The Ultimate Wordpress Checklist
My 101+ WordPress checklist will help designers, developers, and users from the long night web surfing for the right guide to begin working in Wordpress.
Here’s the printable pdf guide to check off as you go.
Let’s go!
Wordpress Pre-Development Checklist
We all got to start somewhere. Wether you’re an expert or a beginner, this checklist will help your baby for primetime.
Choose the Right Directory:
select a directory and install it under public_html. Do not use ‘root’ or ‘wordpress’
Change DB Table names:
Use random letters/numbers_table names instead of the default wp_table names. Checkout ‘Change DB Prefix Plugin’.
Use a Unique Login/Password:
Refrain from using admin/admin as admin login/password. Alternatively, you can follow these examples;
1. Username — CMW (e.g.) 2. Password — (Use Strong Password Generator Plugin). You may also use your email as login with WP Email Login Plugin.
Hide Your Test Website from Search Engines:
Make sure you hide your website from the search engines by checking the option under Settings > Reading “Discourage search engines from indexing this site.”
Additional Steps:
Once the installation is complete, here are some of the additional things you will need to do.
Create a “Coming Soon” page with the free SeedProd Coming Soon or WP Maintenance Mode Plugins.
Now, you will make some changes in the settings under general category. Choose a WWW or non--WWW URL for the Wordpress as well as Site address.
Set Default Date & Time
Don't forget to update the Time Zone, Date/Time under Settings > General.
Update Blog Title:
Very important update the blog title and tag appropriately under Settings > General.
Change Media Settings:
Under Settings > Media, unchecked “Organize my uploads into month and year based folders” option.
Change Blog Category:
Similarily, under post categories, rename the uncategorized to set up a default category for post.
Password Protect Demo Site:
Increase the security for your demo website by installing the Password Protected plugin.
Delete Sample Config File:
Finally, don’t forget to remove the sample config file, WP-config-sample.php in your root under public_html.
Additional steps:
Enable debug mode: define(’WP_DEBUG’,true);
Use as many WP default including third-party JS libraries as possible.
As the admin, you should be able to upload/remove media install new plugins as per your requirements.
WordPress Development Checklist
Now here comes the important checklist.
There’s a lot of settings and changes to be made and it’s to get lost or miss out on a step for your website.
Remove Default Content:
Here, the first thing you need to do is remove the WordPress default content like posts, comments, and more.
Create a Sitemap:
Next, create a logical site map and notepad, Word or Excel and add pages like About Us, Contact Us, etc., according to this sitemap.
Use Dash for URLs:
Make sure you use ”-” in your URL’s “_”.
Add Blog Categories:
Under Posts > Categories, add appropriate blog categories.
Add Tags & Media:
Once you’ve added the blog categories, include suitable posts, tags and media files.
Update Menu:
Then, as per the Sitemap, add Menu under the Appearances > Menu section.
Use ALT Tags:
Don’t forget to add alt tags to all site images. You may also use the Search Friendly Images Plugin.
Add Newsletter Subscription:
Include the Email Opt-In Form for newsletter subscription. I use MailChimp List Subscribe Form Plugin.
Make a Plugin List:
Make a list of all the plugins you wish to install. Few recommended Plugins:
Contact Form 7-reCAPTCHA Extension
Add Social Media Icons:
add social media icons/links for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. You may use AddThis, Share This, or Share Bar plugins.
Add Social Feeds:
Also include feed posts for;
Create Social Profiles:
Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest
Style Sticky Post:
Style the sticky posts well and make sure they function well. More info at RoadtoBlogging.com
Check for Content Overflow:
Make sure there are no posts with pictures that break the content layout or are too big for the content column. In that case, make Overflow: Hidden.
Highlight Author’s Comments:
Ensure that the author comment is highlighted differently. Checkout How to Highlight Author’s Comments by WPBeginner.
Use Gravatars:
Check that the User Avatars or Gravatars are displayed properly. TodayMade.com explains this here.
Add Comment Closed Message:
The comments display form is replaced with a “Comments Off” message or something similar.
Create 404 Page:
Another Important thing us to ensure that the 404 page is created and customized. Check 1stwebdesigner.com to create a Custom 404 page in Wordpress.
Test Search Page:
Please check if the search page is accessible to users. You can check by the navigating to http://yoursite.com/?s=Test.
Use & Test Pagination:
Test the pagination using WP-PageNavi Plugin.
Add Favicon:
Add custom Favicon using Custom Favicon plugin.
Use BreadCrumb:
Don’t forget to use Breadcrumbs for easy navigation. It is part of WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin.
Link Logo:
Link the company logo to the Homepage.
Remove Lorem Ipsum:
Lastly, make sure you remove all the Lorem Ipsum text to on your website.
WordPress Launch Checklist
Congrats for being finally done withe tricky development process!
Now you’re ready to launch without any hiccups.
Unfortunately there’s still some steps you need to do before you can actually make your site live.
Follow these steps and you’ll be there in no time.
