WordPress Healthcheck: everything you need to know about the CMS Site Health feature

Your WordPress site works… on the surface. Yet behind the scenes, outdated settings, plugins that are not up to date, or a poorly configured server can slowly degrade its performance and security.

The problem? You are often not aware of it. That is precisely where WordPress Healthcheck (Site Health) comes in.

This built-in tool acts like a genuine technical health check, capable of revealing the invisible weaknesses in your WordPress installation.

In this article, you will learn how to understand its alerts, interpret them correctly, and take effective action to keep your site fast, reliable, and secure.

What is WordPress Healthcheck?

An error diagnostic plugin…

WordPress Healthcheck is first and foremost the name of a plugin developed by the WordPress.org team. 

It is available for download from the official directory under the following name: Health Check & Troubleshooting.

This plugin is an internal diagnostic dashboard capable of performing a number of checks on your WordPress installation in order to detect common configuration errors and known issues, according to its description in the official directory.

… Turned into a native feature

But be careful: the WordPress healthcheck plugin is now deprecated and is no longer maintained by contributors.

And for good reason: its main features have been integrated into the WordPress Core since the release of version 5.2 of the CMS.

The tool remains completely free and runs automatically. It requires no initial configuration to work properly.

It thoroughly analyzes your server and the overall software configuration. The tool tracks potential vulnerabilities as well as invisible slowdowns. It is a valuable aid for technical support.

It does not replace a WordPress expert, but it provides you with clear leads on the common issues encountered by your site.

All of this is reflected in an overall assessment of the state of your installation. For example, below, you can see that there are improvements to be made:

How do you access the Site Health screen?

To run the diagnostic, simply go to your WordPress admin interface.

Hover over the “Tools” tab in the left-hand column, then click the “Site Health” submenu. This is the most direct path.

Don’t see any of this on your site? Check the “Site Health” box from the “Screen Options” dropdown menu located at the very top right of your dashboard to make it appear.

Please note that this tool is reserved for site managers. Only administrators have sufficient rights to access this sensitive data. Editors will be left at the door.

The interface stands out for its immediate smoothness. The diagnostic tests run automatically within a few seconds, with no further action required.

This tool is standard on any recent WordPress installation (since version 5.2 at least). If the option is missing, your version is probably outdated. Consider performing a WordPress update as soon as possible.

What are the main features of the Site Health screen in WordPress?

Once on the page dedicated to WordPress Health Check, you will see two separate tabs that do not serve the same purpose at all.

WordPress Health Check Site Health tab

The “Status” tab “displays critical information about your WordPress configuration and items that require your attention”, as detailed in your WordPress dashboard. 

Two types of items are listed there: 

1. Critical issues.
2. Recommended improvements.

WordPress Health Check critical issues

WordPress states that “critical issues are items that can have a significant impact on your site’s performance or security. Resolving these issues should be a priority.”

What does a critical issue actually involve? It can refer to several things, according to the official WordPress.org documentation: 

• Plugins waiting to be updated.
• Background updates are not working as expected.
• The inability to connect to the WordPress.org servers.
• Blocked HTTP requests.
• Your site is set to display errors to your visitors.
• Your site could not complete the loopback request.
• PHP’s default time zone is not valid.
• An active PHP session has been detected.
• Your site is using an outdated version of PHP, which should be updated.

Recommended improvements in the Site Health feature

“Recommended improvements” are sound tips for optimizing performance or security.

“Although they are not as high a priority as critical issues, they may include security, performance, and user experience improvements”, WordPress explains.

Once resolved, they will improve the health of your site.

Among the items tested by the Site Health tool, for example, are: 

• Debug mode configuration.
• The use of HTTPS.
• The presence of inactive themes or plugins.
• SSL support for communications with other services.
• The proper functioning of background updates.
• The configuration of automatic updates for themes and plugins.
• Communication with wordpress.org.
• The functioning of authorization headers.
• Launching loopback requests.

Please note that some tests are run in the background by the system. Results may therefore vary from one visit to another. This is constant monitoring of your installation.

Information tab 

Now let’s move on to the “Information” tab. It acts as a true technical encyclopedia for your site.

There you will find all the precise details of the current configuration of your WordPress site, your server, and your database. 

Specifically, you can access the following information: 

• WordPress, with the elements related to the WordPress configuration (version used, site language, time zone, URL, etc.). 
• Directories and size.
• Drop-ins: unique files, found in the wp-content directory, that replace or enhance WordPress features in a way that is not available to traditional plugins
• Active theme.
• Inactive themes.
• Must-use plugins, i.e. plugins installed in a specific /mu-plugins directory within the /wp-content directory, and which are automatically activated on each site when the WordPress loading script is launched.
• Active plugins.
• Inactive plugins.
• Drop-ins.
• Media handling.
• Server.
• Database.
• WordPress constants.
• Filesystem permissions.

Furthermore, depending on the themes and plugins you use, other information useful for debugging may be displayed on your site. 

Thanks to the “Copy site information to the clipboard” button, you can send a complete, structured report to a WordPress technical support team without transcription errors. However, please note that this data is purely informational. You cannot modify anything directly from this specific screen.

Why use the Site Health feature in WordPress?

Beyond the technical aspect, the Site Health tool is a real ally for the long-term success of your web project.

