Websites & support / Explainer
Will I be able to update my own website after it is built?
Suppose you want to change Friday’s opening hours, replace a service photograph and add a short announcement. Those are useful jobs to put into a website brief.
I would ask to see those edits demonstrated before calling the website easy to manage. A general promise that you can edit it leaves the practical questions unanswered.
Name the everyday jobs in the brief
List the content you expect to maintain yourself. Include the awkward examples: changing a service price in several places, replacing a document or updating a seasonal notice.
For each job, agree where the information lives and who owns it. If opening hours appear in a header and on a contact page, find out whether one edit updates both or whether there are separate fields to maintain.
| Fictional editing job | What to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Change Friday’s hours | Find the correct field and inspect everywhere it appears |
| Replace a service photograph | Choose the image and check its description and crop |
| Add an announcement | Create a draft, preview it and follow the publishing route |
Try the actual editor and account
WordPress’s block editor provides content controls for pages and posts. Its roles and capabilities determine what an account is allowed to do, and those permissions can be customised.
Use an account with the permissions intended for your work when practising. An administrator demonstration does not establish what your everyday editor account will be able to change.
For a bespoke build, agree which information gets an editing screen and which changes need another route. A custom website can have controls designed around the business, but the scope needs to be specified rather than assumed.
Source: WordPress: the block editor; WordPress: roles and capabilities
Practise the preview and publishing route
Use a controlled example to make the edit, preview it and inspect the result at phone and desktop widths. Check headings, links and any repeated information affected by the change.
Agree who may publish directly and who needs a review. Keep a practical correction process with the handover, so a mistaken edit has an owner and a known next step.
Record the demonstration or keep a short guide using fictional or approved content. Staff should be able to repeat the job without needing to remember an unfamiliar screen from a rushed handover.
Agree which changes still need technical support
Content editing, plugin updates and changes to the page structure carry different responsibilities. Write down which jobs the business will handle and which are covered by the support arrangement.
Keep named accounts and the approved access-recovery route current. When somebody new takes over the website, repeat the editing jobs with their actual account and update the guidance if the system has changed.
Sources
Checked on 23 October 2026.
- WordPress: the block editor
Content blocks, drafts, preview and publishing controls for WordPress pages/posts.
- WordPress: roles and capabilities
Configured capabilities determine account access; default roles can be customised.