When to start again.
WHEN REBUILDING MAKES SENSE
The compromise is extensive You cannot be confident of a clean result The site was old and due for replacement anyway Cleaning would take longer than rebuilding
WHAT REBUILDING MEANS
A fresh installation Fresh plugins and themes from legitimate sources Your content, checked and imported New credentials throughout
WHAT TO KEEP
Your content, after checking Your uploads, after checking Your domain and email
WHAT TO DISCARD
Everything else.
THE CERTAINTY ADVANTAGE
You know what is on the new site.
With cleaning, you never entirely do.
WHAT TO CHECK IN CONTENT YOU KEEP
Injected scripts or links in posts and pages Script files among uploads
WHAT TO DO ABOUT URLS
Preserve them, so links and search value survive.
HOW LONG IT TAKES
For a simple site, sometimes less than a thorough cleaning.
WHAT TO SET UP FROM THE START
Updates, backups, two-factor authentication, monitoring.
