How to Create a WordPress Maintenance Page (2026)

How to Create a WordPress Maintenance Page

A maintenance page shows visitors a branded, informative screen while you work on your site instead of exposing a broken or incomplete design. It's also used for "coming soon" pages when building a new site before launch.

WordPress Default Maintenance Mode

WordPress has a built-in maintenance mode triggered during updates. It displays a plain text message: "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute." This isn't suitable for extended maintenance periods or new builds. You need a plugin for a proper maintenance page.

Option 1: SeedProd (Free/Paid)

SeedProd is the most popular maintenance and coming soon page plugin with 1+ million installs. The free version includes:

• Drag-and-drop page builder
• Email opt-in integration (collect leads while building)
• Social media links
• Countdown timer
• Mobile responsive templates

1. Install SeedProd
2. Go to SeedProd → Pages and click Set up a Maintenance Mode Page
3. Choose a template or start from scratch
4. Customize with your branding, message, and contact details
5. Toggle Activate Maintenance Mode to ON

Option 2: WP Maintenance Mode (Free)

Lightweight alternative with less design flexibility but simpler setup. Configure text, background, and a countdown timer in under 5 minutes. Good for quick, temporary maintenance windows.

Bypass for Logged-in Users

Both plugins allow administrators to view the real site while visitors see the maintenance page. Test your updates normally while the maintenance screen is active. When ready, toggle maintenance mode off with one click.

SiteICO Staging Alternative

For major rebuilds, consider using SiteICO's staging environment to build the new version while your live site remains fully operational. When ready, push staging to production — no maintenance window needed.