Once we hand over a WordPress site to a customer for use, the importance of maintenance sometimes gets overlooked. There are several things the owner needs to be aware of when it comes to their website. The dashboard is a great tool for adding new posts and pages, but it also tells you when a plugin needs to be updated or when there is a new WordPress update.
The plugin page is located on the left column of the dashboard, about two thirds down. If there is a little black button with a number on it, then pay attention! Go to the plugin page and update the ones that are highlighted. On this page, you may notice an alert message at the top letting you know WordPress had a new addition. This comes about several times a year on average. You can wait a week, but not much longer than then, especially if new security is part of the update. Security is an issue for WordPress sites. (See previous article.) I have to admit it is the only down side of this very powerful web tool.
Another issue, though more of a convenience problem than a security one, are Comments that come to your site for moderation. If you have Comments turned on then you need to watch them, or you will find yourself deleting up to a hundred spam comments at a time….one by one. Comments are located about half way down on the dashboard column. Again, a button will appear telling you how many you have. Other than closing your comments, I recommend you add the plug-in Comment Capcha. Since most spam is generated by robots and not human, they will be unable to read or add the math required to submit a comment. These comments try to look relevant to the article, but are unspecific. “Have a nice day while using our product” or even just a rambling sentence means a robot wrote it. Another clue is the email address. It will have a promotion in the name.
Forms are another way spam can enter your site. I use a plug-in capcha at the end of our form as well. If you need help adding one, let us know and we can help you out. But, by all means, pay attention to your site and maintain it regularly.
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