WordPress maintenance services with every update tested first
For site owners who want WordPress kept updated, backed up, and secure without thinking about it every month. I test updates on staging, keep backups off-site, and fix what breaks.
13+ years shipping web products, including WordPress performance work at Hongkiat.com. I build themes and plugins, so I can fix the code too.
What my WordPress maintenance services cover
WordPress maintenance services keep a site updated, backed up, secure, and working after every change. I test core, theme, and plugin updates on a staging copy before they go live. I keep off-site backups, test a restore, and watch uptime and security. Each month you get a short report of what changed.
Clicking update is the easy part. The hard part is the update that breaks a template or a checkout, and that is where a developer helps. I build WordPress themes and plugins, so I can read the code behind the error and fix it.
What a WordPress maintenance plan includes
These are the recurring tasks I run on a site I look after.
Updates tested on staging
Core, theme, and plugin updates go to a staging copy first. If an update breaks a page or a form, I fix it there before your visitors see it.
Off-site backups and a restore test
Backups are stored away from your host, so a server problem cannot take them too. I test a restore, because a backup nobody has restored is a guess.
Uptime and security monitoring
I get an alert when the site goes down or its files change without a reason. That way I hear about a problem early and can start on it.
Security hardening
Unused plugins removed, admin accounts and roles reviewed, two-factor login on, and file editing in wp-admin turned off.
Small content and plugin fixes
A broken form, a layout that shifted after an update, a new page that needs a block. Small fixes like these are part of the plan.
A short monthly report
What I updated, what I fixed, and anything you need to decide on. Written in plain language, so you can read it in a few minutes.
Comparing plans from different developers? I wrote down what a website maintenance plan should cover and what to ask before you pay for one.
Where WordPress website maintenance stops
A maintenance plan keeps the site you have healthy. Bigger jobs get their own scope and price, so the monthly plan stays predictable. These sit outside it:
- A redesign or a new theme
- New features or a custom plugin
- A full speed fix when the theme or host is the bottleneck
- Writing content or daily content entry
- Moving the site to a new host or platform
When one of these comes up, I quote it separately. See WordPress redesign, custom plugins, speed optimization, and migration.
WordPress malware removal service
A hacked site can redirect visitors to spam, send junk email, or show a red warning in Google. Here is what I do, in order. I do not promise a finish time, because a cleanup depends on how deep the infection goes and what backups exist.
- 1
Contain it
I take a full copy of the site as it is, change passwords and keys, and take the site offline if it sends visitors to spam.
- 2
Clean the files and database
I compare core, theme, and plugin files against clean copies, remove injected code and unknown admin users, and search the database for spam links.
- 3
Close the hole
I find how the attacker got in, often an outdated plugin or a weak login. Then I update, replace, or remove it and apply the hardening list.
- 4
Restore from backup if it is cleaner
If a clean backup from before the hack exists, restoring it can be safer than cleaning by hand. I still close the hole first, or it happens again.
- 5
Ask Google to remove the warning
If Google flagged the site, I check the Security issues report in Search Console and request a review once the site is clean.
Google decides when a warning comes off, so that last step is out of my hands. After the cleanup, the site can move onto a maintenance plan, or you get the hardening notes to follow yourself.
Do you need WordPress support services?
Good fit
- Your site brings in leads or sales and a broken update would cost you
- Nobody on your team wants to own updates and backups
- The developer who built the site is no longer around
- The site was hacked and you want it cleaned and locked down
Probably not worth it
- Your site rarely changes and you are happy to run updates yourself
- The site needs a redesign or rebuild, which maintenance will only delay
- You need someone for daily content entry or site admin
How I take over your site
Send the site
The URL, who hosts it, and what worries you
First look
Versions, plugins, backups, and security checked, then a scope and price
Clean up
Fix what the first look found on staging, set up backups and monitoring
Monthly care
Tested updates, small fixes, and a short report each month
Related guides and WordPress services
What a website maintenance plan should cover
The tasks to expect from a monthly plan and the questions to ask before you pay for one.
WordPress speed optimization
When the site works but is slow on phones or failing Core Web Vitals.
WooCommerce stores
Store work that goes beyond routine updates gets its own scope.
WordPress migration
Moving to a new host or platform without losing pages or search traffic.
Custom plugin development
When a fix needs new code instead of another plugin from the directory.
How to pick a VPS for WordPress
What to look for when the host is the reason the site keeps going down.
WordPress maintenance services FAQ
How much do WordPress maintenance services cost?+
I price each plan after a first look at the site. A small brochure site and a WooCommerce store with many plugins are different work. Send me the URL and I reply with what I found and a monthly price. My post on website maintenance cost explains what a plan should cover.
What happens if an update breaks my site?+
Updates go to staging first, so most breakage shows up there and I fix it before anything goes live. If a problem still reaches the live site, I restore the backup from before the update. Then I fix the cause on staging and update again.
Can you take over a site another developer built?+
Yes. I start with a first look at the theme, plugins, hosting, and backups, and I tell you what I found, including anything risky. I build WordPress themes and plugins myself, so I can read and fix custom code someone else wrote.
Do you offer a WordPress malware removal service?+
Yes. I take a copy of the hacked site, clean the files and database, find how the attacker got in, and close that hole. If Google shows a warning, I request a review in Search Console once the site is clean. I do not promise a time, because it depends on the damage and the backups.
Do you maintain WooCommerce sites?+
Yes. WooCommerce updates need extra care, because a broken checkout stops sales. I test the cart, checkout, and order emails on staging before an update goes live.
What is the difference between WordPress maintenance and support services?+
Maintenance is the routine work: updates, backups, monitoring, and the monthly report. Support is help when something breaks or you need a small change. My plans cover both, and larger jobs like a redesign get their own scope.
Want someone to look after your WordPress site?
Send me the URL and what worries you. I reply with what I found on a first look and a monthly price. If the site was hacked, say so and I start with the cleanup.