Take Backups:
Once you launch your website, it’s important to take regular back-ups. You can use these plugins for creating back-ups; BackUpWordPress (Free) BackupBuddy (Paid) Wordpress Backup to Dropbox (Free).
Check Content Structure:
Check the structure and content for everything including including pages, categories, URL’s, submission forms, etc.
Update Admin Email:
Also, under Settings > General, check social links, contact info and admin email.
Implement Security:
Make sure you have all the security in place like password strength, files and folder permissions, etc. using the iThemes Security plugin.
Ensure CBC:
Check if your website is cross browser compatible by extensive testing. Free trial with Cross Browser Testing.
Enable Site to be Crawled:
Uncheck the option under Settings > Reading of “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” and make website visible to search engines.
Enable Coming Soon Page:
Launch the plugin SeedProd and disable the Coming Soon Page.
Test for Responsiveness:
Ensure that your website is mobile friendly. Run Google’s Mobile Friendly Test to determine the same.
Check Loading Speed:
You must also improve the page loading speed with the help of Google’s Page Speed Insights.
Compress Images:
Reduce all the images by almost 50% by compressing the PNG and JPG files using TinyPNG or WP Smush Plugin.
Use Latest WP Version:
Make sure you are using the latest version of Wordpress. If not, ensure that you upgrade when you go live.
Upgrade Plugins:
It is also important to upgrade all the pluguins on your website before going live.
Open URL in New Tab:
Check if all your external links are working by opening them in new tabs. Use code similar to this for links.
<a href=”#” target=”_blank”></a>
Check Broken Links:
It is imperative that you check for broken links on your website before going live using Broken Link Checker Plugin.
White Label (Optional):
If you are developing the WordPress website for a client, implement branded Wordpress login page using White Label CMS Plugin.
Go Live:
Once all these things are in place, you are finally ready to live!
WordPress SEO Checklist
You may have a rad looking and developed website, but if you don’t have the proper SEO in place, then it will all be for nothing.
With my SEO Checklist, you’ll learn just about everything you need to get started.
Manage 301 Redirects:
Manage your 301 redirection with the help of user Redirection Plugin.
Enable Site to be Crawled:
Turn on the site visibility under the Settings > Reading, if you haven’t done it already.
Use H1 Tag:
Ensure that you have only one H1 tag on each of your pages.
Use H2 Tag:
Also, make sure you have the H2 tag only within the content for headers.
Add Alt to Images:
Don’t forget to add alt tags to all the website images. you may also use the Search Friendly Images Plugin.
Test XML Sitemap:
Check if the Yoast’s WordPress SEO Plugin’s in-built sitemap is working or else install Google XML Sitemap Plugin.
Check Robots.txt:
Next, it’s important to have the Robots.txt file in place and ensure it is Optimized. More Info @ ElegantThemes.com
Compress Images:
Reduce the size of the images on your website using WPSmush.it Plugin.
www. or non www:
Redirect the ‘www’ to’non-www’ and vice versa. Use either but stick to one.
Sign Up for Webmaster Tools:
If you have found any issues with the website so far, sign up for google’s Webmaster Tool and fix those issues. Ensure that you have submitted both the ‘www’ as well as the ‘non-www’ versions.
Test Breadcrumb:
Ensure that links on Breadcrumb are working.
Limit Meta Title (V.V.Imp):
Another thing to ensure is that the Meta Title remains only 55 characters long, including the spaces. WordPress SEO has this feature inbuilt for you.
Limit Meta Desc (V.V.Imp):
Similarly, the Meta Description should only contain 155 characters, including spaces.
Use LSI Keywords:
LSI Keywords are very important for SEO. Make sure you include enough in your content. Find LSI using Google Keyword Planner, UberSuggest.org or Google Search (hint: look for keywords at the bottom of the page after completing the search query).
Check Duplicate Content:
It is very important that your content is original and that you have no duplicate content on your website. Use Copyscape.
Interlink Content:
Interlining is also a significant aspect of your SEO. So make sure you have contextual links within your website.
Link to External Links:
It is important to have external links to other resourceful websites, within your content like I have done on this page.
Optimize Site:
Again, it is utmost importance that you optimize your website using GTMetrix for HTML and Pingdom for WordPress, as it will help you save some valuable time to clear errors.
Improve your page loading speed with the help of Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
Ensure Responsiveness:
Ensure that your website is responsive and mobile ready by running Google’s Mobile Friendly Test.
Use Schema Creator:
Smoothly add structured data to the content with the help of the Schema Creator Plugin.
Create Short URL:
Opt for a shorter URL for the pages, e.g. www.sitename.com/ultimate-wordpress-checklist/
Submit for Local Listing:
If your Website is about a local business, make sure you submit it to Google Business.
Review Analytics:
Don’t forget to add & review Google Analytics.
Check On Page Content:
Check all the aspects related to OnPage SEO before going live, A must read on-page SEO guide by Brain Dean from Backlino.com
Proofread Content:
Make sure you proofread the entire website to check for spelling and grammar errors, before going live.
