A plugin update that quietly breaks a checkout flow, or a theme change that silently shifts a layout on mobile — these are the failures that maintenance work is supposed to catch before a client ever sees them. This role exists to be that safety net: testing every update, fix, and change made across the live WordPress site portfolio before and after it goes live, so nothing breaks quietly in production.
You’ll work closely with WordPress Maintenance Developers to verify their work, catch regressions early, and make sure routine maintenance never becomes a source of client-facing surprises.
This role is for someone who enjoys:
- Catching what a developer missed, calmly and without ego
- Testing methodically across a wide variety of live sites rather than one deep codebase
- Thinking like a client — what would actually break their experience?
- Bringing structure and repeatability to testing rather than ad hoc checking
If you’re someone who takes real satisfaction in a site that keeps working exactly as it should after every update, this role will keep you constantly useful.
- Test WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates on staging before they’re pushed to production
- Verify critical site functionality after updates go live — forms, checkout, navigation, integrations
- Flag regressions or conflicts introduced by updates before clients notice them
- Maintain a consistent testing checklist across all managed sites to avoid missed checks
- Verify that bug fixes and customizations from Maintenance Developers actually resolve the reported issue
- Test fixes across relevant browsers, devices, and user roles where applicable
- Confirm no new issues were introduced as a side effect of a fix
- Send fixes back with clear, specific feedback when something isn’t resolved correctly
- Test WooCommerce functionality after updates or changes — product display, checkout, payment gateways, order flow
- Verify third-party integrations (CRMs, APIs, payment gateways) continue working correctly after site changes
- Flag plugin compatibility issues proactively, before they affect live functionality
- Run basic performance checks after significant updates or changes to catch obvious regressions
- Flag visible security concerns or suspicious behavior for the Maintenance Developer or Technical Lead to investigate
- Support periodic health checks across the site portfolio alongside routine maintenance cycles
- Log all testing activity, issues found, and resolutions clearly and consistently
- Track testing tasks and status in the team’s project management tool (Orbit)
- Maintain a record of recurring issues or problem-prone sites to inform future maintenance priorities
- Refine and expand testing checklists as new issue patterns emerge
- Recommend process improvements to catch issues earlier or more efficiently
- Support the Maintenance team in building a more repeatable, less ad hoc QA process
- Use AI-assisted tools to help generate test cases, summarize testing sessions, or speed up documentation
- Explore ways to make repetitive testing tasks faster without sacrificing thoroughness
- You test methodically and don’t skip steps even when things feel routine
- You can hold context across many different live sites without mixing them up
- You give clear, specific feedback that developers can act on immediately
- You think about what a real client or end user would notice, not just what the ticket says
- You document consistently so patterns and recurring issues don’t get lost
- 4 years of QA/testing experience, ideally with exposure to WordPress or CMS-based websites
- Solid understanding of WordPress structure — plugins, themes, core updates, and how they can conflict
- Experience testing web applications across browsers, devices, and screen sizes
- Working knowledge of WooCommerce functionality (product pages, checkout, order management)
- Ability to write clear, specific bug reports and testing checklists
- Strong attention to detail and methodical testing habits
- Comfortable managing testing across multiple concurrent client sites
- WordPress, WooCommerce
- Browser dev tools, cross-browser/device testing tools
- Orbit (task tracking)
- AI-assisted tools for test case generation and documentation
- Basic understanding of PHP or ability to read code well enough to describe a bug precisely
- Familiarity with staging/production deployment workflows
- Exposure to performance testing tools (GTmetrix, Lighthouse, or similar)
- Basic understanding of website security concerns
- Experience working in an agency environment with a portfolio of maintenance retainer clients
- A central role in protecting client trust across a live site portfolio
- Close collaboration with WordPress Maintenance Developers and Technical Leads
- Exposure to a wide range of WordPress and WooCommerce environments
- Room to shape and improve maintenance QA processes as the team scales
