What website maintenance includes, and what it doesn't
Website maintenance covers what keeps the site running: renewals, backups, updates and fixing things that break. Content edits may or may not be included, and new features aren't maintenance at all: they're new development.
Website maintenance covers what keeps the site running: renewals, backups, updates and fixing things that break. Content edits may or may not be included, depending on what you agree on. And new features aren't maintenance: they're new development, quoted separately.
I covered what maintenance costs in how much it costs to maintain a website. This piece is about something else: what the word “maintenance” actually covers, because it causes more misunderstandings between clients and developers than almost any other.
Three different things with the same name
When someone says “maintenance,” they can mean three things. Keeping it alive: the site stays online, secure and working the way it was delivered. Keeping it current: changing prices, photos, copy, hours or products. Making it better: adding a section, a feature or a connection to another tool that wasn't there before.
The first is maintenance in the strict sense. The second can be, if you agree to it. The third is a new project, even a small one. Separate those three when you talk to your developer and you've already avoided half the problems.
What's usually in and what's out
| Task | Is it maintenance? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Renewing the domain and hosting | Yes, or at least a reminder | If they lapse, the site goes dark |
| Regular backups | Yes | The more data you store, the more they matter |
| Updating the parts that make the site run | Yes | Prevents breakage and security holes |
| Fixing something that worked and stopped working | Yes | This is the main reason to have maintenance |
| Checking speed and how it looks on phones | Yes, now and then | Browsers and phones keep changing |
| Changing prices, photos or copy | Depends on the agreement | With your own admin panel, you do it |
| Adding a new section or feature | No | Quoted as new development |
| Redesigning the site | No | A separate project |
A website isn't the same as business software
A brochure site that rarely changes needs light maintenance: online, secure, up to date. Internal software your team uses every day (bookings, register, inventory, orders) is a different story. There, the data is the most valuable part, and a problem doesn't just look bad, it stops work.
That's why maintenance on business software puts more weight on backups and on being able to restore everything quickly. I explain it in backups for business software. Security matters more too: who has access, with what passwords and what happens when someone leaves; there's a checklist in website security basics for small business.
Fewer change requests, thanks to an admin panel
One way to keep maintenance light is to not need to request everyday changes at all. For Boca de Lobo, a steakhouse with two locations in Buenos Aires, I built a website with a QR digital menu of more than 250 items, promotions and locations, plus an admin panel so they can change prices, dishes and promotions without depending on the developer.
That puts “keeping it current” in the hands of the business, which is who knows when a price changes. What's left for maintenance is the technical side. If the idea appeals to you, I went deeper in custom admin dashboard.
See the Boca de Lobo caseWhat to put in writing before you start
Whether it's a monthly plan or pay-as-you-go support, make sure it spells out:
- Which tasks are included, using the same logic as the table above.
- How quickly someone responds when something breaks, and how you report it.
- What counts as a new request and how it gets quoted.
- Who renews the domain and hosting, and whose name they're under.
- Where backups are stored and how often they run.
- What happens if the agreement ends: which logins you receive and what state everything is left in.
The same applies to apps and quote tools
Apps also have to keep up with Google Play and the App Store, which now and then require changes to stay listed. A quote tool or configurator needs prices, models and options kept current; I wrote about that in maintaining a 3D configurator.
In every case, the first stretch after launch is when most adjustments come up. I described what to expect in what happens after your website launches.
Frequently asked questions
Does every website need monthly maintenance?
Not to the same degree. A simple site that barely changes may need very little beyond renewals. Software your team uses every day, with data constantly changing, needs more attention. It's worth defining based on what you actually have.
Is fixing a bug maintenance, or is it billed separately?
If something that worked stops working, that's maintenance. If you want something to work differently from how it was requested and delivered, that's a new change. Writing that distinction down at the start prevents most disagreements.
Can I do the maintenance myself?
Part of it, yes: content edits, if your site has a panel for that, and keeping an eye on domain renewal dates. The technical side, like updates and backups, is better left to someone who knows it, even if it's just a periodic check.
What happens if I stop paying for maintenance?
It depends on what it covered. If the domain and hosting are in your name, the site stays online as long as you renew them. What you lose is the regular checkup, so problems only surface once something breaks.
If you have a website or business software and you're not sure what maintenance it needs, or you're about to build one and want to define it from day one, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email contacto@facundocampo.com.ar. I answer in English and Spanish, and I'll send a proposal with scope, timeline and a fixed quote within 48 hours.