Topic
Maintenance
106 guides across 16 sections
Hosting30
- Backups on FlywheelHow automatic and manual backups work on Flywheel, how to restore a backup, and what to do if something goes wrong.
- Backups on KinstaHow automatic and manual backups work on Kinsta, how to restore a backup, and the different backup options available.
- Backups on WP EngineHow WP Engine's backup system (Backup Points) works, how to restore a backup, and how to create a manual backup before big changes.
- Caching on KinstaHow Kinsta's built-in server-level caching works, how to clear the cache, and when you might need to purge it.
- Caching on WP EngineHow WP Engine's built-in caching (EverCache) works, why it matters for site speed, and when and how to clear the cache.
- Flywheel billing & plansAn overview of Flywheel's hosting plans, how billing works, and what to do if you have a question about your invoice.
- Flywheel hosting: overviewAn overview of Flywheel managed WordPress hosting: what it offers, who it's for, and why we recommend it for many of our clients.
- Hosting terms, explained simplyA plain-English A to Z glossary of web hosting terminology, from bandwidth to uptime, with no technical jargon required.
- How to choose a hostLearn how Chykalophia selects the right hosting platform for your WordPress site, and what factors matter most.
- How to contact your host's supportWhen and how to reach Flywheel, WP Engine, or Kinsta support directly, and when to contact Chykalophia instead.
- Kinsta billing & plansAn overview of Kinsta's hosting plans, how billing works, and how to manage your MyKinsta account billing.
- Kinsta hosting: overviewAn overview of Kinsta managed WordPress hosting: what it offers, how it's built, and why we recommend it for performance-focused sites.
- Renewing hosting & avoiding lapsesHow to make sure your hosting subscription renews on time and what to do if it lapses, so your website never goes offline unexpectedly.
- Staging & development environments on WP EngineHow to use WP Engine's staging and development environments to test changes safely before they go live.
- Staging environments on KinstaHow to create, use, and push a staging environment on Kinsta, including selective push options for files and database.
- Staging sites on FlywheelHow to create, use, and push a staging site on Flywheel, including how to copy from live and push changes back to production.
- The Flywheel dashboard explainedA plain-English tour of the Flywheel site dashboard: what each section does and where to find key features.
- The MyKinsta dashboard explainedA plain-English tour of the MyKinsta control panel: what each section does and where to find key features for managing your site.
- The WP Engine User Portal explainedA plain-English tour of the WP Engine User Portal: what each section does and how to find key features for your site.
- Troubleshooting hosting problemsStep-by-step guidance for diagnosing and resolving the most common hosting issues, from site downtime to SSL warnings to slow loading.
- Understanding your hosting billA plain-English breakdown of what you're paying for on your hosting invoice, including plans, overages, add-ons, and what's covered.
- Uptime, downtime & what they meanWhat uptime and downtime mean for any website, whether it runs on WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Webflow or custom code, what causes outages, and what to do when your site goes offline.
- Website hosting, explainedEverything you need to know about hosting your website, from the basics to managing your account on Flywheel, WP Engine, or Kinsta.
- What happens when we migrate your hostA plain-English walkthrough of the host migration process: what we do, what you need to do, and what to expect.
- What is a CDN?Learn what a content delivery network (CDN) is, how it speeds up your website, and why managed WordPress hosts include one.
- What is a staging site?Learn what a staging site is, why it matters, and how we use it to test changes safely before they go live on your website.
- What is managed WordPress hosting?Learn what managed WordPress hosting is, how it differs from basic hosting, and why we use it for our clients' sites.
- What is web hosting?A plain-English explanation of what web hosting is, why every website needs it, and how it fits into your online presence.
- WP Engine billing & plansAn overview of WP Engine's hosting plans, how billing works, and what to do if you have a question about your account charges.
- WP Engine hosting: overviewAn overview of WP Engine managed WordPress hosting: what it offers, who it's for, and how it differs from other platforms.
