A TYPO3 website requires regular maintenance to ensure security, performance, and smooth functionality. Whether you’re a developer, administrator, or content manager, performing a systematic website check helps prevent issues and keeps your site running efficiently.
This guide covers the key areas to inspect during a TYPO3 website check, including security, performance, updates, and SEO.
1. System & Server Requirements Check
Before diving into content and functionality, verify that your server meets TYPO3’s technical requirements:
- PHP Version (Check compatibility with your TYPO3 version)
- Database (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or SQLite)
- Required PHP Extensions (e.g.,
gdlib,fileinfo,openssl) - Memory Limits (
memory_limitshould be at least 256MB) - File Permissions (Ensure
typo3temp/,fileadmin/, andtypo3conf/are writable)
🔹 How to Check?
Go to Admin Tools → Environment → Overview in the TYPO3 backend to see if any requirements are missing.
2. TYPO3 Core & Extension Updates
Running outdated software is a security risk. Check:
- TYPO3 Core Version (Upgrade to the latest stable release)
- Installed Extensions (Update or remove unused ones)
- Compatibility (Ensure extensions work with your TYPO3 version)
🔹 How to Update?
- Use Composer (
composer update typo3/cms-core) - Or the Extension Manager in the TYPO3 backend
⚠️ Pro Tip: Always test updates in a staging environment before applying them to the live site.
3. Security Audit
TYPO3 is secure, but misconfigurations can create vulnerabilities.
Critical Security Checks:
✅ User & Access Permissions (Limit admin access)
✅ Secure .htaccess Rules (Protect sensitive folders)
✅ Disable Debug Mode in Production ($GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['SYS']['displayErrors'] = 0)
✅ Check for Known Vulnerabilities (Use tools like TYPO3 Security Advisories)
✅ SSL Certificate Validity (Ensure HTTPS is enforced)
🔹 Recommended Tools:
- TYPO3 Scanner (Security extension)
- Mozilla Observatory (HTTPS & security headers check)
4. Performance Optimization
A slow website hurts SEO and user experience.
Key Performance Checks:
⚡ Caching Configuration (Enable TYPO3 Caching Framework)
⚡ Frontend Rendering Speed (Use Google PageSpeed Insights)
⚡ Image Optimization (Compress images in fileadmin/)
⚡ Database Optimization (Clean up unused records, check for slow queries)
⚡ CDN & HTTP/2 Support (Improve asset loading speed)
🔹 How to Improve?
- Enable OPcache in PHP
- Use EXT:staticfilecache for static page caching
- Optimize database tables via phpMyAdmin or Adminer
5. SEO & Content Review
TYPO3 has strong SEO capabilities—ensure they’re properly configured.
SEO Checklist:
🔎 XML Sitemap (Check if generated and submitted to Google)
🔎 Meta Tags (Title, description, Open Graph tags)
🔎 Canonical URLs (Avoid duplicate content issues)
🔎 Broken Links (Use EXT:linkvalidator)
🔎 Mobile-Friendliness (Test with Google Mobile-Friendly Test)
🔹 Recommended Extensions:
- EXT:seo (Built-in TYPO3 SEO features)
- EXT:go_maps_ext (For structured data & rich snippets)
6. Backup & Disaster Recovery Check
A broken website without backups is a nightmare.
✅ Verify Automated Backups (Database & files)
✅ Test Restoration Process (Ensure backups work)
✅ Off-Site Backup Storage (Cloud or remote server)
🔹 Recommended Backup Tools:
- TYPO3 Scheduler (Automate backups)
- EXT:ns_backup (Easy backup management)
7. Upgrade Readiness (If Planning an Update)
Before upgrading TYPO3:
- Check Deprecation Logs (
typo3temp/var/logs) - Test in a Staging Environment
- Document Custom Code Changes
Final Thoughts
A TYPO3 website check should be performed at least quarterly to maintain security, speed, and reliability. By following this checklist, you can prevent major issues and keep your site running smoothly.
🔧 Need Help? Consider hiring a TYPO3 expert for a professional audit if you’re managing a large or mission-critical website.
Next Steps:
- Run a TYPO3 System Report (Admin Tools → Reports)
- Schedule Regular Maintenance
- Monitor Performance & Security continuously