One of the questions that comes up when you own a WordPress website is how to keep it safe.
What should you be doing? Which warnings matter? And how do you take care of things when you are worried that clicking the wrong button might break your website?
If that sounds familiar, you are certainly not alone.
When your website is working, it is easy to put the technical jobs aside. You have a business to run, customers to help and plenty of other things competing for your attention.
But looking after your website does not have to mean learning everything at once.
My advice is to start small: know what protection you have, keep up with maintenance and have a plan for getting help.
No website is completely risk-free. These habits help reduce the risks and make recovery easier if something goes wrong.
Here are the main things I would encourage you to check to keep your WordPress website safe.
Do you have a complete backup, and could you restore it?
Before we get into updates or security plugins, let’s start with your backups.
If something happened to your website today, would you know how to get it back?
A complete WordPress backup includes two parts:
- Your website files, including themes, plugins and uploaded images.
- Your database, which holds information such as your pages, posts and settings.
You need both to restore the full website. WordPress explains these two parts in its website backup guidance.
Your hosting company may already provide backups, which is a good starting point. However, it is worth checking what is included rather than assuming everything is covered.
Ask your host:
- How often is my website backed up?
- Does that include both the files and database?
- How far back do the backups go?
- How do I request or complete a restore?
- Is there an extra charge?
I also recommend keeping a separate backup somewhere secure, away from your hosting account, and testing the restore process when practical.
A backup is much more useful when you know it works and how to access it.
How often you need one depends on your website. If you take orders, bookings or member registrations, yesterday’s backup could be missing important information from today.
Keep on top of updates, with a little preparation
WordPress, plugins and themes all need ongoing attention.
Updates can fix problems, improve features and address security issues. Leaving everything untouched for months because you are worried about breaking something can allow more work to build up.
That does not mean you need to rush through every update without checking anything.
Before making changes:
- Check what needs updating.
- Make a fresh, complete backup.
- Read the update notes for any important changes.
- Test significant updates on a staging site where possible.
- Apply the updates and check your website afterwards.
A staging site is a separate test copy of your website. It gives you somewhere to try changes before applying them to the website your customers use.
If you have a lot of old updates waiting, or your website has broken during updates before, reach out for advice specific to your setup.
If a plugin update shows a compatibility warning, my guide to WordPress plugins not tested with your version explains what to check before deciding.
Check who can log in to your website
Who currently has access to your WordPress dashboard?
You might have accounts for a previous developer, a former team member or someone who helped with a project years ago.
Take a moment to review those accounts and check whether the access is still needed. Before deleting an account, check whether it owns content that needs to be reassigned.
Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication where available. This adds another step when logging in, such as entering a code from an authentication app.
Give each person their own account and only the access they need. Someone adding blog posts may not need permission to install plugins or change website settings.
Remember to protect your hosting login and your connected email account, too.
Know what your plugins are doing
It is easy to collect plugins over time.
You install one to try something, add another for a particular feature and eventually end up with a list you do not fully recognise.
Make a simple list of your plugins and what each one does.
If you are unsure about one, investigate before removing it. Some plugins support features behind the scenes, so you may not immediately see their purpose.
When choosing new plugins or themes, use trusted sources and check their maintenance, support and requirements. Avoid unofficial copies of paid products.
Also, installing several security plugins does not automatically give you better protection. Choose tools that suit your website and make sure you understand how they are configured.
Ask your host about the server side
Some website maintenance happens through your hosting company rather than your WordPress dashboard.
PHP is one example. It is part of the software your hosting uses to run WordPress.
Updating your plugins does not update PHP itself.
If you are unsure who looks after this, ask your host whether your website is running a supported PHP version and who manages server security updates.
If your website is using an old PHP version, get advice before changing it. Your plugins and theme need to work with the version you move to.
You do not need to understand every technical detail. You do need to know who is responsible and where to go for help.
Check that customers can still do what they came to do
After making changes, take a few minutes to use your website as a customer would.
Go beyond opening the homepage.
If your website brings in enquiries, send a test message through the contact form. Then check that it actually reaches your inbox.
If you take bookings, test the booking process. If you sell products, check the buying process using a suitable test payment method.
Look at the website on your phone, too.
Your checklist might include:
- Contact forms and email delivery.
- Booking forms.
- Checkout.
- Member logins.
- Important pages and menus.
- Mobile layouts.
The aim is to check that your website is still doing the jobs your business needs it to do.
Make website care a regular job
It is much easier to keep track of your website when maintenance has a place in your routine.
Set aside time to review updates, confirm backups are running and check important features. Security alerts may need attention sooner than your next planned maintenance session.
If someone else takes care of the technical work, make sure you understand what their service includes.
Who checks the forms? Who handles backups? Who helps if an update causes a problem?
Knowing this ahead of time saves confusion when you need support.
Start with these three things
If you are looking at this list and feeling overwhelmed, start here:
- Find out whether you have a complete backup and how to restore it.
- Check your dashboard for updates and warnings.
- Review who has administrator access.
You do not have to do everything today.
Taking one sensible step is still progress, and you can ask for help with the parts you are unsure about.
Want a hand looking after your WordPress website?
Whether you want to learn how to manage things yourself or would prefer someone to take care of the technical work, I can help.
My WordPress Learners Lounge gives you live WordPress help, with space to ask questions and work through changes with support.
I also offer one-to-one sessions and done-for-you services if your website needs more individual attention.
Book a free 15-minute WordPress Clarity Call, and we can chat about where you are at and what help would suit you.