Website care30
- Backup plugins explainedHow WordPress backup plugins like UpdraftPlus and All-in-One WP Migration work, where backups should be stored, and who holds the keys.
- Broken links & why they matterWhat broken links are, why they frustrate visitors and leave search engines at dead ends, and how we find and fix them.
- End-of-life software & why it's riskyWhat "end of life" means for website software, why it's a serious security risk, and what to do about it.
- How backups workWhat we back up, how often, where backups are stored, what a good backup strategy looks like, and why backups are your most important safety net.
- How to report a bug effectivelyThe information we need to fix a website problem fast: how to describe what's wrong, what to include, and where to send it.
- How we test changes before they go liveWhat a staging site is, why we use one, and how it protects your live website from being accidentally broken.
- Keeping your content freshWhy outdated website content hurts your business, what Google actually says about freshness, and a practical guide to staying current.
- Keeping your site accessible over timeWhy website accessibility isn't a one-time fix and how we help you maintain it as your site grows and changes.
- New-product launch website checklistA step-by-step checklist to prepare, launch, and follow up on a new product or service added to your website.
- Pre-launch checklist for a big updateEverything to verify before a major website update, new feature, or redesign goes live.
- Restoring your site from a backupWhat restoring your website from a backup involves: how we do it for WordPress sites on our care plan, what Squarespace, Shopify, Webflow, Wix and custom-coded sites can restore, and what to expect.
- Seasonal website checksA practical guide to reviewing and updating your website before major seasons, holidays, and business events.
- Security monitoring explainedHow we watch for threats and suspicious activity on your website, and what we do when something looks wrong.
- Software updates explainedWhy we update your website's software regularly, what we update, and how we make sure updates don't break anything.
- Tax-time website prep (1099s, financial archives, receipts)How to gather website-related financial records, payment reports, and receipts before tax season.
- Testing your contact & order formsWhy we test your website forms regularly, what we check, and what to do if a form stops working.
- Uptime monitoring explainedHow we know the moment your website goes offline, and what happens next.
- Vacation & holiday website prep (out-of-office, contact, hours)How to update your website before a vacation or holiday closure so visitors always know what to expect.
- Verifying your backups are workingA 30-second monthly check to confirm your backups are actually running, where to look on each platform, and what to do when the answer is no.
- Website care & maintenance, explainedEverything you need to know about how we keep your website healthy, secure, and running smoothly.
- Website care: frequently asked questionsQuick answers to the questions clients ask most often about our website care and maintenance service.
- What keeping a website running actually takesThe full list of recurring jobs a live website needs: how often each one comes round, what it involves, and what happens if it gets skipped.
- What not to touch on your websiteThe short list of settings that can take your site offline, why each one matters, and what to do instead when you need one changed.
- What our care plan coversA plain-English breakdown of every service included in our website care plan, no legalese, no jargon.
- What to check on your site monthlyA simple monthly checklist for business owners to keep their website accurate, working, and up to date.
- What to expect during planned maintenanceWhat planned maintenance is, when we do it, how we notify you, and what happens to your site while it's underway.
- When & how to request emergency supportWhat counts as a website emergency, how to reach us quickly, and what to do while you wait.
- Why websites need maintenanceYour website needs regular care to stay secure, fast, and working. This guide explains why in plain English.
- Your website health checklistThe complete checklist we run through to assess and maintain a healthy website: covering security, performance, content, and functionality.
- Your year-end website checklistA structured checklist to review, clean up, and prepare your website before the new year begins.
WordPress15
- Deactivating vs deleting pluginsUnderstand the difference between deactivating and deleting a WordPress plugin, and when to use each option.
- Dealing with spam commentsLearn how to handle spam comments on your WordPress site: how to block them, moderate them, and keep your comment section clean.
- Fixing the "white screen" errorStep-by-step help for when your WordPress site shows a blank white page instead of your content.
- How to install a pluginStep-by-step instructions for installing a plugin on your WordPress site, from the official directory or from a file.
- How to replace an image everywhereLearn how to swap out an image across your entire WordPress site at once, without hunting down every page it appears on.
