Introduction
Elementor sites need regular maintenance to stay fast, secure, and functional. Neglecting maintenance leads to slow loading, broken widgets, security vulnerabilities, and poor SEO.
This complete maintenance checklist covers everything from daily quick checks to quarterly deep cleanings—keeping your Elementor site healthy and performing at its best.
Download: Printable PDF Checklist
Quick Reference: Maintenance Schedule
| Frequency | Time Required | Priority Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | 2-5 minutes | Check uptime, review errors, scan security |
| Weekly | 15-30 minutes | Backups, updates, broken links, performance |
| Monthly | 1-2 hours | Deep optimization, audit content, SEO check |
| Quarterly | 3-4 hours | Major updates, redesign review, speed test |
| Annually | Full day | Complete audit, migration review, rebuild |
Daily Maintenance (2-5 Minutes)
1. Uptime Check
Tools:
- UptimeRobot (free)
- Pingdom
- StatusCake
What to check:
☐ Site loads (homepage test)
☐ No downtime alerts
☐ Response time under 2 seconds
☐ No SSL certificate errors
If down:
1. Check hosting status
2. Contact host immediately
3. Check error logs
4. Test via different network
2. Error Log Review
Check logs:
Location: wp-content/debug.log
Or: cPanel → Error Log
Look for:
❌ Fatal errors
❌ Database errors
❌ Plugin conflicts
❌ Elementor-specific errors
Common errors:
"Memory exhausted" → Increase PHP memory
"Maximum execution time" → Increase timeout
"Call to undefined function" → Plugin conflict
3. Security Scan
Quick scan:
☐ Wordfence dashboard (if installed)
☐ Check failed login attempts
☐ Review firewall blocks
☐ No malware warnings
Immediate action if compromised:
1. Change all passwords
2. Run full malware scan
3. Contact host security team
4. Restore from clean backup
Weekly Maintenance (15-30 Minutes)
1. Complete Backup
Backup everything:
☐ Database (all tables)
☐ wp-content/ folder
☐ Themes and plugins
☐ Root files (.htaccess, wp-config.php)
☐ Download to local computer
Using UpdraftPlus:
1. Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups
2. Click "Backup Now"
3. Include files + database
4. Send to cloud storage
5. Download local copy
Verify backup:
☐ Check file size (not 0 bytes)
☐ Test restore on staging (optional)
☐ Confirm cloud upload successful
☐ Keep at least 3 backup versions
2. Update Everything
Update priority order:
1. Security patches (immediate)
2. WordPress core
3. Elementor & Elementor Pro
4. Critical plugins (security, backup)
5. Theme
6. Other plugins
7. Translations
Update process:
☐ Backup first (always!)
☐ Check plugin changelogs
☐ Update on staging first (if available)
☐ Update one at a time
☐ Test after each major update
☐ Check Elementor editor works
☐ Clear all caches
If update breaks site:
1. Restore from backup
2. Check plugin compatibility
3. Report issue to developer
4. Wait for compatibility update
3. Broken Link Check
Run automated scan:
Tools → Broken Link Checker
Or: Run manual scan
Check for:
☐ 404 errors (internal links)
☐ External links offline
☐ Redirect chains
☐ Image links broken
Fix issues:
☐ Update broken internal links
☐ Remove/replace dead external links
☐ Create 301 redirects for deleted pages
☐ Re-upload missing images
4. Performance Quick Test
Run speed test:
Tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Pingdom
Target scores:
✓ PageSpeed: 90+ (mobile)
✓ Load time: Under 3 seconds
✓ Page size: Under 3MB
Quick wins:
☐ Clear Elementor CSS cache
☐ Clear plugin cache
☐ Optimize recent images
☐ Check no huge videos embedded
Monthly Maintenance (1-2 Hours)
1. Database Optimization
Optimize tables:
Plugins: WP-Optimize or Advanced Database Cleaner
☐ Clean post revisions (keep last 5)
☐ Remove auto-drafts
☐ Clean spam comments
☐ Remove trashed posts
☐ Clean transients
☐ Optimize database tables
WP-CLI method:
wp db optimize
wp transient delete --all
wp post delete $(wp post list --post_status=trash --format=ids)
Expected improvements:
Database size: 10-30% reduction
Query speed: 5-15% faster
Backup size: Significantly smaller
2. Image Optimization
Bulk optimize images:
Plugin: ShortPixel, Smush, or Imagify
☐ Optimize all existing images
☐ Convert to WebP format
☐ Generate missing thumbnails
☐ Remove unused image sizes
☐ Enable lazy loading
Check problem images:
☐ Images over 500KB
