Is Your Web Designer Still Maintaining Your Site, or Did They Just Stop?

If your web designer is not responding, check the site itself before you chase them again. Out-of-date WordPress, a pile of pending plugin updates and no recent backup usually mean maintenance stopped a while ago. You can confirm it in about 10 minutes, then take back your logins and hand the work to someone new without a falling-out.

Why do web designers quietly stop maintaining sites?

It’s rarely malicious. Designers close their business, change jobs or move into other work. Some only ever built sites and never offered ongoing care, while the owner assumed updates were part of the deal. Others were on a monthly fee that lapsed when a card expired.

Start by checking your paperwork. Look for a maintenance agreement or regular invoices. If you aren’t paying anyone for maintenance, there’s a good chance nobody is doing it.

How can I tell if my website is still being maintained?

Log in to your WordPress admin and work through these checks. If you can’t log in at all, that’s your first finding.

1. Check the WordPress version. Go to Dashboard, then Updates. WordPress.org lists every release and says only the most recent in the current series is safe to use and actively maintained (WordPress.org). At the time of writing, that’s 7.1.4.
2. Count the pending updates. The Plugins screen shows how many plugins have updates waiting. A long list, or updates months old, is the clearest sign nobody’s been in.
3. Check the PHP version. Go to Tools, then Site Health, then Info, and open the Server section (WordPress.org documentation). PHP 8.2 gets security fixes only until 31 December 2026, and older versions get none at all (PHP.net).
4. Read the Site Health status. The Status tab flags critical issues such as an outdated PHP version or plugins waiting to be updated.
5. Find the last backup. Check your backup plugin or hosting panel for the date of the most recent backup and where it’s stored. No backup in months is a serious gap.
6. Review the users. Look under Users for administrator accounts you don’t recognise. Old developer accounts should go once you’ve taken over.

What does it mean if everything is years out of date?

It means the site has been running on known weaknesses. Patchstack recorded 11,334 new WordPress vulnerabilities in 2025, 91% of them in plugins (Patchstack). An unmaintained site collects them month after month. Our article on what happens if you don’t update your website walks through how that decay plays out.

Resist the urge to click “update all”. A site that’s several years behind can break when everything jumps at once, especially if the PHP version changes too. Take a full backup first, then update in stages and test forms and key pages after each step.

How do I take over website maintenance without drama?

Keep it friendly and in writing. Most designers are happy to hand over a site they no longer want to look after.

1. Send a short, polite email. Say you’re moving maintenance elsewhere, thank them, and ask for what you need by a set date, such as two weeks.
2. Ask for every login. That means hosting, the domain registrar, DNS, WordPress admin, email, and any premium plugin or theme licences.
3. Ask for a full backup. Request the files and the database, not just a page export. Our website handover checklist lists everything worth collecting.
4. Confirm who owns the domain. If the designer registered it in their own name, ask them to move it to yours. Our guide to who owns your domain shows how to check.
5. Change the passwords. Once you have access, update every password and remove accounts that are no longer needed.

What if my web designer never replies?

You can often get back in without them. If the hosting account and domain are in your business name, the host and registrar can usually verify you and reset access. Have your business details and any old invoices ready.

It’s harder if accounts are in the designer’s name. You may need to prove the site and domain belong to your business, so gather invoices, emails and your registration details. In our experience, a calm, documented request to the provider works better than repeated messages to the designer.

If the site is still running but you can’t reach the hosting, a new provider can sometimes copy it from the WordPress admin alone. That’s a workaround, though, not a plan.

Who should look after the site next?

You have three realistic choices: do it yourself, hire a freelancer, or use a care plan. Our honest comparison of whether to outsource website maintenance helps you price your own time against a plan.

If you’d like it handled, our Maintain & Protect website care plans begin with a security audit, which matters most on a site that’s been left alone. Pairing a plan with managed hosting puts the server and the site with one team, so there’s no gap between them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my web designer is still maintaining my site?

Log in to WordPress and look at Dashboard, then Updates, and the Plugins screen. If WordPress or several plugins have updates waiting for months, and there’s no recent backup, nobody has been maintaining it. Ask your designer for a log of recent work to confirm.

Can a new developer take over an existing website?

Yes. A new developer needs the hosting, domain and WordPress logins, plus any premium licences. They should take a full backup and check the site’s security before changing anything, because an unmaintained site may already have problems.

Does my old web designer own my website?

It depends on your agreement and whose name the accounts are in. Content you supplied is usually yours, but check your contract for anything about design or code ownership. Make sure the domain and hosting are registered to your business.

Should I update everything as soon as I get access?

No. Take a full backup first. On a site that’s years behind, update in stages, starting with plugins, then the theme, then WordPress, and check PHP compatibility. Test forms and key pages after each step, so you know which change caused any problem.

What if I can’t get into my WordPress admin?

Try the lost password link first. If the admin email belongs to your old designer, ask your host to add a new administrator for you through the database. Your host will need to verify you own the hosting account.

Sources

1. Releases, WordPress.org, accessed November 2026
2. Site Health screen, WordPress.org documentation, July 2026
3. Supported versions, PHP.net, accessed November 2026
4. State of WordPress Security in 2026, Patchstack