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Did your web developer fall off the face of the earth? Did you inherit a WordPress site with no support, no manual, no anything? You're not alone — it's one of the most common situations we see in tutoring sessions.
The fix is documentation: a clear, written record of how your site works. Here's what that should include, how to build it yourself, and how we can build it for you.
Why per-site documentation matters
The official WordPress documentation is excellent for core WordPress — and our WordPress Manual covers everything a site owner needs to know about WordPress itself. But neither can tell you:
- which of the 58,000+ plugins your developer chose, and why
- what custom code was added to your theme
- which settings were changed from the defaults, and what breaks if you touch them
- the exact steps for the tasks you do — adding a product, posting an article, updating a slider
That knowledge usually lives in one developer's head. When they disappear, it disappears too.
What good WordPress documentation includes
If you're documenting your own site, capture at least these six things:
- Plugin inventory. Every active plugin, what it does, and whether it's licensed (note renewal dates for premium plugins).
- Theme notes. Which theme you run, whether it's customized, and whether a child theme is in use.
- Custom code. Any custom coding done to your site — template changes, code snippets, custom blocks.
- How-to steps for your routine tasks. Screenshots of the five to ten things you actually do each month.
- Update and backup procedure. How updates are applied, where backups go, and how to restore one.
- Accounts and access. Hosting, domain, users and roles — and who holds each password.
Keep it as a PDF or shared document, and update it whenever the site changes. Our tutorials on user roles and site health checks are good companions here.
Want us to document your site for you?
This is a service we've offered for over a decade. We'll access your site and produce detailed, tailored documentation covering:
- the plugins you're using and any major custom coding
- how to update the site and use the parts you were never shown
- any significant problems or discrepancies we find along the way
- suggestions for making the site more effective, secure, and SEO-friendly
You get a detailed PDF manual specific to your site — with screenshots, and optionally custom training videos to go with it. Think of it as a custom WordPress manual for your site.
Contact us to get started, or learn more about one-on-one training if you'd rather be walked through your site live.
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