How to Get a Perfect 100% WordPress Site Health Check Score (2023 Guide)
As a website owner, ensuring your WordPress site is healthy and performing optimally is critical. Poor site health can lead to slow load times, plugin and theme conflicts, security vulnerabilities and a bad user experience. Fortunately, WordPress provides a built-in Site Health tool that checks your site‘s performance and security and provides an overall health score.
Getting a perfect 100% site health score requires following WordPress best practices and properly configuring your site. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll share 15 tips to help you improve your WordPress site health and achieve a perfect score.
While the Site Health tool is a helpful gauge, it‘s important to understand that a good score doesn‘t necessarily mean your site is fully optimized or secured. The score is based on how well your site is configured according to WordPress standards. You still need to follow additional security and performance best practices which we‘ll also cover.
Let‘s dive into the tips:
- Use a fast, reliable WordPress hosting provider
Your web host plays a huge role in your site‘s health, performance and security. Using a slow, unreliable or outdated host will negatively impact your health score. Choose a reputable managed WordPress host that offers the latest server software, strong security, and expert WordPress support.
We recommend hosts like WP Engine, Flywheel, Kinsta, SiteGround or Bluehost (for smaller sites). Avoid cheap shared hosting plans that cram thousands of sites on the same server.
- Keep WordPress updated to the latest version
Each WordPress core update comes with new features, bug fixes, performance enhancements and security patches. Keeping your WordPress version updated ensures compatibility with the latest plugins and themes and protects your site against known vulnerabilities.
Enable auto-updates for minor core releases and always update to the latest major version (after testing). Currently, the latest version is WordPress 6.1.1.
- Update all your plugins and themes
Just like core updates, plugin and theme updates often include important security fixes, bug resolutions and new features. An outdated plugin or theme makes your site vulnerable to threats.
Always keep your plugins and themes updated to their latest versions. Consider removing any plugins/themes that are no longer maintained or haven‘t been updated in over a year.
- Use the newest supported PHP version
WordPress is written in PHP and requires a certain version to run properly. As of 2023, WordPress recommends using PHP 8.0 or higher for optimal performance and security.
Check with your host to ensure they offer PHP 8.0+ and update your site‘s PHP version. Avoid using unsupported PHP versions like 7.2 or lower that have reached end of life.
- Upgrade to the latest MySQL or MariaDB version
WordPress stores all your site‘s data in a MySQL database. The database software version also impacts your site‘s performance and security.
As of 2023, WordPress recommends using MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+. Older versions like MySQL 5.6 or MariaDB 10.1 are no longer supported. Check with your host and upgrade to the latest database version they offer.
- Leave automatic WordPress updates enabled
For minor WordPress releases and security patches, it‘s best to leave automatic updates enabled. This allows WordPress to install critical fixes without requiring manual updates.
However, for major releases, it‘s better to wait a few days and update manually after ensuring compatibility with your plugins/themes. Only disable auto-updates if absolutely necessary.
- Remove unused plugins and themes
While inactive plugins/themes don‘t directly impact performance, they still pose a security risk. An inactive plugin can still be vulnerable to threats, so it‘s better to completely remove plugins you‘re no longer using.
The same applies for unused themes. Delete any themes not being used on your site. Avoid keeping multiple unused themes installed.
- Use an SSL certificate (HTTPS)
An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your site and visitors‘ browsers, making it more secure. It‘s recommended for all WordPress sites, even if you‘re not accepting sensitive information.
Most web hosts now offer free SSL certificates. Make sure your site has SSL enabled and is loading over HTTPS. Avoid mixed content errors by ensuring all links use HTTPS.
- Leave the WordPress REST API enabled
The REST API allows developers to interact with your WordPress site and build integrations. Some site owners disable it for security, but this can break functionality with certain plugins.
Unless you have a specific reason, it‘s best to leave the REST API enabled. If you do disable it, make sure it doesn‘t impact any needed plugins or features.