☐ Unoptimized PNG files
☐ Original sizes loaded on mobile
☐ Multiple sizes generated unnecessarily
3. Elementor-Specific Checks
Regenerate assets:
Elementor → Tools
☐ Regenerate CSS & Data
☐ Sync Library
☐ Replace URLs (if domain changed)
☐ Enable Safe Mode (test widget conflicts)
Review Elementor usage:
☐ Check for unused templates
☐ Delete draft templates
☐ Archive old landing pages
☐ Verify all widgets load correctly
☐ Test popups still trigger
Widget audit:
☐ Remove deprecated widgets
☐ Update outdated widget styles
☐ Check for duplicate global widgets
☐ Verify form submissions work
4. Content Audit
Review pages:
☐ Check for outdated content
☐ Update year references (2023 → 2024)
☐ Fix broken CTAs
☐ Update contact information
☐ Refresh testimonials
☐ Update pricing if changed
Blog maintenance:
☐ Update old posts (improve SEO)
☐ Fix broken images in posts
☐ Update internal links
☐ Add new categories/tags if needed
☐ Remove spam comments
5. SEO Health Check
On-page SEO:
☐ All pages have meta titles
☐ All pages have meta descriptions
☐ Images have alt text
☐ H1 tags used correctly
☐ Internal linking optimized
☐ Schema markup present
Technical SEO:
☐ XML sitemap updating
☐ Robots.txt correct
☐ No index/nofollow issues
☐ Canonical URLs set
☐ 404 errors minimal
☐ Mobile-friendly (Google test)
Tools:
- Yoast SEO / Rank Math
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs/SEMrush (paid)
Quarterly Maintenance (3-4 Hours)
1. Major Plugin/Theme Updates
Check for major versions:
☐ WordPress major updates
☐ Elementor major versions
☐ PHP version compatibility
☐ Theme framework updates
Test thoroughly:
☐ Clone to staging
☐ Update on staging first
☐ Full site testing
☐ Elementor editor testing
☐ All forms working
☐ Ecommerce checkout (if applicable)
☐ Only then update production
2. Deep Performance Audit
Full speed optimization:
☐ Audit all plugins (disable unused)
☐ Check hosting plan still adequate
☐ Review CDN usage
☐ Optimize largest images
☐ Minify CSS/JS
☐ Enable HTTP/2
☐ Implement caching strategy
☐ Consider upgrading server
Elementor performance:
☐ Limit widgets per page
☐ Avoid heavy sliders
☐ Optimize icon libraries loaded
☐ Reduce custom fonts count
☐ Use lazy loading for below fold
Target metrics:
✓ LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Under 2.5s
✓ FID (First Input Delay): Under 100ms
✓ CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Under 0.1
✓ TTFB (Time to First Byte): Under 600ms
3. Security Hardening
Security audit:
☐ Review user accounts (remove unused)
☐ Update all passwords
☐ Enable 2FA on all admin accounts
☐ Review file permissions
☐ Check for outdated plugins
☐ Run malware scan
☐ Review security logs
☐ Test backup restore
Security plugin setup:
Wordfence or Sucuri:
☐ Configure firewall
☐ Enable brute force protection
☐ Set up login page hardening
☐ Enable security notifications
☐ Schedule automatic scans
4. Design & UX Review
Visual audit:
☐ Check mobile responsive design
☐ Test all breakpoints (tablet, mobile)
☐ Verify fonts loading correctly
☐ Check color contrast (accessibility)
☐ Test all CTAs clickable
☐ Verify popups not annoying
☐ Check navigation usability
Browser testing:
☐ Chrome (desktop & mobile)
☐ Firefox
☐ Safari (Mac & iOS)
☐ Edge
☐ Opera
Elementor design check:
☐ Consistent spacing/padding
☐ Uniform button styles
☐ Color scheme consistency
☐ Typography hierarchy clear
☐ Widget alignment correct
☐ Animations not overdone
5. Analytics Review
Traffic analysis:
Google Analytics:
☐ Top performing pages
☐ Bounce rate trends
☐ Conversion rate changes
☐ Traffic source mix
☐ Mobile vs desktop split
☐ Page speed impact on conversions
Action items:
☐ Improve high-bounce pages
☐ Optimize top-traffic pages
☐ Fix conversion bottlenecks
☐ Update underperforming content
☐ A/B test key CTAs
Annual Maintenance (Full Day)
1. Complete Site Audit
Full review:
☐ All pages load correctly
☐ All forms submit successfully
☐ All links work (internal & external)
☐ All images display
☐ All widgets function
☐ All popups trigger
☐ Checkout process works (if ecommerce)
☐ Email notifications send
2. Hosting Review
Evaluate hosting:
☐ Uptime meets SLA (99.9%+)
☐ Speed adequate for traffic
☐ Support responsive
☐ Features meet needs
☐ Pricing competitive
☐ Backup system reliable
Consider migration if:
❌ Frequent downtime
❌ Slow load times
❌ Poor support
❌ Outgrown current plan
❌ Better deals available
3. Technology Stack Review
Check versions:
☐ PHP version (8.0+ recommended)
☐ MySQL version (5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+)
☐ WordPress version (latest stable)
☐ Elementor version (latest)
☐ Server software (Apache/Nginx latest)
Upgrade path:
☐ Test PHP 8.1/8.2 compatibility
☐ Plan WordPress major version updates
☐ Review Elementor Pro features added
☐ Evaluate new plugin alternatives
4. Major Content Refresh
Content strategy:
☐ Archive outdated posts
☐ Update evergreen content
☐ Refresh all images
☐ Rewrite underperforming pages
☐ Add new case studies
☐ Update team bios
☐ Refresh testimonials
☐ Update portfolio items
5. Legal & Compliance
Required updates:
☐ Privacy policy current
☐ Terms of service updated
☐ Cookie consent working
☐ GDPR compliance maintained
☐ Accessibility standards met (WCAG 2.1)
☐ Copyright year updated
Emergency Procedures
If Site Goes Down
Immediate action:
1. Check hosting status page
2. Contact hosting support
3. Check error logs
4. Test via different network/device
5. Put up maintenance page if needed
6. Notify users via social media
If Site Is Hacked
Response plan:
1. Take site offline immediately
2. Change ALL passwords
3. Run full malware scan
4. Restore from clean backup
5. Contact host security team
6. Review security logs
7. Implement additional security
8. Monitor for 30 days
If Plugin Causes Issue
Quick fix:
1. Identify problematic plugin
2. Deactivate via Plugins page
3. If dashboard inaccessible:
- FTP to wp-content/plugins/
- Rename plugin folder
- This deactivates plugin
4. Test site functionality
5. Contact plugin developer
6. Find alternative if unfixable
Maintenance Tools & Plugins
Essential Plugins
Backup:
- UpdraftPlus (free/premium)
- BackupBuddy (premium)
Security:
- Wordfence (free/premium)
- Sucuri (premium)
Performance:
- WP Rocket (premium)
- W3 Total Cache (free)
SEO:
- Yoast SEO (free/premium)
- Rank Math (free/premium)
Maintenance:
- WP-Optimize (free/premium)
- MainWP (free, for multiple sites)
External Tools
Monitoring:
- UptimeRobot (uptime monitoring)
- Google Search Console (SEO)
- Google Analytics (traffic)
Speed Testing:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Pingdom
Security Scanning:
- Sucuri SiteCheck
- VirusTotal
Printable Checklist
Daily (2 min)
☐ Site loads
☐ No errors in log
☐ Security scan clear
Weekly (30 min)
☐ Backup created
☐ Updates installed
☐ Broken links checked
☐ Speed test run
Monthly (2 hrs)
☐ Database optimized
☐ Images optimized
☐ Elementor assets regenerated
☐ Content audited
☐ SEO checked
Quarterly (4 hrs)
☐ Major updates tested
☐ Performance optimized
☐ Security hardened
☐ Design reviewed
☐ Analytics analyzed
Annual (full day)
☐ Complete audit
☐ Hosting reviewed
☐ Stack updated
☐ Content refreshed
☐ Legal compliance verified
Conclusion
Regular Elementor maintenance prevents issues, improves performance, and keeps your site secure. Follow this checklist to maintain a healthy, fast, and secure website.
Quick wins:
- ✅ Set up automated backups (weekly)
- ✅ Enable uptime monitoring (daily)
- ✅ Schedule monthly optimization (calendar reminder)
- ✅ Test updates on staging before production
- ✅ Keep 30 days of backup history
Time investment: 30 minutes weekly prevents hours of emergency fixes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I automate maintenance tasks? A: Yes! Use MainWP, ManageWP, or InfiniteWP for automated updates, backups, and monitoring across multiple sites.
Q: How often should I backup my Elementor site? A: Weekly backups minimum. Daily if you update content frequently or run ecommerce.
Q: Do I need to update Elementor every time? A: Security updates: immediately. Feature updates: test on staging first, then update within a week.
Q: What’s the most important maintenance task? A: Backups. Everything else can be fixed if you have a good backup.
Q: Should I hire someone for maintenance? A: If you lack time or technical skills, yes. WordPress maintenance services cost $50-200/month.
Q: How do I know if my site needs optimization? A: Run Google PageSpeed Insights. Score under 70 = needs optimization.
Download: Google Sheets Template
Maintaining your site regularly? Share your maintenance routine in the comments!