WordPress service agreement: what do you get?
You probably know your WordPress site needs maintenance. But what is actually included in a service agreement — and when does it make sense to pay for one? This guide gives you the concrete overview, so you can compare offers and make the right decision.
If you want to know why a service agreement pays off, you can read that article here. This article is about what you actually get.
Service agreement vs ad-hoc support
| Service agreement | Ad-hoc support | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Fixed monthly price | Pay per task |
| Proactive | Yes — monitoring, updates, and backups run continuously | No — you call when something is broken |
| Response time | Guaranteed (typically 4-24 hours) | Depends on availability |
| Cost per hour | Lower (hours are "prepaid") | Higher (emergency rate) |
| Predictability | Budget is fixed and known | Costs can vary wildly |
With a service agreement, you pay a fixed price to have problems detected and resolved before they hit your customers. With ad-hoc support, you pay only when the damage is done — and emergency help is always more expensive.
What is typically included?
Updates
- WordPress core updates (major and minor)
- Plugin updates with compatibility testing
- Theme updates
- PHP version updates (coordinated with hosting)
Updates are the single most important part of a service agreement. 60% of all WordPress hacks are caused by outdated plugins.
Backups
- Automatic backups (daily or weekly, depending on tier)
- Offsite backup storage (not just on the server)
- Quick restore capability
Monitoring
- Uptime monitoring (you get notified if the site goes down)
- Security scanning for malware and suspicious activity
- Performance monitoring (load times, errors)
Support
- Access to technical support via email or phone
- Guaranteed response time
- Troubleshooting and problem resolution
- Advice on improvements
Security
- Firewall configuration
- Login protection (brute force blocking)
- Regular security scanning
- Malware removal if the site is compromised
What is NOT included?
It is just as important to know what is not part of the deal:
- New functionality — new pages, new features, new integrations
- Redesign — changes to layout, colors, or branding
- Content production — text, images, blog posts
- SEO strategy — keyword research and content planning
- Third-party licenses — premium plugin licenses are typically your own expense
These items can usually be purchased as extra hours or separate projects.
What does it cost?
| Tier | Price/month | Includes | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 40–80 EUR | Updates, weekly backup, uptime monitoring | Simple sites without webshop |
| Professional | 80–200 EUR | Everything from basic + daily backup, security scanning, support (response within 24h), minor changes | Business sites with forms and leads |
| Premium | 200–400 EUR | Everything from professional + priority support (response within 4h), monthly report, SEO monitoring, larger changes | Webshops and business-critical sites |
When do you need one?
A service agreement makes sense if:
- Your website is part of your business (leads, sales, credibility)
- You do not have time or interest to update WordPress regularly yourself
- You handle customer data, forms, or payment solutions
- Downtime costs you money or reputation
You can manage without one if:
- It is a personal blog with no business value
- You are technical and disciplined enough to update consistently yourself
- The site is static and does not run WordPress
5 questions to ask before signing
- Who owns my data and backups? You should always have full access to your own backups.
- What is the exact response time? "Fast support" is not good enough. Get it in hours, in writing.
- What counts as "minor changes"? Get a definition of whether it is a number of hours, task types, or number of changes.
- What does extra work cost beyond the agreement? Be clear about the hourly rate for work that falls outside.
- What is the cancellation period? Avoid contracts with more than 1-3 months of lock-in.
Want to see what a service agreement costs for your site?
See my service agreements or contact me for a quote based on your site's needs.
