Title here
Summary here
Maintenance Mode
Display a professional, customizable maintenance page to visitors while you work on your site. Administrators and selected roles can continue to access the site normally, while everyone else sees a beautiful “we’ll be back soon” message.
Use Cases
- Perform updates or migrations without visitors seeing broken pages
- Make significant design changes privately before revealing them
- Build a site in production while showing a coming soon page
- Do development work while keeping the site offline to the public
How It Works
- Enable the module and turn on Maintenance Mode
- Customize the page with your logo, colors, and message
- Visitors see the maintenance page
- Users with allowed roles (administrators by default) see the normal site
- An admin bar notice reminds you that maintenance mode is active
Where to Find It
Location: Enable in the module settings. View the maintenance page by logging out and visiting your site (or use an incognito window).
Settings
Core Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Maintenance Mode | Off | Toggle the maintenance page on/off |
| Page Title | “We’ll Be Back Soon” | Main heading displayed to visitors |
| Message | Default maintenance message | Explanation text below the heading |
| Logo | None | Optional logo to display (recommended) |
Background Settings
| Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Background Type | Color or Image | Choose solid color or full-screen image |
| Background Color | #1e293b (dark slate) | Solid background color |
| Background Image | None | Full-screen background image |
Color Scheme
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Text Color | #ffffff (white) | Color for all text on the page |
| Accent Color | #f59e0b (amber) | Used for highlights, countdown, and badge |
User Access
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed Roles | Administrator | Toggle each user role that can bypass maintenance mode |
Countdown Timer
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Show Countdown | Off | Display countdown timer to estimated completion |
| End Time | None | When maintenance will be complete |
The Maintenance Page
When enabled, visitors see:
- Your logo (or a wrench icon if no logo set)
- Status badge “Under Maintenance”
- Title Your custom heading
- Message Your explanation text
- Countdown (optional) Days, hours, minutes, seconds remaining
The page features smooth animations and a professional, modern design.
User Access Control
By default, only Administrators can bypass maintenance mode. You can enable access for additional roles:
| Role | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Always allow (default) |
| Editor | Allow if editors need to work during maintenance |
| Author | Usually not needed |
| Subscriber | Usually not needed |
| Custom roles | Add as needed for your site |
Users with allowed roles see the normal site. Everyone else sees the maintenance page.
Admin Bar Notice
When maintenance mode is active, logged-in users with access see a notice in the admin bar:
🔧 Maintenance Mode ActiveClick it to go to Switchboard settings and disable maintenance mode when you’re done.
Design Customization Examples
Dark Professional
Background: #1e293b (dark slate)
Text: #ffffff (white)
Accent: #6366f1 (indigo)Light Minimal
Background: #f8fafc (light gray)
Text: #1e293b (dark)
Accent: #10b981 (green)Brand Colors
Background: Your primary brand color
Text: White or contrasting color
Accent: Your secondary brand colorPhoto Background
Background: Full-screen brand photo
Text: #ffffff (white)
Accent: Complementary colorCountdown Timer
The countdown shows visitors when you expect to be back online:
[ 00 ] [ 05 ] [ 32 ] [ 15 ]
Days Hours Mins SecsWhen the countdown reaches zero, it displays “Maintenance complete!” — but doesn’t automatically disable maintenance mode. You still need to manually turn it off when ready.
FAQ
Can visitors still access my site during maintenance?
Only users logged in with an allowed role can access the site. All other visitors (including search engines) see the maintenance page.Will this affect my SEO?
For short maintenance periods, impact is minimal. The maintenance page shows visitors a holding message while you work. For extended periods, search engines may reduce crawl frequency.What if I get locked out?
If you accidentally lock yourself out, access your site via FTP and disable the Switchboard plugin temporarily by renaming the plugin folder. Or use wp-cli:wp plugin deactivate wpswitchboard-pro.Can I test the maintenance page while logged in?
Yes! Open an incognito/private browser window (where you’re not logged in) and visit your site to see exactly what visitors see.Does the countdown automatically disable maintenance mode?
No, the countdown is informational only. You must manually disable maintenance mode when you’re ready to go live.Will forms on the maintenance page work?
The built-in maintenance page is display-only. For email collection or contact forms, you would need to customize or use a landing page plugin.Always test your maintenance page in an incognito window before announcing maintenance to users. This ensures you see exactly what visitors will see.
Don’t Forget
An admin bar notice appears when maintenance mode is active, but you might still forget to disable it. Consider setting a calendar reminder for when you expect to finish.
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