The webmaster's checklist
What a webmaster checks, and how often.
Some of it software can do for you; some of it only you can do. Here is the honest split.
| How often | Task | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Site loads and is quick | Software | Covered by the checkup: Up |
| Weekly | HTTPS certificate has 3+ weeks left | Software | Covered by the checkup: Secure |
| Weekly | No broken links on the home page | Software | Covered by the checkup: Linked |
| Weekly | Home page stays under 1.5 MB | Software | Covered by the checkup: Light |
| Weekly | Look at the contact form: send yourself a test message | You | Only you can do this: the checker never fills forms. |
| Monthly | Update the CMS, theme and plugins (WordPress, Joomla...) | You | Take a backup first. Delete plugins you no longer use. |
| Monthly | Restore one file from your backup to prove the backup works | You | A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a backup. |
| Monthly | Read the page titles and descriptions of your main pages | Software | Covered by the checkup: Findable (home page) |
| Monthly | Check that www and the bare domain land on one address | Software | Covered by the checkup: Tidy |
| Quarterly | Change the admin passwords; remove old user accounts | You | Turn on two-step sign-in where your CMS and host offer it. |
| Quarterly | Read your opening hours, prices and phone number aloud | You | Out-of-date facts cost more customers than slow pages. |
| Yearly | Renew the domain name (turn on auto-renew) | You | The checker cannot see your registrar. Put the date in your calendar. |
| Yearly | Review the privacy page and cookie notice | You | Especially if you added forms, analytics or a shop. |
"Software" rows are in every checkup and, with Rounds Plus ($1.95 a month or $19.50 a year, free during preview), run on their own every week.