Getting Started with the WordPress Site Health Tool for New Site Owners

Learn how to use WordPress’s built-in Site Health tool to quickly check the technical health, performance, and security basics of your new website.

Why the WordPress Site Health Tool Matters

When you first take ownership of a WordPress site, it’s hard to know whether everything under the hood is actually healthy. The built-in Site Health tool gives you a simple dashboard for checking technical issues, performance problems, and basic security risks in one place.Source

This guide walks you through how to open Site Health, understand what it’s telling you, and decide what to do next as a non-technical site owner.

How to Open the Site Health Screen

Step-by-step path in your dashboard

1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. In the left-hand menu, go to Tools ? Site Health.
3. The Site Health screen will open on the Status tab by default.

What you should see

• A large status message at the top, such as “Good” or “Should be improved”.
• Two sections of items: Critical issues and Recommended improvements.
• Each item can be expanded to show details and suggested actions.

If you see a spinner or loading message, wait a few seconds—WordPress is running a series of automated checks in the background.Source

Understanding the Site Health Status

The overall rating

The colored circle and text at the top summarize your site’s technical health based on multiple tests:

• Good – No critical issues; a few minor recommendations are normal.
• Should be improved – At least one important issue needs attention.
• Critical issues – You’ll see a red warning if something could seriously affect security, performance, or stability.

Types of checks Site Health runs

Site Health runs automated tests in areas like:

• WordPress core version and automatic updates
• PHP version and server configuration
• HTTPS/SSL usage
• REST API and loopback requests (used by plugins and editors)
• Background updates and file permissions
• Inactive plugins and themes

These checks align with common web application security and configuration best practices, such as keeping software updated and avoiding insecure defaults.Source

Reviewing Critical Issues First

How to find critical issues

1. On the Status tab, look for the Critical issues section.
2. Click each item to expand it and read the explanation.
3. Look for the “Actions” or “Learn more about…” links inside each item.

Common critical issues you might see

• Outdated WordPress core – Your site is not running the latest version.
• Outdated PHP version – Your hosting server is using an older, unsupported PHP version.
• Site is not using HTTPS – Your site is still accessible over plain HTTP instead of encrypted HTTPS.
• Background updates are not working – WordPress can’t automatically apply some security updates.

What to do as a non-technical owner

For each critical issue:

• Take a screenshot of the expanded item.
• Copy the exact message and any error codes.
• Send it to your developer or hosting support with a clear request, such as “Please fix this Site Health critical issue safely and confirm when it’s resolved.”

Many critical items relate to server configuration and software versions, which your hosting provider is best positioned to fix.Source

Reviewing Recommended Improvements

How to work through recommendations

1. Scroll to the Recommended improvements section.
2. Expand each item one by one.
3. Look for simple actions you can safely perform yourself, such as removing inactive plugins.

Examples of owner-friendly fixes

• Inactive plugins – If you recognize plugins you no longer need, you can deactivate and delete them from Dashboard ? Plugins.
• Inactive themes – Keep your active theme and one default WordPress theme; remove others under Appearance ? Themes.
• Debug mode enabled – Ask your developer or host to turn off debug mode on the live site.

Cleaning up unused plugins and themes reduces your attack surface and follows general guidance to minimize unnecessary components in your environment.Source

Using the Info Tab to Document Your Setup

How to open the Info tab

1. On the Site Health screen, click the Info tab at the top.
2. You’ll see expandable sections such as WordPress, Directories and Sizes, Active Theme, Plugins, and more.

What you should see

• Read-only technical details about your site configuration.
• A “Copy site info to clipboard” button at the top or bottom.

Creating a simple technical snapshot

This tab is perfect for creating a quick “technical snapshot” of your site:

1. Click Copy site info to clipboard.
2. Paste the contents into a document or email.
3. Save it in your internal records as “WordPress Site Info – [Month Year]”.

Share this snapshot with your developer or hosting support when you report issues; it gives them accurate version and environment details in one place.Source

Optional: Extending Site Health with Additional Tools

For some sites, your developer may install additional tools that integrate with the Site Health area, such as plugins that add file integrity checks, mail tests, or extra diagnostics.Source

How this might look in your dashboard

• New sections or tests appearing under the Status tab.
• Additional tabs or tools linked from the Site Health screen.
• More detailed messages about specific plugins, themes, or server features.

As an owner, you don’t need to configure these tools yourself, but you should know they exist and where to find their results.

A Simple First-Week Site Health Checklist

Day 1–2: Baseline check

• Open Tools ? Site Health and note the overall status.
• Screenshot the Status tab, including any critical issues.
• Copy the Info tab data and save it as your baseline snapshot.

Day 3–4: Address critical items

• Send critical issue details to your host or developer.
• Ask them to confirm when each item is resolved.
• Re-check Site Health after they report back.

Day 5–7: Tidy up recommendations

• Remove unused plugins and themes you’re sure you don’t need.
• Confirm HTTPS is enabled and your site loads with a lock icon in the browser.
• Schedule a recurring reminder (monthly or quarterly) to review Site Health.

When to Ask for Expert Help

Site Health is designed to be readable for non-technical owners, but some items will still require professional support. Ask for help when:

• You see repeated critical issues you don’t understand.
• Messages mention PHP, database errors, or server configuration.
• Fixing an issue would require editing code or configuration files.

Combining the Site Health tool with a regular backup strategy and basic hardening measures gives your site a much stronger foundation and aligns with widely recommended website security practices.Source

Key Takeaways for New Site Owners

• Site Health is your early warning system. Make it part of your regular routine, not a one-time check.
• Focus on critical issues first. Treat them as must-fix items, even if someone else does the work.
• Use the Info tab as documentation. It’s a quick way to give accurate technical details to anyone helping you.
• Clean up what you control. Removing unused plugins and themes is simple and reduces risk.

If you build the habit of checking Site Health early in your ownership of a WordPress site, you’ll catch problems sooner, have clearer conversations with your technical partners, and keep your website more stable over time.