Website maintenance checklist: monthly and quarterly tasks

Why a maintenance checklist helps

Websites drift over time: software gets outdated, content gets stale, links break. A simple checklist helps you stay on top of the basics without forgetting anything.

For more on maintenance, see maintenance plans that pay for themselves and website maintenance for small businesses.

Monthly tasks

1) Software updates

• CMS: Check for CMS updates (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) and apply security updates [1]Source 1 .
• Plugins and themes: Update plugins and themes. Remove unused ones.
• Dependencies: If you use a static site or custom build, check for dependency updates.

2) Backups

• Verify backups: Confirm backups are running and recent.
• Test restore: Once a quarter, test that you can restore from a backup (see quarterly).

3) Security

• Passwords: Review who has access. Remove unused accounts.
• HTTPS: Confirm SSL certificate is valid and not expiring soon.
• Logins: Check for failed login spikes or unusual activity if your hosting provides this [2]Source 2 .

4) Forms and contact

• Test forms: Submit a test enquiry to confirm forms work and you receive emails.
• Spam: Check form submissions or spam folder for real enquiries that were filtered.

5) Content

• Key pages: Skim homepage and main service pages for accuracy and broken content.
• Events and dates: Update any time-sensitive content (events, offers, deadlines).

Quarterly tasks

1) Deeper software review

• Update everything: Apply any updates you deferred from monthly checks.
• Remove unused: Uninstall plugins, themes, or apps you no longer use.
• Security advisories: Check if any software you use has had recent security issues.

2) Backup restore test

• Restore test: Restore from a backup to a staging or test environment to confirm backups work.
• Document steps: Note how long it takes and any issues so you are ready if you ever need to restore for real.

3) Performance

• Speed check: Run a quick speed test (e.g. PageSpeed Insights, your hosting dashboard).
• Core Web Vitals: Check LCP, INP, CLS if you use Search Console or similar.
• Heavy changes: If you added new pages, images, or scripts recently, check they have not slowed the site.

For more on performance, see five things that make small business sites slow and fix a slow website.

4) Links and redirects

• Broken links: Use a broken-link checker (built into some CMSs or hosting) and fix critical links.
• Redirects: If you changed URLs, confirm redirects are in place and working.

5) Content and SEO

• Stale content: Update or remove outdated articles and pages.
• Search Console: If you use it, review coverage and core Web Vitals for obvious issues.
• Privacy and legal: Review privacy policy and terms if your data use or services have changed.

6) Access and documentation

• Who has access: List all logins (CMS, hosting, domain, email) and who owns them.
• Documentation: Update any handover or runbook docs if processes have changed.

For more on handover, see handing over your website.

What to do if you miss a month

If you skip a month, prioritise: security updates, backups, and form checks. Then catch up on software updates and a quick content check.

When to get help

• No time: Maintenance and support can handle these tasks for you.
• Something broken: Fix critical issues first; then consider a maintenance plan to prevent repeat problems.
• Bigger changes: For performance, security, or redesign work, see performance, website security issues, or website build.

Summary

Monthly: Software updates, backup check, security (passwords, HTTPS, logins), form test, key content check.

Quarterly: Deeper software review, backup restore test, performance check, links and redirects, content and SEO review, access and documentation.

For ongoing maintenance, see support and maintenance or website maintenance for small businesses. You can also get in touch to discuss a maintenance plan.