- Ensure WordPress cron jobs are running
WordPress uses cron jobs for scheduled tasks like checking for updates and publishing scheduled posts. Cron jobs need to be properly configured on your server to run.
Most managed WordPress hosts handle this for you. But on some budget hosts, you may need to configure cron jobs manually. Ensure that cron jobs are running for your site.
- Disable WordPress debug mode
WordPress has a built-in debug mode to help troubleshoot issues and errors. However, debug mode is only meant for development/staging environments.
Ensure debug mode is disabled on your live production site. Leaving it enabled can display sensitive information and errors to visitors. Only enable it temporarily for troubleshooting.
- Check that common PHP modules are installed
WordPress requires certain essential PHP modules to run properly. This includes common modules like mysql, gd, curl, and dom.
Most WordPress hosting providers have the necessary modules installed by default. However, it‘s worth checking that all the recommended modules are available, especially if you‘re on a budget host. Contact your host if any essential modules are missing.
- Implement a security plugin or service
While not a direct site health factor, using a security plugin or service can help harden your WordPress site and improve your security posture.
Look for a comprehensive security solution that includes features like firewall, malware scanning, login protection and more. Popular options include Sucuri, Wordfence, iThemes Security and Jetpack.
- Set up a backup solution
Having reliable backups of your WordPress site is critical in case of any data loss, hacks or errors. Don‘t rely solely on your web host‘s backups.
Implement an automated WordPress backup solution to create regular backups and store them securely off-site. Options include plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy or services like BlogVault or Jetpack Backup.
- Monitor and test your site regularly
Improving your site health is an ongoing process. It‘s important to regularly monitor your site for any issues or changes.
Use an uptime monitoring service to ensure your site is always accessible. Periodically test your site‘s performance with tools like PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix or Pingdom. Run security scans to check for any malware or vulnerabilities.
By following these 15 tips, you‘ll be well on your way to achieving a perfect WordPress site health score and running a fast, secure site. However, remember that the Site Health tool is just one indicator. A perfect score doesn‘t guarantee your site is fully optimized or protected.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does the WordPress site health score mean?
The WordPress site health score is a measure of how well your site is configured based on WordPress best practices. It takes into account factors like your WordPress version, PHP version, if essential settings are correct, and more. A higher score generally means your site is in better health.
How important is the site health score?
The site health score is a good indicator of your site‘s overall health and adherence to WordPress standards. However, it‘s not the only factor. Your site may have a good health score but still have performance, security or other issues. Use the score as a starting point to ensure your site is properly configured.
Can I ignore any site health recommendations?
In most cases, no. The WordPress Site Health tool provides important recommendations to keep your site running smoothly. However, there may be unique situations where a recommendation doesn‘t apply. If you‘re unsure, it‘s best to consult with a WordPress developer.
How do I troubleshoot site health issues?
If your WordPress site health score is low or indicates critical issues, start by reviewing the recommendations in the Site Health tool. It will often provide guidance on resolving each flagged issue.
Check that your WordPress core, plugins and themes are up to date. Ensure your PHP and MySQL/MariaDB versions are supported. Review your site‘s error logs for any recurring issues. If you‘re still having trouble, consider hiring a WordPress developer to investigate further.
How often should I check my WordPress site health?
It‘s a good practice to check your WordPress site health score at least once a month and whenever you make major changes to your site, such as updating your WordPress version or installing a new plugin.
You can also configure email notifications to alert you if your site‘s health score drops below a certain threshold. This way you can proactively monitor your site‘s health and address issues promptly.
The WordPress Site Health tool is a valuable resource to assess your site‘s performance and adherence to best practices. By aiming for a perfect site health score and following the tips outlined in this guide, you can ensure your WordPress site is running optimally.
However, remember that the health score is just one piece of the puzzle. To truly have a high-performing, secure WordPress site, you need to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes regular monitoring, testing and maintenance.
