How to keep your WordPress website running smoothly with regular maintenance. How to fix a site broken by a plugin update.

1. Keeping
It
All
Running
Smoothly
Kelli
Wise

2. Who
Am
I?
• Kelli
Wise
• Website
designer
• Support
Moderator
@
Headway
Themes
• Blogger

3. Why
Bother
With
Maintenance
• Security
• Safety
• Performance

4. CriDcal
Maintenance
Tasks
• Backups
• Clean
Ups
• Updates

5. First
Things
First
Back
It
Up

6. 2
Types
of
Backups
Database
Backup
• Posts
• Pages
• SeIngs
• Users
• Categories
• Tags
Full
Backup
• Database
Backup
• Themes
• Plugins
• Photos
&
Media
Plus
Store
your
backups
offsite

7. Backup
Plugins
• Backup
Buddy
$$
• WP-­‐DB-­‐Backup
• BackWPup
• BackupWordPress
Schedule
for
Near
Idiot
Proof
Automated
Backups

8. Second
Thing
Tidy
It
Up

9. Delete
Things
You
Don’t
Need
• Delete
all
unused
plugins
• Delete
all
unused
themes
except:
– keep
the
default
WordPress
theme

10. Third
Thing
Update
It

12. Updates
① Plugins
Ø 1
at
a
Dme
② Themes
③ WordPress
This
is
my
preferred
order

13. Other
Maintenance
• OpDmizing
the
database
• Malware
scans

14. How
OYen?
It
Depends

15. Frequency
RecommendaDon
• Minimum
– Monthly
– Best
for
StaDc
sites
• Be[er
– Weekly
– Best
for
acDve
blogs
with
regular
updates

16. Frequency
RecommendaDon
• Best
– Daily
– Best
for
very
acDve
blogs
with
daily
updates
• Over
the
Top
– Hourly
– Best
for
news
aggregators
and
sites
like
ICanHazCheeseburger

17. TroubleshooDng
I
updated
a
plugin
and
broke
my
site

18. Step
1
Don’t
Panic

19. Step
2
–
Flow
Chart
Can$you$
access$
WordPress$
Dashboard
?$ Deac3vate$ALL$
plugins$
Does$the$
site$
work?$
Yes$
Ac3vate$1$
plugin$
Do$the$
site$&$
plugin$
work?$
Yes$
Ac3vate$
another$
plugin$
No$$
No$$
Ac3vate$
Default$
Theme$
Delete$
Plugin$
Ac3vate$
another$
plugin$
Does$
the$site$
work?$
Yes$No$$
FTP$into$site,$
rename$plugin$
folder$
Does$the$
site$
work?$
Yes$ No$$
Move$1$
plugin$into$
Plugin$folder$
Do$the$
site$&$
plugin$
work?$
Yes$
Ac3vate$
another$
plugin$
No$$
Delete$
Plugin$
Ac3vate$
another$
plugin$
Contact$
Theme$
Developer$
Reinstall$
WordPress$
No$$ Yes$

20. If
you
have
access
to
the
Dashboard
DeacDvate
ALL
plugins
Does
the
site
work?
AcDvate
1
plugin
Do
the
site
&
plugin
work?
Yes
AcDvate
another
plugin
No
AcDvate
Default
Theme
Delete
Plugin
AcDvate
another
plugin
Does
the
site
work?
Yes
No
Contact
Theme
Developer
Reinstall
WordPress
No
Yes

21. If
you
DON’T
have
access
to
the
Dashboard
FTP
into
site,
rename
plugin
folder
Does
the
site
work?
Yes
No
Move
1
plugin
into
Plugin
folder
Do
the
site
&
plugin
work?
Yes
No
Delete
Plugin
Folder
Do
you
know
broken
plugin?
Yes
No
FTP
into
site,
delete
plugin
Folder

22. If
you
DON’T
have
access
to
the
Dashboard
FTP
into
site,
rename
plugin
folder
Does
the
site
work?
Yes
No
Move
1
plugin
into
Plugin
folder
Do
the
site
&
plugin
work?
Yes
AcDvate
another
plugin
No
Delete
Plugin
AcDvate
another
plugin

23. Where
to
find
Plugins
Directory

24. Regular
Maintenance
Tasks
• Backup
– Store
backups
offsite
• Clean
Up
– Delete
unused
plugins
&
themes
• Update
– Plugins
– Themes
– WordPress

25. Where
to
get
this
info?
PintSizedSites.com
QuesDons?
Comments?