A copy-ready website maintenance checklist split by frequency, with how long each task takes, what changes on WordPress versus hosted builders like Wix, and a template you can paste into your task manager.
A website maintenance checklist is a set of recurring tasks that keep a site secure, working and findable: updates, backups, uptime and form checks weekly; broken links, speed and Search Console monthly; content, access and accessibility reviews quarterly; and domain, SSL and legal pages yearly. The full list, with times and a copy-ready template, is below.
The tasks you need depend on how your site is built. A self-hosted WordPress site needs all of them. A hosted builder like Wix, Squarespace or We.Inc takes care of the server and software rows, so you can skip anything marked "self-hosted."
| Task | How | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Apply core, theme and plugin updates | Update on a staging copy first if you can, then live | Self-hosted |
| Check backups ran | Look for last week's backup in your backup tool or host | Self-hosted |
| Submit every form once | Contact, booking, newsletter; confirm the email arrives | Everyone |
| Glance at uptime alerts | UptimeRobot, Better Stack or your host's monitoring | Everyone |
| Test checkout (stores) | Place a test order or use your payment provider's test mode | Stores |
The form test is the most skipped and most costly. Forms quietly break when an email password changes, a spam filter gets stricter or an integration token expires. A business can lose weeks of enquiries without noticing.
On self-hosted sites, updates are the most common cause of a sudden outage. A simple routine limits the damage:
The single biggest difference in maintenance is who owns the software layer.
| Area | Self-hosted (WordPress etc.) | Hosted builder (Wix, Squarespace, We.Inc) |
|---|---|---|
| Core and plugin updates | You | Platform |
| Server security and patching | You or your host | Platform |
| SSL renewal | Usually host, verify it | Platform |
| Backups | You set up and test | Platform features vary; check what is included and whether you can restore yourself |
| Forms, content, SEO | You | You |
| Domain renewal | You | You (unless bought through the platform) |
| Third-party apps and embeds | You | You |
For Wix website maintenance specifically, focus on: removing unused apps from the App Market, checking that form submissions still reach your inbox, reviewing the SEO settings on new pages, using the site history feature to know how to roll back, and keeping your Wix account secured with two-step verification. The same short list applies to Squarespace.
For a breakdown of what these tasks cost if you pay someone to do them, see our website maintenance cost guide.
Copy this into Notion, Trello, Asana or a spreadsheet and set each block as a recurring task.
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Yearly
Split the list by who owns it:
| Task type | Examples | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and software | Server updates, SSL renewal, backups, uptime | The host or hosted builder; you on self-hosted sites |
| Content | Prices, opening hours, staff, offers, blog posts | The business owner |
| Enquiry path | Contact form, phone link, booking link, email delivery | The business owner, tested monthly |
On a hosted builder, the first row is mostly handled for you. The other two never are.
Do this monthly, on your phone:
When an agency or freelancer hands a site over, or takes one on, fill in this table with names and dates.
| Item | Owner | Due date | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain registrar login in the business's name | |||
| Website builder or hosting login, two admins | |||
| Form notification email checked | |||
| Backup or version history location noted | |||
| Domain renewal date in calendar | |||
| Monthly enquiry-path test booked |
Filled example (labelled demonstration, a fictional bakery): domain login owned by the co-owner, due on handover day; two admins added the same day; form email checked the first Monday of each month; domain renewal reminder set 30 days before expiry.
A monthly fee can mean very different things. Ask whether it covers only hosting and security, or also content edits, and whether marketing (SEO, ads, social) is included or a separate charge. Our website maintenance cost guide breaks down typical prices.
Start building your business website. Create your account. The free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address (no AI credits, no custom domain). AI building and your own domain start on Starter at $20 a month; see pricing.
Useful next steps: check an existing site with the free website grader, estimate a budget with the website cost calculator, browse business website templates or read how the We.Inc website builder works.
The less software you run yourself, the shorter this list gets. With We.Inc, sites are built from a chat description and hosted with SSL included, so the update, patching and server rows disappear, and content edits can be made in chat, visually or in code. What stays is the part only you can do: keeping your content true and your forms answered.
Hosting keeps the site online: servers, SSL and backups. Maintenance also covers keeping content accurate and checking that forms, phone links and bookings still reach you. A hosted builder handles most hosting tasks; content and enquiry checks stay with you.
Keeping software updated, checking backups, monitoring uptime and security, fixing broken links and forms, keeping content accurate, checking speed and search performance, and renewing the domain and SSL certificate. On a hosted builder, the platform handles the software and server parts for you.
Some checks are weekly (updates on self-hosted sites, form tests, uptime alerts), most are monthly (backups restore test, broken links, Search Console, speed), and a few are quarterly or yearly (content review, access audit, domain renewal, accessibility review).
Less than WordPress, because the platform patches the software, hosting and SSL. You still own the content, forms, SEO, integrations, domain renewal and account security. Removing unused apps and checking that forms still deliver email are the most common missed tasks.
For a small business site on a hosted builder, often under an hour a month. A self-hosted WordPress site with plugins and a store can take several hours a month, more if an update breaks something.
How we research, test and update this page: our editorial policy. We.Inc is our own product.
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