# Website Maintenance Checklist: Weekly, Monthly and Yearly Tasks

Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/guides/website-maintenance-checklist/
Updated: 2026-10-10

> Website maintenance means applying CMS, plugin and theme updates safely, keeping tested backups, checking security, forms, speed and SSL, and renewing the domain and hosting on time. dijitul support does all of it on our Essential plan at £25 a month + VAT, with fixes and changes included from £50 a month + VAT.

## Key facts

- Out-of-date plugins and themes are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get hacked.
- Back up before every update, and keep backups off the web server.
- Test contact forms monthly: a broken form fails silently and costs enquiries.
- Check which PHP version your host runs; old versions stop receiving security fixes.
- Use Google Search Console to spot crawl errors, security issues and Core Web Vitals problems.
- Domain and SSL renewals are the most common cause of avoidable downtime.

## Why maintenance matters

A website is software, and software ages. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento and the plugins and themes on top of them release updates to fix security holes and bugs, and hosting companies upgrade PHP and remove old versions. A site that is left alone for a year or two tends to end up hacked, broken by a host upgrade, or slowly failing in ways nobody notices, such as a contact form that stopped sending emails months ago.

Use this checklist yourself, or hand it to whoever looks after your site. Platforms like Shopify, Wix and Squarespace handle the software updates for you, but the content, form, SEO and renewal checks still apply.

Keep a simple log as you go: the date, what was updated, and anything you noticed. When something does break, the log shows what changed and when, which turns a long investigation into a quick fix.

## Weekly

- **Back up** files and database. Daily is better for shops and sites that change often. Store at least one copy away from the web server.
- **Apply updates** to the CMS core, plugins and themes, after a backup. Update on a staging copy first if the site is complex or takes payments.
- **Check the site after updating**: home page, a key service page, the contact form, checkout and the admin area.
- **Look at uptime alerts** and any security plugin warnings, such as failed login floods or changed files.

## Monthly

- **Test every form** by submitting it and checking the email arrives. If it does not, look at SMTP settings and your domain's SPF and DKIM records; see website forms not working.
- **Review Google Search Console** for coverage errors, manual actions, security issues and Core Web Vitals.
- **Check speed** with PageSpeed Insights on your top pages, on mobile. Watch for oversized images and new scripts.
- **Look for broken links** and 404 errors, especially after content changes.
- **Remove unused plugins and themes**, not just deactivate them. Deactivated code can still be exploited.
- **Review user accounts** and remove anyone who no longer needs access. Make sure admins use strong passwords and two-factor login.
- **For online shops**, place a test order and check payment, stock and confirmation emails.

## Quarterly and yearly

- **Test a restore** of your backup to a staging site. An untested backup is a hope, not a plan.
- **Check the PHP version** in your hosting panel and plan an upgrade if it is close to end of life. See PHP version upgrade.
- **Check the SSL certificate** renews automatically and there are no mixed-content warnings.
- **Domain and hosting renewals**: confirm dates, auto-renew and the card on file. See domain expired: what to do.
- **Review content**: prices, staff, opening details, the privacy policy and cookie banner.
- **Accessibility check** of key pages for contrast, alt text and keyboard use.
- **Review premium licences** for themes and plugins so updates keep coming.

## Signs maintenance has been missed

- The WordPress dashboard shows dozens of pending updates.
- The site shows a 500 error or "critical error" after the host upgraded PHP.
- Google shows "This site may be hacked" or the browser shows a security warning.
- Enquiries have dried up and the form turns out not to be sending.
- Pages load slowly on mobile.

## When to call dijitul support

If you would rather not do this yourself, our **Essential plan at £25 a month + VAT** covers checked CMS, plugin and theme updates, daily backups, uptime monitoring and security monitoring. The **Business plan at £50 a month + VAT** adds an hour of fixes or content changes each month and priority support. If the site has been neglected for a while, we can bring it up to date first at £45 an hour + VAT. See website maintenance, WordPress support and plans.

## FAQs

### How often should I update WordPress plugins?

Check at least weekly and apply security updates promptly, after taking a backup. Test the site after each round of updates. dijitul applies and checks updates for clients on every support plan, starting at £25 a month + VAT.

### What does website maintenance cost in the UK?

Prices vary by provider. dijitul's Essential plan is £25 a month + VAT for updates, daily backups, uptime and security monitoring. The Business plan at £50 a month + VAT adds an hour of fixes or changes each month.

### Do Shopify or Wix sites need maintenance?

The platform updates its own software, but you still need to check forms, apps, content, speed, SEO, domain renewal and any third-party integrations. Apps added to Shopify can slow the site or break after updates.

### Is my host's backup enough?

Often not. Host backups may be kept for a short time, stored on the same server, or cost extra to restore. Keep your own independent backups and test a restore regularly.

### What happens if I never update my website?

Over time, known security holes in old plugins get exploited, host PHP upgrades break the site, and features stop working. Neglected sites are the most common ones dijitul repairs after a hack.

## Pricing and contact

Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Plans: Essential £25/month + VAT (Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked, Daily backups, Uptime monitoring, Security monitoring); Business £50/month + VAT (Everything in Essential, 1 hour of fixes or changes every month, Priority support); Complete £99/month + VAT (Everything in Business, 3 hours of fixes or changes every month, IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team). Ad-hoc support is £45 an hour + VAT. The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks. Contact: 01623 650333, support@dijitul.uk, https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/contact/