How to Put Your WordPress Website into Maintenance Mode
WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world, and is the preferred choice for millions of websites, blogs, and other online entities. Due to its popularity, it is regularly updated, and hence, more likely to have security flaws than many other CMSs. This is why you should always aim to put your WordPress website into maintenance mode when updates are available. Doing so will protect your site from any potential security threats, and ensure that it is as safe and stable as possible.
Keeping your WordPress website in maintenance mode is relatively simple. However, since so many people don’t bother, and it can dramatically increase your site’s security, you should definitely do so. You can use a 3rd party plugin like WPPEM or hire someone to do it for you. But let’s look at how to do it manually:
Update Your WordPress Plugins
One of the primary ways that WordPress gets updated is via the plugins that it utilizes. For example, if you use the WordPress VIP mailing list plugin, then you’ll see that it has dozens of updates released each year that improve its functionality and address security issues. While it is great that these plugins get updated regularly, this requires you to take the time to manually install them on your website. You should always try to update your WordPress plugins as soon as possible after the release of an update, as doing so can dramatically increase the security of your site. Even if you think that you don’t need the updated functionality that a particular plugin provides, it is always a good idea to update it nonetheless.
Regular Backups
A very important security precautionary practice that you must implement is regular backups. Since WordPress is so popular, and hence, regularly updated, a lot of people neglect this step. While it is tempting to simply click the “Restore” button when you notice that something has gone wrong, doing so can actually undermine your site’s security. Regular backups will save you from all sorts of issues, whether they are caused by malware, hackers, or your own mistakes. You must commit to making regular backups of your site, regardless of whether or not it is in maintenance mode. You can use a service like BackUp Buddy or SpiderOak One to easily automate the process. Having said that, you should try to do this as frequently as possible, whether it is once a week or once a month.
Change Your Password
Another crucial step that you must take to protect your WordPress website is to change your password. This is an important step, as it adds an extra layer of security to your account, and hence, your site. You should change your password every few months, or whenever a site administrator recommends, to ensure that it remains secure. It is also a good idea to change your password when you notice that it has been the same for a while.
Disable Comments
Disabling comments on your blog or website is another good idea, as it helps to prevent potential spam. Furthermore, many people find it disturbing when they see comments left on a blog or website for which they’ve posted. If you notice that your comments are consistently being marked as spam, or if you just find the whole concept of comments disturbing, then you can always disable them on a per-post basis. Just go to the individual article in question and click on the “Comments” option in the dropdown menu.
Ensure that your WordPress website is kept up-to-date, secure, and constantly backed up. Keeping your blog or website in maintenance mode when updates are available is the best way to ensure that your site is always as safe and stable as possible. You can use plugins to help you automate the process of updating your site when updates are released, or you can do it manually if you prefer. Just ensure that you do it regularly.