1. Inventory what the business controls
Locate the domain registrar, DNS, host, WordPress, email accounts, licences, and analytics tools. Use company-owned accounts rather than asking for passwords by email.
2. Preserve before updating
Create or locate a backup of files and the database. A mass update is not a diagnosis and can make recovery harder.
3. Assess maintainability
Inspect versions, abandoned plugins, custom code, errors, performance, and access rights. This determines whether to stabilize, correct in stages, or rebuild.
4. Restore operational ownership
Rotate access, document providers, enable stronger authentication, and define responsibility for backups, updates, and incidents.
Keep in mind
This guide provides a general starting point. A diagnosis must account for the actual site, access, data, and constraints before any change.