The main benefit is proactive security. WordPress Health Check detects inactive themes or outdated plugins, while also showing you recommended improvements. If you apply them, you help combat hacking risks.

Next, let’s talk about the impact on overall performance. A poorly configured server slows down the user experience.

WordPress’s native feature highlights missing PHP modules, as well as the PHP version used on your server. 

This allows you to carry out quick optimizations that can improve the loading speed of your pages. 

Now let’s discuss the simplification of debugging. There’s no longer any need to search through FTP files to find a software version. Everything is accessible in just three clicks.

It is also an excellent way to learn. The recommendations explain why one setting is preferable to another.

It is even possible to disable specific health checks via PHP, if you are comfortable with web development. This action is useful if certain tests are not relevant. This allows you to adapt the tool to your setup.

Finally, it makes you take responsibility. You can no longer ignore basic maintenance alerts.

In a way, the tool creates a bridge between the novice user and the technical requirements of the modern web. 

How do you use the Site Health feature in WordPress?

Now that you know all the benefits and options offered by WordPress Healthcheck inside out, discover how to use this feature. 

You’ll see, it’s quick and easy. The first step is to establish regular monitoring of your dashboard.

Get into the habit of checking this screen at least once a week. This healthy maintenance routine secures your activity.

Learn to analyze the results without panicking. A critical issue reported by WordPress Healthcheck is not necessarily an immediate disaster. You need to read the explanation provided to understand the precise source of the detected problem.

To do this, each test can be expanded with a click. You will then find detailed technical explanations to understand what is at stake and apply a fix.

Click the suggested link to be redirected to the relevant menu: 

At the same time, if you need to contact your hosting provider or your site’s webmaster, use the “Info” tab beforehand.

Provide them with the full technical details — by copying the information from your site — to get a faster response. This avoids unnecessary back-and-forth that often delays resolution.

In general, remember to check your site’s health status after every major update. A new plugin can sometimes conflict with your existing settings.

How do you fix critical issues or improvements identified by WordPress Healthcheck?

Identifying issues is one thing, but taking action to fix them is another.

To help you, we’ve singled out several common scenarios: 

• Is your PHP version outdated? Contact your hosting provider. This is often a setting to change in your management panel (such as cPanel).
• Are themes or plugins reported as inactive? Delete them from the Plugins > Installed Plugins menu. They take up space and represent an unnecessary security risk. Clean things up regularly. To do this, click Deactivate, then Delete, for the relevant plugin or theme.
• Are you experiencing blocked HTTP requests? Check your security plugins. Sometimes, an overly aggressive firewall prevents WordPress Healthcheck from working normally. Temporarily disable them to test.
• Are you unable to perform your updates? Check out this tutorial.

Before making any changes or technical intervention, back up your site (files + database). To do this, you can use a backup plugin such as UpdraftPlus, or a comprehensive maintenance tool such as WP Umbrella.

Once you have made the suggested fix, refresh the Site Health page, then check that the alert has disappeared.

For cache issues, install a recommended plugin such as WP Rocket (premium) or WP Fastest Cache (freemium). This will improve your performance score and your site’s speed.

Remember that some issues require the intervention of a developer or a team specialized in WordPress maintenance.

Do not touch the code if you are not sure what you are doing.

Tips for maintaining the health and security of your WordPress site

Finally, keep in mind that your site’s health is managed day to day, well beyond the simple alerts from the WordPress Health Check tool.

To stay on track and protect your site as much as possible, incorporate the following best practices into your routine: 

• Automate your backups before anything else. This is your ultimate safety net in the event of a mistake or a major technical issue. A healthy site is, above all, a protected site.
• Be minimalist when choosing your extensions. Each plugin you add is a potential entry point for bugs or security vulnerabilities. Favor quality over quantity to keep your system lightweight.
• Always keep WordPress, your themes, and your plugins up to date. Developers often release vital security patches. Don’t leave them waiting for weeks.
• Install an SSL certificate to switch your site to HTTPS and strengthen security.
• Use complex passwords and change them regularly. Security starts with locked-down, robust access. For this, use a password manager such as Dashlane, for example.
• Use a recent version of PHP (8.2 or 8.3).
• Monitor comments and registered users. Spam can unnecessarily bloat your database and harm overall health. Clean it up periodically and activate a free plugin such as Akismet or Antispam Bee.
• Choose a quality web host (Kinsta, o2switch, Hostinger, Infomaniak) that offers recent technologies. A good server does 50% of the health work.

And of course, stay curious and keep learning. Understanding the basics of the web helps you respond better to WordPress alerts.

In conclusion, the Site Health screen stands out as an essential technical monitoring tool. It should serve as the starting point for your maintenance actions.

By proactively monitoring security and performance, you anticipate technical malfunctions.

We recommend that you check this dashboard regularly to ensure smooth and secure browsing for your visitors.

If the WordPress Healthcheck alerts seem unclear, time-consuming, or too technical, the Maintenance WP agency is here to help.

As specialists in WordPress maintenance and support, we monitor, fix, and optimize your site on a daily basis.

You save time, gain peace of mind, and get a site that is always healthy, secure, and high-performing. Contact us to entrust the technical side to experts and focus on what matters most: your core business.