---
title: "WordPress maintenance retainers and a rebuilt site"
description: "What WordPress backup and update retainers cover, how little routine care a site rebuilt on Replit needs, and how to choose who handles it."
url: https://aidrivensites.com/replace/backup-and-update-retainers
---

Backup and update retainers

# Fewer updates to chase, and a clear choice about who looks after the rest

Many WordPress owners pay a monthly retainer for someone to back up the site, update core, themes and plugins, and fix whatever breaks. A rebuilt site has no plugins or theme to update, so most of that routine work disappears. What remains, you handle yourself through Replit Agent, or have us manage.

## What they typically handle

Typical retainers cover scheduled backups, WordPress core, theme and plugin updates, uptime monitoring, and a set amount of content edits each month.

WordPress recommends backing up a site before updating it, which is one reason update work is often bundled with backups.[1]

## On a rebuilt site

### Checkpoints you can roll back to

Replit creates checkpoints of the project as changes are made, including files and, where selected, database contents, so a change that goes wrong can be rolled back.

### Changes reviewed before they go live

Edits are previewed in the workspace and published deliberately, so the public site does not change halfway through an update.

### Packages updated on purpose

There is no plugin list updating itself. Packages are updated when needed, checked in preview, and published.

### A clear choice of who does it

Client-managed: you make changes through Replit Agent and pay your own Replit usage. Managed by us: you send requests and we handle them within the agreed scope.

## What we ask you first

- What does your current retainer include, and what do you actually use?
- How many content changes do you make in a typical month?
- Would you rather make changes yourself or send them to someone?
- Who should be contacted if the site has a problem?

Questions

## Common questions

**Do I still need a retainer?**

No. Many owners make their own changes through Replit Agent. If you would rather hand them off, we manage the site under a simple agreement.

**Are checkpoints the same as off-site backups?**

Checkpoints let you roll the whole project back within Replit. For an off-site copy as well, the code can be kept in a GitHub repository in your name; we set that up on request.

## Sources

- [1] [Updating WordPress](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/updating-wordpress/) · WordPress.org Documentation · Checked 2026-10-26
- [2] [Checkpoints and Rollbacks](https://docs.replit.com/features/version-control/checkpoints-and-rollbacks) · Replit Docs · Checked 2026-10-26

Want to know how this would apply to your site?

[Ask about your current setup](https://aidrivensites.com/contact?service=rebuild&from=replace%2Fbackup-and-update-retainers#quote)

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