Use CDN:
It is advisable to use CDN networks like MaxxCDN to ensure better speed and usability.
Exclude IP from Analytics:
Exclude home and office IP addresses in Google Analytics. More information on excluding Internal traffic can be found on Google Analytic Help Section.
Add Social Sharing Icons:
Don’t forget to include Social Media icons on all pages of the WordPress website. You may use AddThis, ShareThis or Share Bar Plugins.
Wordpress Security Checklist
Now let me tell you security is an important aspect of website developing.
Hence, before you present your website to the world that your web security is in place.
Through this checklist, you’ll have a good knowledge of plugins and additional settings to prevent most malicious threats.
Prevent Directory Access:
Prevent access to all directories, place this code inside your .htcaccess file.
# Prevent folder browsing Options All-Indexes
Monitor Site Performance:
Get regular reports of your websites performance with the help of the P3 — Plugin Performance Profiler Plugin.
Delete Install & Upgrade Files:
Be sure to delete /wp-admin/install.php and /wp-admin/upgrade.php after every WordPress installation or upgrade.
Limit Suspicious Login Attempts:
Limit the number of login attempts possible both through normal login as well as using auth cookies by using Limit Login attempts or Login Lockdown Plugins.
Use Themes Security:
I strongly recommend that you use the most comprehensive security plugin, iThemes Security plugin, because it’s free and takes care of almost all security issues on a website.
Protect Your wp-config File:
As we-config.php file contains all the confidential details of your site, it it is pretty important that you protect it at all costs. An easy wat to protect this file is to simply place the following code in your .hraccess file on your server.
<files wp-config.php> order allow,deny deny from all </files>
Disable Theme and Plugin Editor:
If you want to stop the editor links from appearing in the admin area you can add the following to your wp-config.php files so people cannot edit the theme directly in the admin area.
define(‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’,true);
Hide your WordPress Version:
It is important that you hide your current WordPress version from the hackers. Add the following code to your fucntion.php
function remove_version(){ return “; } add_filter(‘the_generator’,’remove_version’);
Hide Login Error messages:
Error login messages may expose and give hackers an idea if they’ve gotten username correct/incorrect, vice versa. It is wise to hide it from unauthorized login. To hide login error messages. simply put the following code in functions.php.
Function wrong_login(){ return ‘Wrong username or password.’; } add_filter(‘login_errors’;’wrong_login’);
Wordpress Maintenance Checklist
You have no taken care of everything for your WordPress website.
Now, you need to know how to maintain it efficiently.
The maintenance checklist will five you stepwise to make sure it runs smoothly and all functions are correct.
Clean Spam Comments:
Tackle an attack of thousands of spam comments with the help of Delete Pending Comments Plugin.
Test Forms:
Test the functioning of your Contact form by sending a inquiry through it.
Check Broken Links:
Look for broken links on your website the CheckMyLink extension for Chrome & Broken Link Checker for Wordpress.
Post Revision Control:
Gain total control over your post revision system with Revision Control plugin.
Reply to Comments:
Make sure you check your comments sections and answer questions & interact regularly with your readers.
Update plugins:
Keep a tab on plugins updates and upgrade them regularly.
Take Regular Backups:
Don;t forget to take backups of the latest databases and files using BackUpWordPress (Free), BackupBuddy (Paid), WordPress Backup to Dropbox (Free)
Check Google Analytics:
Check Google analytics regularly.
Review Webmaster Tools:
Similarly, check Google Webmaster Tools periodically.
Check Resources Used:
Keep an eye on your resources with the P3 — Plugin Performance Profiler.
Monitor Statistics:
Use WP Statistics plugin to monitor your WordPress website’s statistics.
Ongoing Security Checks:
A good plugin which scans your WordPress installation and gives you suggestions accordingly is a WP Security Scan. This plugin will for these things: Passwords, File Permissions, Database Security, WordPress Admin protection.
Additional:
If you have all these things in place, and still wish to add some additional characrteisitcs to the website then follow these following steps, when using WP-config.php;
Disable the Debug mode:
define(‘WP_DEBUG’, false);
Disable WordPress Updates:
// Completely Disable Automatic Updates define(‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, true); // Disable all updates to the Core define(‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, true)
Control Post Revisions:
// Limit the number of saved revisions. Limit to 10 define(‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, 3); //
// Disable the post-revision feature completely. define (‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, false); //
Clear Trash:
// Empty every 7 days define(‘EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS’, 7);
// Disable Trash Completely define(‘EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS’, 0);
Increase Memory Limit:
// Set Memory Limit to 64MB define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘64M’);
// Set Memory Limit to 96MB define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘96M’);
// Set Memory Limit to 128MB define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘128M’);
Define Auto Save Internal:
define(AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL’,300);
Thank you for reading and I hope this was helpful. If there’s something I mentioned that is wrong or needs an update, feel free to tell me.
Need this guide as a printable pdf? Here you go!
