Checking Site Integrity and Security

Seravo's upkeep includes ensuring that your site stays operational and secure 24/7. However, the prerequisite for automatic updates and optimal performance is that the site is technically sound. For example, our update system cannot safely apply updates to a site that produces code or browser console errors.

We recommend reviewing this checklist whenever you are launching a new site (Go Live), after completing a site migration, or after major development updates.

Prerequisites

Administrator credentials for your WordPress dashboard.
For developers: SSH credentials to access command-line tools on the server.

Code Integrity and Error-Free Operation

Ensure there are no hidden errors in the site’s codebase, themes, or plugins that could prevent automatic updates or break dynamic site features.

Run wp-test: Our system tests the health of your site using the wp-test tool. You can run the test from the WordPress dashboard under Tools > Upkeep > Update Tests, or from the command line using:
```
wp-test
```
If the test returns errors, they must be resolved so that automatic updates can run successfully in the future.
Check PHP error logs: Inspect critical errors (fatal error) and warnings via the Seravo Plugin under Tools > Logs, or directly on the server in the /data/log/php-error.log file.
Check browser developer tools (Console): Open your browser's developer console (press F12), and navigate through the front page, several sub-pages, and the WP-admin dashboard. Ensure that no red JavaScript or network errors (404/500) appear, as these indicate missing assets or broken scripts.

An example from browser's dev tools view.

Plugins and URLs

Keep the site structure clean by removing unnecessary elements and ensuring encrypted connections throughout.

Remove unused plugins and themes: Completely delete all deactivated plugins and themes. Make sure the site does not use any unnecessary or prohibited plugins (such as redundant page caching plugins or file managers).
Ensure HTTPS URLs (no mixed content): Verify that all URLs use secure https:// prefixes and that no unencrypted http:// links remain in the database. You can update database URLs from the command line using:
```
wp search-replace 'http://example.com' 'https://example.com' --all-tables
```
Verify PHP compatibility: Ensure all installed themes and plugins support your current or planned PHP version under Tools > Upkeep > Check PHP compatibility.

Caching and Performance

Seravo’s built-in server-level caching guarantees fast loading times. Make sure these caching layers are operating as expected.

Check HTTP-level cache: Verify from the command line that the front page and public pages are being served from the server cache:
```
wp-check-http-cache
```
Redis object cache: Ensure that the object-cache.php file exists in the /data/wordpress/htdocs/wp-content/ directory. This drop-in enables fast in-memory Redis caching for database queries.
Clean up transients: Clear old, expired temporary data from the database using:
```
wp transient delete --expired
```

User Accounts and Security

Protecting user accounts and maintaining good password hygiene is your site's primary line of defense against unauthorized intrusions.

Check password hygiene (wp-check-passwords): Run a password audit from the command line using:
```
wp-check-passwords
```
The tool flags weak or compromised credentials. Maintaining good password hygiene is required for Seravo's Security Guarantee to remain valid.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): We strongly recommend enabling 2FA authentication for all administrator accounts.
Bot protection: Use the Cloudflare Turnstile or Google reCAPTCHA plugin on login screens, comment sections, and forms to block automated spam bots.