Creating a Website Information Manual

Managing a WordPress website means you have many moving parts to keep track of. Throughout its lifecycle, a website will undergo many changes. Some will be superficial, like new colors and content. Others will be structural, like hosting vendors and premium plugin usage. Having a centralized repository of essential information about structural and tool changes can save you from panic or stress later on down the road during staff changes or service provider issues.

Every website is different, but the core list of information you need to collect is the same for nearly everyone. As you work through this guide, add any other services or external providers to your list that may not be specifically listed here. Some examples of this type of additional info are CRM administrators, the owners of your social accounts, and responsible parties for internal integrations. As an agency owner, I can’t tell you how often I’ve had to wait for clients to hunt down this information, help them restore access, or transition systems in a pinch.

Note: Including screenshots and step-by-step instructions can add clarity to the information you’re recording, making it easier for anyone to follow.

1. Internal Contacts and Stakeholders
   1. Emergency Contact
   2. Billing Contact
   3. Team members involved in the website
2. Hosting Provider
   1. Company Name
   2. Login URL and Credentials
   3. Support Contact Details
   4. Plan details such as limits and cost
3. Email Provider
   1. Provider Access Details
   2. Plan details
4. Domain Registrar
   1. Expiry Date
   2. Renewal Type
   3. Provider Details
   4. Access Credentials
   5. Additional information
5. TSL/SSL Certificate
   1. Expiry Date
   2. Provider Details
   3. Access Credentials
   4. Certificate Type and Details
6. CDN Provider
   1. Provider Name
   2. Access Credentials
7. Website Administrator
   1. Login URL and Access Credentials
   2. FTP/SFTP Access Details such as hostname and Port
8. Backup and Restore Information
   1. Backup Provider
   2. Backup Restore Process
   3. Access Credentials
   4. Backup Plan Details
9. Third-Party Service and APIs
   1. Provider Details
   2. Access Credentials
   3. Details for each listing
10. Premium Tools
    1. Plugin Provider
    2. Renewal Terms and Cost
    3. Keys
    4. Access Credentials
    5. Details on usage terms

If you’re not centralizing or documenting this information, consider at least writing a disaster recovery plan. Accidents and unforeseen events can occur anytime, disrupting your website’s everyday operations. A well-documented disaster and recovery plan can mitigate the impact and stress from these events. This plan should outline steps to take in the event of server crashes, data breaches, or other emergencies. Ensure that key personnel have access to it when needed.

Storing Your Website Information Manual

As you assemble all of this information, consider the best place to store it for easy access and updating. You can store an electronic document behind your firewall and internal security measures if you have a secure internal server or protected file storage. While it may be tempting to password-protect it and leave it with other general company information, I’d advise against it. If the sticky note you stored the password on gets lost or there is staff turnover, you may lose access. You want to minimize the chance of that happening.

If you don’t have a secure place to store your website information manual, a secure password manager is a great alternative for organizing and protecting your details. Tools like LastPass, Dashlane, or 1Password are easy to use and provision access through. They are a great choice to securely store and share login credentials and other information. Using a password manager in this way ensures that all necessary information is easily accessible to authorized personnel while remaining protected from those who do not need it.

The key is to make sure that the right people have access and that the information is kept up-to-date.

Taking the time to collect all of this information in one place will pay dividends when you least expect it. Whether you’re supporting smooth day-to-day operations or mitigating potential disasters, having a central record of credentials, processes, and disaster recovery plans is the smart and proactive approach to website management.

If you want to create a Website Information Manual but aren’t sure where to start, you can use our template. You can also visit our Resources section of the website for more helpful website management tools.