
An administrator signing in
A large increase in attacks
The “lost password” form used for a valid user

You can also set a maximum number of email alerts per hour, so the inbox is not flooded. Review these options during each maintenance visit and keep alerts that match how the website is managed.

Wordfence → All Options → Email Alert Preferences: choose which security alerts are sent by email.

The goal is not to enable every security setting blindly. Wordfence should be configured carefully so that security is improved without unnecessarily affecting normal website functionality.

2.3Administrator Accounts and Login Protection

WordPress administrator accounts are an important part of website security.

A regular maintenance check should review all WordPress users and their permissions.

We recommend:

Removing unused user accounts
Checking administrator accounts
Using strong passwords
Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Reviewing user roles and permissions
Avoiding unnecessary administrator access

Do Not Use “Admin” as Your Administrator Username

Avoid using “admin” as the administrator username.

It is a common username and can make automated login attacks easier to target.

Each administrator should have their own appropriate account rather than sharing one administrator login.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds another layer of protection to the WordPress login process.

Even if a password is compromised, an attacker may still be unable to access the account without the second authentication factor.

Wordfence supports TOTP-based 2FA and backup codes, among other login-security features.

Wordfence → Login Security: 2FA enabled, with settings to manage it.

Wordfence → Login Security → Settings: 2FA can be set per user role, and the user summary shows how many accounts use 2FA.

Protect the WordPress Login Page

The default WordPress login URL can also be protected using appropriate security measures.

Changing or protecting the default login URL can help reduce automated login attempts, although it should be treated as an additional security measure rather than a replacement for strong passwords, 2FA and firewall protection.

Changing the default login URL and setting a redirection URL for visitors who are not logged in.

2.4Hosting Security and Backups

WordPress Hosting Security

Hosting security is just as important as WordPress security.

A secure WordPress website depends not only on the website itself but also on the hosting environment.

WebsiteWhat your visitors see
LAYER 01
WordPressCore, plugins, theme
LAYER 02
HostingThe environment it runs in
LAYER 03
Server SecurityMalware detection, firewall, SSL
LAYER 04
BackupRestore if something goes wrong
LAYER 05

When choosing WordPress hosting, look for providers that offer security and backup features such as:

Malware detection
Malware protection
Automatic backups
SSL certificates
Firewall protection
Security monitoring
Website restoration

Hosting providers such as CLDY, Hostinger and SiteGround offer various security and backup features depending on their hosting plans.

The exact features can vary between hosting providers and packages, so always check what is included in your specific plan.

Tip

Choosing hosting with built-in malware detection, protection and backups can make WordPress website maintenance much easier.

Regular WordPress Backups

A backup is one of the most important parts of website maintenance.

If your website is hacked, a plugin update causes an error or important files are accidentally deleted, a recent backup can help you restore the website.

WebsiteYour live WordPress site

Database

FilesCore, themes, uploads

BackupStored copy

Restore PointBring the site back

A WordPress backup should normally include:

WordPress files
Database
Media uploads
Important configuration data

Backups should be performed regularly, and ideally before major updates.

WordPress documentation recommends regular backups and notes that backup frequency should depend on how frequently the website changes.

When choosing hosting, we recommend looking for plans that include:

Automatic backups
Multiple backup points
Easy restore
Backup retention
Reliable storage

Important business websites

For important business websites, having only one backup location is not ideal. Maintaining additional backup copies can provide extra protection if the hosting account itself is affected.

2.5Spam Management and Website Function Testing

Spam is another common issue with WordPress websites.

During regular maintenance, it is useful to check:

Spam comments
Contact form spam
Unwanted submissions
Suspicious user registrations
Other unnecessary website activity

If your business website does not use comments, you may also consider turning off the WordPress comment section.

This can reduce unnecessary spam and remove a feature that the website does not actually need.

WordPress’s own maintenance guidance includes deleting spam comments as part of regular site housekeeping.

Settings to disable comments on the whole website, or only on specific post types.

Check Important Website Functions

Maintenance should also include basic front-end checks such as:

Contact forms
Important links
Buttons
Navigation
Mobile display
SSL/HTTPS
Key website pages
Important integrations

For WooCommerce websites

Additional checks may include:

Shopping cart
Checkout
Payment functions
Order emails

How Often Should You Maintain Your Website?

There is no single maintenance schedule that works for every website.

The ideal frequency depends on how frequently your website changes and how important it is to your business.

MORE ACTIVE

Monthly WordPress Maintenance

Monthly maintenance is suitable for websites that:

Receive regular updates
Use multiple plugins
Have e-commerce functionality
Receive customer enquiries
Are important to daily business operations

EVERY ~3 MONTHS

Quarterly WordPress Maintenance

A good option for smaller business websites that do not change frequently. The website can be reviewed approximately every three months to check security, updates, backups and functionality.

SIMPLE WEBSITES

Biannual WordPress Maintenance

Biannual maintenance may work for simple websites with limited activity. However, important security updates and backups should still be handled throughout the year.

VERY SIMPLE WEBSITES

Yearly WordPress Maintenance

Yearly maintenance can be suitable for very simple websites that rarely change. However, leaving a WordPress website completely unchecked for an entire year is not recommended. Security updates and backups should still be managed when required.

How Much Does WordPress Maintenance Cost?

The cost of WordPress website maintenance varies depending on the website, number of plugins, complexity and amount of work required.

WordPress maintenance services can commonly range from approximately $50–$150 per hour depending on the provider and type of work.

Common range$50–$150 / hour

Approximate range, depending on the provider and type of work.

SG Web Builder$80 / hour

Our WordPress maintenance rate.

Simple session1 – 2 hours

Depending on the website and the work required.

SG Web Builder WordPress Maintenance

Our rate is $80 per hour, and each maintenance session takes around 1 – 2 hours. You can choose the schedule that best fits your website:

Monthly1 maintenance every month

A good fit for more active websites.

Quarterly1 maintenance every 3 months

A simple routine for most business websites.

BiannualEvery 6 months
YearlyOnce a year

You do not necessarily need a large long-term maintenance package.

A simple business website may only need an occasional maintenance check, while a more active website may benefit from monthly maintenance.

See what SG Web Builder’s WordPress maintenance covers and how it works.

WordPress Website Maintenance Checklist

Tick items off as you review your own website. Your progress stays in this browser tab and is not saved or sent anywhere.

Checklist progress0 / 0

01Updates

0/5

02Security

0/6

03Login Security

0/6

04Backup

0/4

05Website

0/5

06Spam

0/4

07Hosting

0/4

Every item reviewed. If you would rather have this handled for you, see our maintenance service.

Need help keeping your WordPress website secure and up to date?

Talk to our team about a maintenance schedule that suits your website.

WordPress Website Maintenance: How to Keep Your Website Secure and Up to Date

Why WordPress Website Maintenance Matters