If you’re running a WordPress website, then you know how important it is to keep it running smoothly. With regular maintenance, you can ensure that your website performs well, stays secure, and remains up-to-date. Here are 25 best practices for WordPress maintenance that you should follow:
1. Keep WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins Updated
Regular updates are crucial for keeping your website secure and performing optimally. You should always update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to the latest versions.
2. Use a Child Theme
When customizing a theme, it’s always best to use a child theme. This way, you won’t lose any changes when you update the parent theme.
3. Delete Unused Themes and Plugins
Unused themes and plugins can slow down your website and pose a security risk. Always delete any unused themes and plugins.
4. Limit Login Attempts
Limiting login attempts can help prevent brute force attacks on your website. You can use a plugin like Login Lockdown to limit login attempts.
5. Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are essential for keeping your website secure. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.
6. Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your website. Use a plugin like Google Authenticator to implement two-factor authentication.
7. Implement SSL
Implementing SSL can help protect your website from attacks and ensure that sensitive information is transmitted securely. You can get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
8. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN can help improve your website’s performance by distributing content across multiple servers. You can use a service like Cloudflare to implement a CDN.
9. Optimize Images
Large images can slow down your website. Always optimize images before uploading them to your website. You can use a plugin like WP Smush to compress images.
10. Use Caching
Caching can help improve your website’s performance by storing static content. You can use a plugin like W3 Total Cache to implement caching.
11. Monitor Uptime
Monitoring uptime can help you detect and resolve issues before they affect your users. You can use a service like UptimeRobot to monitor uptime.
12. Create Backups
Regular backups can help you recover your website in case of data loss or corruption. You can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to create backups.
13. Test Updates on Staging
Before updating your website, it’s always a good idea to test updates on a staging site. This way, you can detect and resolve any issues before going live.
14. Monitor Website Speed
Website speed is crucial for user experience and SEO. You can use a service like GTmetrix to monitor website speed and identify areas for improvement.
15. Monitor Broken Links
Broken links can harm your website’s SEO and user experience. You can use a plugin like Broken Link Checker to monitor broken links and fix them.
16. Clean Up Database
Over time, your website’s database can become cluttered with unused data. Cleaning up your database can help improve website performance. You can use a plugin like WP-Optimize to clean up your database.
17. Use a Firewall
A firewall can help protect your website from attacks. You can use a service like Cloudflare to implement a firewall.
18. Disable XML-RPC
XML-RPC can be used in brute force attacks. You can disable XML-RPC by adding the following code to your website’s .htaccess file:
# Disable XML-RPC
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
19. Limit Post Revisions
Post revisions can quickly clutter up your database. Limiting post revisions can help keep your database clean. You can add the following code to your website’s wp-config.php file:
# Limit post revisions
define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 5);
20. Use a Strong Hosting Provider
A strong hosting provider can help ensure that your website remains secure and performs well. You can use a service like WP Engine or SiteGround to host your website.
21. Use a Malware Scanner
Malware scanners can help detect and remove malware from your website. You can use a plugin like Wordfence to scan your website for malware.
22. Use a Backup Verification Tool
Backup verification tools can help ensure that your backups are working properly. You can use a service like VerifyWP to verify your backups.
23. Use a Brute Force Protection Plugin
Brute force protection plugins can help prevent brute force attacks on your website. You can use a plugin like Jetpack to implement brute force protection.
24. Use a Spam Protection Plugin
Spam protection plugins can help prevent spam comments and registrations on your website. You can use a plugin like Akismet to implement spam protection.
25. Check for Broken Links After Migration
After migrating your website to a new domain or hosting provider, it’s important to check for broken links. You can use a plugin like Broken Link Checker to check for broken links.
Conclusion
By following these best practices for WordPress maintenance, you can ensure that your website remains secure, performs well, and stays up-to-date. Regular maintenance is essential for the long-term success of your website.
