Weekly checks

These checks catch active failures before visitors or clients notice them. Run them on the same day each week.

Confirm the site is live and loading correctly — test the homepage and at least two key pages.
Submit the primary contact or lead form and verify delivery to the correct inbox.
Check that the most recent backup completed successfully and the backup file is accessible.
Review any uptime monitoring alerts from the past seven days.
Confirm SSL certificate is active — check the padlock and expiry date.
Scan for any error notices in the CMS dashboard (plugin failures, PHP warnings, update prompts).

Monthly checks

Monthly checks address slower-moving issues: broken links, performance drift, plugin conflicts, and content accuracy.

Run a broken link check across the site and fix or redirect any 404s.
Update all CMS plugins, themes, and platform software — test after each update.
Run a PageSpeed Insights test on the homepage and a key landing page. Flag any regression.
Review analytics for unusual traffic drops, bounce rate spikes, or goal tracking failures.
Confirm all third-party integrations are still active (CRM, email platform, chat, booking).
Check that contact details, hours, pricing, and any time-sensitive content are still accurate.
Review Search Console for new crawl errors, manual actions, or security warnings.

Quarterly checks

Quarterly reviews are the time to assess bigger-picture health: security, content strategy, hosting, and access.

Run a full site crawl to check for orphaned pages, duplicate titles, and missing meta descriptions.
Review and rotate any API keys, webhook tokens, or shared login credentials.
Audit all user accounts and remove access for anyone who no longer needs it.
Test a full site restore from backup on a staging environment.
Review the top 10 organic landing pages — confirm content is still accurate and competitive.
Assess hosting plan, bandwidth, and storage against current traffic levels.
Review the maintenance log and identify any recurring issues that warrant a deeper fix.

Content, security, and access review

These items do not fit neatly into a weekly or monthly cadence but must be reviewed regularly to prevent drift.

Verify that the privacy policy, cookie notice, and terms of service are current with applicable regulations.
Confirm web application firewall rules and spam filters are active and updated.
Check that admin login URLs are not publicly indexed by search engines.
Review image alt text, heading structure, and form labels on new or recently updated pages.
Confirm GDPR / CCPA consent tools (cookie banners, opt-out links) are working correctly.
Document who has edit, admin, and FTP or server access — keep this list current.

Maintenance log

A maintenance log is the simplest way to hand off site responsibility, prove work was done, and catch patterns in recurring problems.

Record each maintenance session with the date, who ran it, and what was checked.
Log any issues found with: what it was, when it was fixed, and by whom.
Note any updates applied and the version numbers before and after.
Flag any items that were skipped and the reason why.
Review the log quarterly to identify recurring failures that need a structural solution.

Website Maintenance Checklist

WEEKLY CHECKS
[ ] Confirm site is live and loading correctly
[ ] Submit primary form and verify delivery
[ ] Confirm backup completed successfully
[ ] Review uptime monitoring alerts
[ ] Verify SSL is active
[ ] Check CMS dashboard for error notices

MONTHLY CHECKS
[ ] Run broken link check and fix 404s
[ ] Update CMS plugins, themes, platform software
[ ] Run PageSpeed test and flag regression
[ ] Review analytics for traffic / goal anomalies
[ ] Confirm third-party integrations are active
[ ] Verify contact details, hours, pricing accuracy
[ ] Check Search Console for errors or security notices

QUARTERLY CHECKS
[ ] Full site crawl — orphaned pages, duplicate titles, missing metas
[ ] Rotate API keys and shared credentials
[ ] Audit user accounts and remove unnecessary access
[ ] Test full restore from backup on staging
[ ] Review top 10 organic landing pages
[ ] Assess hosting plan vs. current traffic
[ ] Review maintenance log for recurring issues

CONTENT, SECURITY, AND ACCESS
[ ] Review privacy policy and terms for compliance
[ ] Confirm WAF and spam filters are active
[ ] Check admin URLs are not indexed
[ ] Review alt text and accessibility on new pages
[ ] Confirm consent tools are working
[ ] Document current access list

Next step

Use this next

Pair this maintenance checklist with post-launch monitoring and QA resources for complete site health coverage.

Or explore the Website QA Checklist for a full page-by-page review process.

Website Maintenance FAQ

How often should a website be maintained?

Weekly checks are the minimum for any active site that collects leads or processes transactions. Monthly checks address slower drift. Quarterly reviews are when you reassess security, access, and content strategy. Sites with higher traffic or more complex functionality need more frequent attention.

Who should own website maintenance?

One named person should own the maintenance cadence, even if tasks are shared. When ownership is unclear, maintenance gets skipped. Define who runs weekly checks, who handles updates, and who reviews the log. If the site is managed by an agency, agree in writing on what the retainer covers.

What should be documented during maintenance?

At minimum: the date, what was checked, any issues found, what was fixed, and any updates applied with version numbers. Keeping even a simple spreadsheet log turns reactive maintenance into a proactive habit and provides evidence of due care if a security incident is ever investigated.