To standardise store health reviews across clients, use the same checklist for every store, record the result in the same format each time, share a short report the client can read, and repeat the review on a set schedule. A consistent process turns “I had a look at the site” into something you can compare month to month and hand to a colleague.
This guide is for agencies and freelancers who look after several WooCommerce stores. It describes a lightweight process you can adopt with or without any particular tool, and shows where a scan plugin helps.
Why standardise
- Nothing is skipped. A checklist does not forget the checkout page when you are busy.
- Anyone on the team can do it. The result does not depend on who looked.
- You can show change. A score or a count of open issues, recorded each time, shows whether things improved.
- Clients understand it. A one-page report is easier to act on than a long message.
- Problems are found earlier, before the client reports them.
Step 1: Decide what a review covers
Write the list once. A practical WooCommerce review usually covers these areas.
- Checkout and cart: are the pages correct, and are the address fields and payment options as expected?
- Payments: which gateways are enabled, and is any left in test mode?
- Shipping and tax: do the zones, methods and rates still add up?
- Background tasks: are WP-Cron and Action Scheduler running without a backlog?
- Performance: object cache, autoloaded data size, obvious slowdowns.
- Updates and environment: PHP version, memory limit, plugin and theme updates waiting.
- Security basics: HTTPS, admin accounts, debug settings left on.
- Recent orders: any pattern of failed orders.
Keep the list short enough that it gets done. You can add a deeper section for stores with integrations or custom code.
Step 2: Use one tool for the repeatable part
Much of that list is configuration you can read automatically. The free KODENZO Commerce Health plugin runs 34 read-only checks in seven categories, gives a 0 to 100 score and a status, and tracks each finding as an issue with a lifecycle (detected, active, resolved, reopened). It also shows the results on the WordPress Site Health screen and can be run from the command line with wp kodenzo-ch scan, which helps when you look after many sites.
It only reads configuration and order counts, and it changes nothing. It does not test your real payment methods and it does not judge the quality of custom code, so treat it as the first pass, not the whole review.
Step 3: Record the result in the same place every time
For each client, keep a simple log: the date, who ran the review, the score, the number of open issues by severity, and what you did about them. The plugin keeps a scan history and a score trend inside the store, and you can export any scan as a CSV or PDF report. Copy the headline numbers into your own client record so you can see all stores in one place.
Step 4: Add what a scan cannot see
Add a short manual section to every review:
- Place a real order with a real payment method, and refund it, on a schedule that suits the store’s risk.
- Check the checkout on a phone.
- Check that confirmation emails arrive.
- Look at the last few failed or stuck orders.
- Ask the client what has changed: new plugins, new campaigns, new suppliers.
Step 5: Report in one page
Clients do not need 34 results. A useful report has four parts.
- The headline: the score, whether it moved, and one sentence on how the store is doing.
- What needs attention first, in plain words, with why it matters.
- What you fixed since the last review.
- What you recommend next, with an estimate if it is paid work.
The PDF export of a scan can be attached as the detail. Check what your agreement says about sharing it, since a report describes a client’s store.
Step 6: Set a schedule
- Every store: a scan after any significant change, and a regular review (for example monthly or quarterly, depending on the store).
- Busy periods: an extra review before peak seasons.
- High-revenue stores: consider continuous monitoring, so problems are found between reviews. KODENZO Commerce Health PRO is a paid add-on for that, which monitors payments, checkout errors, plugin changes and checkout speed in the background, with email alerts.
Handling alerts across several clients
The plugin sends an email when a scan finds a new critical issue, and you can set up to 5 To and 5 CC addresses, so the alert can reach both the client and your team. Decide in advance who acts on alerts, and how quickly. The alert tells you something was found, it does not fix it.
A starter template
- Store and URL, date, reviewer.
- Scan score and status, previous score, open issues (critical, high, medium, low).
- Manual checks: real order, mobile checkout, emails, failed orders.
- Findings to fix now, findings to schedule, findings to accept (with reason).
- Next review date.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I review a client’s store?
Monthly or quarterly suits many stores, plus a scan after any big change. High-revenue stores justify continuous monitoring on top.
Does a good score mean the store is fine?
No. A score summarises configuration findings. It does not place an order or see real customers.
Can I use the same process for stores that are not mine to fix?
Yes, as a diagnostic first step, with the client’s permission. The plugin reads configuration and changes nothing, but you still need access to install and run it.
Working with an engineering partner
If your agency needs a team to fix what reviews find, or to build custom plugins and integrations behind your brand, see our agency development partnerships service. Related reading: WooCommerce health check.