The WordPress maintenance mode page automatically shows to website visitors when you’re updating your site, like when you’re updating core files, plugins or themes. The point of the maintenance mode page is to prevent your site from looking like it’s broken when it’s just undergoing routine updating.
The page is supposed to show only temporarily, but sometimes it sticks around for longer than it should. That means your site will be offline for far longer than you intended, which can be bad for everything from your brand reputation to search engine ranking.
Another problem that a lot of website owners have with WordPress maintenance mode is that the page is overly basic. It has limited messaging, which doesn’t exactly clue your visitors into what’s going on and how long the site will be down for. If branding is a concern, there’s a way to rectify this.
In this article, we’re going to cover the ins and outs of the WordPress maintenance mode. We’ll explain why and how it happens, common problems users face with it and options for creating a more stylized maintenance page.
