Problem
Routine WordPress maintenance is often delayed or done inconsistently. Updates, basic health checks, and cleanup tasks rely heavily on manual effort, increasing the risk of security issues, regressions, and avoidable downtime.
Goal
Create a maintenance workflow that:
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makes routine tasks fast and repeatable
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reduces reliance on memory or manual checklists
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minimizes risk during updates
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can be automated incrementally over time
Approach
Instead of treating maintenance as ad-hoc work, I defined it as a repeatable operational process. Tasks were grouped into predictable steps that could be executed manually at first and later automated using shell scripts and WP-CLI.
The focus was on safety, visibility, and consistency rather than full automation on day one.
Implementation Highlights
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Standardized maintenance checklist (updates, basic checks, cleanup)
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WP-CLI used where possible to reduce admin UI interaction
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Shell-based workflow designed to be automation-ready
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Clear separation between “safe to automate” and “manual review” steps
Outcome
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Maintenance became predictable and easier to schedule
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Reduced risk of missed updates or inconsistent site state
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Clear path toward full automation without disrupting production sites
Future Enhancements
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Convert recurring tasks into reusable shell scripts
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Schedule runs via cron and surface results via notifications
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Orchestrate maintenance workflows using tools like n8n or CI pipelines