WordPress health checks are essential for maintaining your site’s performance, SEO, security, and compliance with legal and industry standards. However, many website owners face challenges when implementing regular checks. These can include inconsistent schedules, time constraints, compatibility issues with preferred tools, and limited technical expertise.
This article will cover everything that goes into performing WordPress health checks, both manually and with dedicated tools. You’ll learn practical steps to assess your site’s health, identify potential issues, and take action to keep your WordPress installation running smoothly.
That said, it’s often tempting – and maybe even fulfilling – to try and tackle these checks yourself, but the complexity and importance of certain tasks often mean it’s wiser to consider professional assistance. For this reason, we also explore when this is the better option. Read on!
Performing a health check on your WordPress site
When it comes to keeping your WordPress site in top shape, you have two main options:
- Using handy automated tools like the default WordPress Site Health feature or the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin.
- Rolling up your sleeves and doing it manually.
Using the default Site Health feature and the Health Check plugin
Let’s start with the easy route: using automated tools. WordPress’s built-in Site Health feature and the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin can do much of the heavy lifting for you.
Using WordPress Site Health
To access the Site Health tool, head to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Tools > Site Health. This built-in feature provides a quick overview of your site’s health, highlighting areas that need attention.
The Site Health screen displays two main sections: Status and Info. The Status tab shows a health score and lists critical issues and recommended improvements. The Info tab offers detailed information about your site’s configuration.
When addressing issues flagged by Site Health, start with the most critical. Common problems include outdated PHP versions, inactive plugins, and security vulnerabilities. To resolve these:
- Update your PHP version through your hosting provider’s control panel.
- Deactivate or delete unused plugins from the Plugins menu.
- Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins up-to-date to patch security vulnerabilities.
Using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin
The Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin, developed by the WordPress.org community, offers additional diagnostic tools beyond the built-in Site Health feature.
To get started, install and activate the plugin from your WordPress dashboard by going to Plugins > Add New and searching for “Health Check & Troubleshooting.”
One of the plugin’s standout features is its troubleshooting mode. This allows you to temporarily disable all plugins and switch to a default theme for your user account only. This means you can diagnose issues without affecting your site’s appearance for visitors – a handy feature when you’re trying to identify conflicts.
To use troubleshooting mode:
- Go to Tools > Site Health. 💡 Site Health should now have an indicator with the number 2 showing that you have more than one active health check tool.
- Click on the Troubleshooting tab.
- Enable troubleshooting mode using the button.
The plugin also provides detailed diagnostics and server information, helping you or your WordPress developer identify potential issues more easily. You can find this information under the Tools section of the plugin.
Conducting a WordPress health check manually
While automated tools offer convenience, manual health checks allow for a more thorough and customized assessment of your WordPress site’s condition. Some notable advantages you get with manual health checks include:
- Deeper analysis: Analyze certain areas like design and user experience to catch issues that automated tools might overlook.
- Contextual understanding: Assess how your site performs in real-world scenarios, accounting for your specific audience and content.
- Adaptive approach: Modify your checks on the fly based on new findings or changes in your site’s structure.
- Cross-verification: Confirm the accuracy of automated tool results and catch any false positives or negatives.
- Skill development: Gain hands-on experience and deepen your understanding of WordPress maintenance.
- Prioritization: Focus on areas most critical to your site’s goals and user needs.
Here’s what to focus on when running manual WordPress health checks:
- Database maintenance: Remove unnecessary data like spam comments and post revisions. Use plugins like WP-Optimize, but always back up your database first.
- Security checks: Verify strong, unique passwords for all accounts. Enable two-factor authentication where possible. Run security scans using plugins like Shield Security PRO or Sucuri.
- Performance testing: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom. Optimize images with tools like Smush, leverage browser caching with plugins like WP-Optimize, and minify CSS and JavaScript files with plugins like Autoptimize.
- Broken links and 404 errors: Use plugins to find and fix broken links. Check Google Search Console for 404 errors and resolve them promptly.
When to get help with WordPress health checks
Even with the tools and methods discussed above, beginners may face challenges that require expert intervention.
When using automated tools, you might struggle to interpret complex error logs like memory limit errors, or encounter configuration and compatibility issues that require custom code solutions. The tools themselves could also miss issues they weren’t designed to catch due to unavoidable context and scope limitations.
Manual checks, on the other hand, also carry risks. For example, you could accidentally delete important data while cleaning up spam or break functionality while optimizing performance.
If you’re running more than a basic WordPress site, consider hiring a professional developer. Experts can navigate these complexities, maintain your site’s health without risking damage, and identify issues that both non-experts and automated tools might miss. They can also provide tailored solutions for your specific site needs and goals.
Don’t leave your site’s health to chance – Get help with Codeable
If you’ve found that you could benefit from expert help, Codeable is an excellent place to start. On the platform, you can get a dedicated WordPress developer that can handle everything from 404 error fixes to plugin repairs and ongoing website maintenance.
What sets Codeable apart is its unique business model. Instead of sifting through thousands of applicants, you’re matched with up to five vetted developers who are ideally suited for your project.
Codeable also offers a service called Retainers, through which you can book a developer in advance for scheduled health checks.
Ready to keep your site in top shape? Submit a project with Codeable today and get matched with developers who can efficiently handle your WordPress health checks!