According to W3Techs, over 43% of all websites in the world are powered by WordPress. But here’s a fact that isn’t showcased on hosting landing pages: according to Sucuri, 90% of all hacked websites in 2023 are WordPress sites.
And it’s not because of a “bad platform”. It’s due to non-working updates, security holes, conflicting plugins, and outdated PHP versions. These are issues that can be easily diagnosed — but most site owners don’t even know where to look.
If you are an entrepreneur, a business leader, or an in-house marketer, you are likely familiar with these concerns:
Why has the site become slower?
Why is traffic coming from ads but there are no leads?
Why did errors appear after the latest update?
Who and when last checked whether everything was alright with the site?
And this is where a feature that few talk about comes into play — “Site Health” in WordPress. As the founder of the web studio BUSINESS SITE, which has been helping businesses attract clients online since 2011, I can say directly: a site can look great and even sell, but at the same time be “technically ill” and lose potential every day.
In this article, I will tell you:
What exactly the Site Health feature shows.
What errors it helps identify.
Why you can’t work “long-term” without it.
And how to use it as a tool for monitoring efficiency and security.
If your site is a business tool, this material is a must-read.
What is Site Health in WordPress?
The Site Health feature is a system diagnostic tool built into WordPress, introduced in version 5.2. Its purpose is to help site owners and developers timely detect and fix technical issues that could affect the site’s security, performance, and stability.
You can find it in the WordPress admin panel by following the path: Tools → Site Health.
Upon opening it, you will see two key sections:
Status Tab
This is a summary of all the current issues with your site, divided by importance level:
Critical issues:
For example, your site runs on an outdated PHP version (below 7.4), lacks an SSL certificate, or the REST API is malfunctioning. This can lead to:
Security vulnerabilities.
Malfunctioning plugins.
Form submission or update errors.
Example: A logistics client’s site started “glitching” — request forms were hit or miss. Site Health check revealed a disabled REST API due to firewall settings on the server. Once fixed, the API worked, and lead flow was restored.
Recommended improvements:
These are less critical but important suggestions for long-term stability. For example:
Disable unused plugins.
Check if REST API protection is enabled.
Verify if the cron (task scheduler) is active.
Update the theme if it’s outdated.
Example: A marketing agency’s site showed a Site Health recommendation to enable cron. It turned out automatic tasks, including update checks and scheduled post publications, weren’t running. With cron enabled, the blog content campaign launched on time.
Passed tests:
All parameters that are already correctly configured are marked green here. These are the “healthy” parts of the site.
Info Tab
This section is the technical passport of your site. It contains system information that is crucial during tech support or when transferring a project for an audit:
WordPress, PHP, MySQL versions.
Status of themes and plugins.
Server and path settings (wp-content, wp-uploads, etc.).
Security state (SSL, REST API, XML-RPC protection).
Installed PHP modules and server parameters.
Usage example: When transferring a client site for SEO promotion, we always request an export of this tab. It allows us to immediately see: Does the server meet modern requirements? Which plugins could be potential threats? Is there a need to enhance security or performance?
Site Health is not just “another menu item”. It’s your maintenance assistant. A real-life analogy: like indicators on a car dashboard. If the “check engine” light is on, you don’t ignore it. Similarly, Site Health is your WordPress status dashboard.
Why Monitor Site Health?
Most site owners don’t look into “Site Health” until they start losing money. But the truth is, this tool often first signals that a site is “sick”: slow loading, not indexed, or worse — vulnerable to attacks.
If you neglect regular checks, the consequences can be critical:
The site stops appearing in search results.
Users see errors or a blank page.
The online form fails to submit requests.
Load speed decreases — and users leave.
Security holes appear — and the site can be hacked.
Real case from practice: A client — owner of a site in the education sector — complained: traffic from Google dropped by 60% in two weeks, calls from the site practically ceased. Externally everything worked. The first thing we did was check Site Health. Result: The site ran on PHP 5.6, which stopped being supported 3 years ago. Cron tasks weren’t running, preventing the site from submitting a sitemap to search engines. Some plugins hadn’t been updated for over a year, causing backend conflicts. After upgrading to PHP 8.0, optimizing plugins, and configuring cron — Google positions were restored, and within a month, conversion increased by 19%. The business revived — without redesign, without investing in advertising.
A logistics operator approached us whose site simply stopped processing contact forms. The CRM showed nothing — as if no requests existed. Site Health check revealed: Issues with loopback requests — the site’s internal calls to itself were blocked by hosting. REST API returned errors, and requests failed to send. After adjusting server configuration and firewall rules, requests resumed, and the client restored normal lead generation levels.
At BUSINESS SITE, we’ve integrated the “site health” check into our routine support. Why? Because:
It helps prevent traffic drops before they happen.
It allows us to find errors invisible to the eye but affecting results.
It saves client money on site recovery, reputation, and ad campaigns.
Every month – a quick Site Health check. Takes 5 minutes. But it can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
❌ Outdated PHP Version One of the most common causes of performance drops and vulnerabilities. Recommended to use version 8.0 or higher. If your hosting doesn’t support it — switch hosting.
❌ REST API Not Working This can affect plugin operation or form submission. The issue usually lies in server configuration.
❌ Loopback Request Issues Loopback is used for WordPress internal operations. Some hostings block it. Resolved via server or .htaccess settings.
❌ Inactive Plugins Dead weight that: slows down the site, opens security holes, hinders updates. Remove them without regret.
Conclusion
Each of these errors might seem small at first glance. But in the context of modern competition, any technical issue turns into a loss of traffic, clients, and money. That’s why it’s important not just to “have a site” but to keep it in a working and secure state.
The Site Health tool is not a substitute for a developer, but it helps to understand at an early stage where exactly your site “hurts”. And knowing the diagnosis — you can quickly take action: on your own or with a team like ours at BUSINESS SITE. Timely response is always cheaper than emergency recovery after a “technological disaster”.
