Do you want to track your WordPress server’s uptime? The reliability of your website is no laughing matter and a lot of downtime can ruin your website’s reputation. A bad reputation makes growth very hard. It is common to run into the most common WordPress errors and experience some downtime, but your server is even more important to track.
Your WordPress server is maintained by your web host and you have no control when something goes wrong with it. It is very likely that your server has gone down and been restored without your knowledge. Today, I will demonstrate how to track your WordPress server’s uptime by using the Server Info plugin.
Why is it Important to Know This
You may be thinking, I have no control over my server, so what does it matter if I know about it or not? The answer is simple, you are paying your web host to host your website on a server and if they are not doing what they promised it may be time to switch. Your website may be experiencing downtime at the same time visitors are trying to access the website.
This will ruin your website’s reputation if it happens often. Websites with bad reputation do not grow fast and need to spend time repairing that reputation. Your website’s reliability should never come into question and if your web host is not doing their job right, you should know. Of course, keep in mind no web host is perfect and there will be some downtime at some point.
How to Track Your WordPress Server’s Uptime
Today, I will demonstrate how to track your WordPress server’s uptime by using the Server Info plugin. It is a simple plugin that shows you various server and website information, which includes the amount of server uptime. If you are not happy with the amount of uptime you are seeing, contact your provider for web hosting plans or get ready to switch.
Installing Server Info
Begin by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.
Search for Server Info in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.
Scroll down until you find the Server Info plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.
On the left-hand admin panel click on Settings and select the Server Info option. This will pull up the information page.
What Information Can I See
Unlike other plugins, this one works after activation. There is nothing to do but view the information. On the server side, you can see things like your Server hostname, Webmaster, PHP version, MySQL version, and much more. Most importantly it shows your server uptime at the bottom.
Below the server information, you can also see website specific information. Some of this information includes the current theme, active plugins, database information, and more.
Congratulations, you have successfully found your server’s uptime. The plugin will actively keep track of any changes and your uptime will be reflected accurately. Of course, seeing this number does not mean you understand it.
Understanding Uptime
Many people fail to see the importance of uptime. In fact, many prefer to see downtime exclusively. While downtime is also an important fact, uptime is a better indicator. Let’s say your web host promises that your server will be up and running 99% of the time. That sounds great and is great, but that means there will be downtime, 1% of downtime in this example.
Let’s do some simple math. There are 168 hours in a week. If the website has 1% of downtime in a week, that is 1.68 hours, which is almost 1 hour and 40 minutes of downtime. That doesn’t sound so bad, but let’s step it up a notch.
There are 365 days in a year (8760 hours). 1% of a year is 3.65 days (87.6 hours). 3 days is a significant amount of downtime, especially if it happens during peak hours. Think of it this way, that is 3.65 days that you are not earning anything from your website, but are paying for it.
No web host can offer 100% uptime, it is not possible. Hardware fails, natural disasters take place, power outages happen, and other variables outside their control. If your web host is promising 99% uptime, make sure they are delivering.
How satisfied are you with your web host? Were you surprised by your website server’s uptime?