Why WordPress needs its own list
A WordPress site has a database, a theme and a plugin list. None of those are visible to a crawler, and any of them can change a page.
The checks, in order
- One title and one meta description per published post and page.
- Category and tag archives, which most sites leave thin.
- The permalink structure, and whether it changed without redirects.
- A sitemap that lists pages, not only posts.
- One working form, with the response stored where you can read it.
- One canonical host, with the other redirecting to it.
- The plugins that touch output, with a version each.
A worked handover record
Cedar and Slate Interiors, 60 published items, taken over in September 2026.
site: cedarandslate.example
wp version: 6.6.2
theme: custom child theme, 1.4.0
seo plugin: the usual meta plugin, 5.8
form plugin: none. The form posts to an endpoint in the theme
cdn or cache: host cache only
staging: none
editor access: two admins, one editor
checks and results
1. titles 58 of 60 unique, 2 duplicates on /services and /services-2
2. descriptions 31 of 60 present, 29 empty
3. archives /news and /tags are indexable and thin, 1 post each
4. permalinks unchanged since 2021, no broken structure
5. sitemap lists posts only. 12 pages are missing from it
6. forms one form, posts to the theme. No stored copy anywhere
7. canonical host both www and apex serve 200. No redirect either way
first three fixes, in order
- make the form store responses somewhere a person can read
- add the 12 pages to the sitemap, then noindex the two thin archives
- write the 29 missing descriptions, starting with the six service pages
The form is first because nothing else can be verified while enquiries may be disappearing.
Acceptance: the site is ready for a retainer when
- every published item has a unique title
- the sitemap covers pages and posts, and only indexable ones
- one canonical host answers, and the other redirects
- a test submission is stored somewhere you can open
- the plugin list is recorded, with versions
- the theme and plugin updates have a staging path, or a written risk
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Titles repeat across pages | The theme prints the site name twice | Fix the template, then recheck |
| The sitemap ignores pages | The plugin only includes posts | Add page types in the plugin settings |
| Both hosts return 200 | No redirect rule exists | Add it at the host, not in WordPress |
| The form stores nothing | It only emails | Move to an endpoint that saves first |
| An update broke the layout | No staging site | Take a backup, then reproduce locally |
Limits
This checklist reads the site as a visitor and as a crawler. It cannot tell you whether a plugin update will break the theme.
The connector plugin that would write back into WordPress is not released. There is no write path from this product today.