- How to update plugins safelyLearn how to update WordPress plugins safely, including what to do before you update and how to recover if something goes wrong.
- How WordPress backups workLearn how WordPress backups work, what gets backed up, where backups are stored, and how to restore if something goes wrong.
- Keeping your media library tidyPractical strategies for keeping your WordPress media library organized, searchable, and free of clutter, even without built-in folders.
- My changes aren't showing upHow to fix the common reasons why edits you make in WordPress don't appear on your live website.
- My layout broke after an updateHow to diagnose and fix a broken or jumbled site layout that appeared after a WordPress, plugin, or theme update.
- My WordPress site is downWhat to do when your WordPress website is unavailable: a calm, step-by-step guide to diagnosing and reporting the problem.
- What to do before a big updateA pre-update checklist for WordPress site owners: everything to do before applying a major WordPress, plugin, or theme update.
- Why updates matterLearn why keeping WordPress, plugins, and themes updated is essential for your site's security, stability, and performance.
- WordPress security basicsA practical guide to the most important security steps for WordPress site owners, without requiring technical knowledge.
- WordPress updates explainedUnderstand what WordPress updates are, what the different types mean, and how the update process works.
Getting started6
- Hidden costs to watch forThe recurring website costs many clients overlook (domain renewal, hosting, plugin licenses, SSL, stock images, fonts, and third-party tools) and how to plan for them.
- How to read your care plan reportWhat the maintenance side of your care plan report tells you, from updates and backups to uptime, security and speed, and what to do when something needs your attention.
- Understanding care plan pricingHow Chykalophia's website care plans are priced: what each level includes, why maintenance costs what it does, and how to pick the right level.
- What to improve in your website's first yearA quarter-by-quarter plan for improving a new website in its first year, so it keeps getting better instead of slowly going stale.
- Your first 90 days after launchA month-by-month plan for the three months after your new website goes live, from checking the basics to reading your first real data and planning improvements.
- Your first week after launchFive small tasks over five days to get you settled with your new site: save your logins, make a first edit, and know how to reach us.
Domains & DNS5
- Domain transfer checklistA complete checklist of everything to do before, during, and after transferring a domain name from one registrar to another.
- How to transfer a domainA step-by-step guide to moving a domain name from one registrar to another, including what to prepare and how long it takes.
- Renewing your domain and turning on auto-renewHow to check when your domain expires, renew it, and turn on auto-renew at the most common registrars so it never lapses by accident.
- Unlocking a domain & getting the auth codeHow to unlock your domain and obtain the EPP/auth code so it can be transferred to a new registrar.
- What happens when a domain expiresA plain-English timeline of what happens after a domain name expires, and how to recover it before it's too late.
Troubleshooting5
- My changes aren't showing upWhat to do when you've saved edits in WordPress or your site platform but the live site hasn't updated.
- My images aren't loadingWhat to do when images show as broken icons or blank spaces on your website pages.
- My site is slowWhy your website may be loading slowly and the most effective steps to diagnose and improve its speed.
- My site looks brokenWhat to do when your website layout is wrong, styles are missing, or something looks completely off.
- Something on my site looks differentWhat to do when a font, color, layout, image, or piece of content on your site changed without you making the change.
Risk & resilience3
- Recovering from a hacked websiteA calm, thorough playbook for getting your hacked website cleaned, secured, and recovered as far as your platform allows, with timelines and prevention steps.
- Risk & resilienceWhat to do when things go wrong: calm, step-by-step guides for every website and account emergency.
- Your website disaster recovery planA calm, step-by-step plan for what to do in the first 30 minutes, 24 hours, and first week after a website emergency.
Free tools2
Give us access2
Integrations & automation2
- Keeping automations from breaking silently: monitoring and ownershipHow to make sure you find out when an automation or integration stops working, before your customers do.
- When a no-code automation becomes a custom integrationThe signs that your Zapier or Make setup has outgrown no-code, and how to decide whether a custom integration is worth it.