Learn how to use the WordPress Site Health screen to quickly check for security, performance, and configuration issues on your new website.
Why the Site Health Screen Matters for New Site Owners
When you first take ownership of a WordPress site, it’s hard to know whether everything under the hood is configured safely and efficiently. The Site Health screen gives you a built-in, non-technical checklist of issues that may affect security, performance, and stability, so you don’t have to guess.Source
This guide walks you through how to find Site Health, understand what it’s telling you, and use it as a simple routine checkup tool—without needing to be a developer.
How to Open the Site Health Screen
Site Health is available in all modern versions of WordPress (5.2 and later). If your site is running a current version, you can access it from the dashboard.
Step-by-step: Open Site Health
- Log in to your WordPress admin area.
- In the left-hand menu, go to Tools ? Site Health.
- Wait a few seconds while WordPress runs its checks.
What You Should See
- At the top: an overall status such as Good or Should be improved.
- Below: a list of Critical issues and Recommended improvements, or a message that everything looks good.Source
- Two tabs near the top: Status and Info.
If you don’t see Tools ? Site Health, your WordPress version may be outdated or your user role may not have permission to view it. In that case, contact your site administrator or developer.
Understanding the Status Tab
The Status tab is where WordPress summarizes what needs attention. It groups items into three buckets:
- Critical issues – Things that may affect security, reliability, or major performance.
- Recommended improvements – Helpful optimizations, but not emergencies.
- Passed tests – Checks that look good right now.
Common Critical Issues You Might See
Examples of critical issues include:
- Outdated PHP version – Your server is running an old version of PHP, which can be a security and performance risk.
- Background updates are not working – WordPress can’t automatically apply some updates.
- Loopback request issues – WordPress can’t run certain internal checks or scheduled tasks.
- Debug mode enabled on a live site – Error logs might be exposed publicly.
Each item expands when you click it, showing a short explanation and a suggested fix. Often, the fix is to update WordPress core, themes, plugins, or to contact your hosting provider.
Recommended Improvements
Recommended improvements are usually about best practices, such as:
- Enabling HTTPS (SSL) everywhere.
- Removing unused themes or plugins.
- Improving image or media configuration.
- Enabling automatic updates where appropriate.
These are not emergencies, but working through them gradually will make your site safer and more stable over time.
Using the Info Tab as a “Site Snapshot”
The Info tab doesn’t change settings; it simply lists detailed technical information about your site in one place.Source
As a site owner, you can treat this as a snapshot you send to support when something goes wrong.
Key Sections to Know
- WordPress – Version, language, and basic configuration.
- Directories and sizes – Where WordPress is installed and how large your files and database are.
- Active theme – Which theme is currently running, its version, and whether auto-updates are enabled.
- Active plugins – List of plugins, versions, and auto-update status.
- Server – PHP version and key server details (useful for your host or developer).
How to Copy Site Info for Support
- Go to Tools ? Site Health ? Info.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Click the Copy site info to clipboard button.
- Paste the information into an email or support ticket.
This saves you from manually collecting technical details your host or developer will ask for anyway.
Who Can See and Use Site Health?
By default, only users with higher-level roles (like Administrators) can access tools that affect site configuration. WordPress uses a system of roles and capabilities to control who can see what in the dashboard.Source
For most small business sites:
- Administrators should regularly review Site Health and coordinate fixes.
- Editors and below usually don’t need access to Site Health and may not see it at all.
If you’re not sure which role you have, ask the person who set up your site or check under Users ? Profile in your dashboard.
How to Use Site Health as a Simple Maintenance Routine
Instead of treating Site Health as a one-time check, build it into a simple recurring routine. This helps you catch issues early—before they turn into downtime or security incidents.
Monthly Quick Check (10–15 Minutes)
- Run Site Health
- Go to Tools ? Site Health ? Status.
- Review any new Critical issues first.
- Plan fixes
- For WordPress, theme, or plugin updates, schedule a time to update (ideally after a recent backup).
- For server-level issues (like PHP version), open a support ticket with your hosting provider.
- Review Recommended improvements
- Pick one or two to address each month, such as removing unused themes or enabling HTTPS.
- Capture a snapshot
- Optional but helpful: on the Info tab, copy your site info and save it in a secure internal document so you have a historical record.
Before Major Changes or Updates
Before you install a new plugin, change themes, or run a big batch of updates, it’s smart to:
- Run Site Health and confirm there are no unresolved critical issues.
- Take or confirm a recent backup of your site.
- Optionally, test changes on a staging site if your host provides one.
How Developers and Hosts Extend Site Health (What You Might Notice)
Developers and hosting providers can add their own checks and even custom tabs to the Site Health interface using WordPress APIs.Source
As a site owner, this means you may see extra sections such as:
- Hosting-specific performance or caching checks.
- Security plugin checks (firewall status, malware scan results, etc.).
- Custom tabs with additional diagnostics.
You don’t need to configure these yourself, but it’s helpful to know that Site Health can become a central place where multiple tools report their status.
Limitations: What Site Health Does Not Do
Site Health is a powerful diagnostic tool, but it’s not a full replacement for security or performance best practices.
- It does not automatically fix problems; it only reports them and suggests actions.
- It does not replace a proper backup strategy, uptime monitoring, or a dedicated security plugin.
- It does not guarantee your site is perfectly optimized—it highlights the most important known issues.
Think of it as your site’s built-in health report: a starting point that helps you and your support team focus on what matters most.
Next Steps for New Site Owners
Once you’re comfortable opening and reading the Site Health screen, you’re ready to use it as part of your regular website care routine. Combine it with other core tools—like updates, backups, and user management—to keep your site secure and stable over time.Source
You don’t need to understand every technical detail. Your main job is to:
- Check Site Health regularly.
- Take critical issues seriously.
- Loop in your host or developer when you see something you don’t understand.
Used this way, the Site Health screen becomes a simple, reliable early-warning system for your WordPress website.
