Building something that survives you.
WHAT MAKES A PROJECT MAINTAINABLE
Version control with meaningful history Dependencies managed by a package manager, with a lock file Configuration separate from code Documentation covering setup, deployment and operations Automated tests covering critical paths A deployment process that is scripted, not remembered Backups configured and tested
WHAT MAKES ONE UNMAINTAINABLE
Code only on the server Core or plugin files edited directly Credentials in code No documentation A stack nobody else knows Dependencies abandoned by their authors
THE HANDOVER TEST
Could a competent developer who has never seen this project get it running locally, make a change, and deploy it, using only what is in the repository?
If not, the gap is what to document.
THE COMMERCIAL POINT
A project only you can maintain is a constraint on you as much as a risk to the client. It prevents you handing it over and moving on.
REVISIT ANNUALLY
Versions, dependencies, documentation accuracy, and whether the deployment process still works.
