The Health Check Protocol goes deeper than the Initial Read. Where the Initial Read builds a structural map, this protocol stress-tests the infrastructure: PHP configuration, database integrity, file permissions, scheduled tasks, and security posture.
Run this after the Initial Read when site-health/status returned warnings or critical issues, or when you’ve been asked to investigate a specific problem. This is not a boot sequence — it’s a diagnostic deep dive.
Prerequisite: Complete the Initial Read Protocol first. This protocol assumes you already have a structural map of the site.
The Protocol
Step 1 — Run All Health Tests
List all available health tests, then run each one. The test results reveal PHP configuration issues, missing extensions, database connection problems, and file permission errors.
site-health/list-tests · site-health/run-test · site-health/info
Step 2 — Audit Plugin Updates
Check each active plugin for available updates. Outdated plugins are the most common attack vector on WordPress sites. Note which plugins have auto-update enabled.
plugins/list · plugins/get
Step 3 — Inspect Cron Events
List all scheduled cron events. Look for overdue events (past their scheduled time), stuck crons, and events tied to deactivated plugins. Overdue crons often indicate a misconfigured DISABLE_WP_CRON or missing server-side cron job.
cron/list-events · cron/list-schedules
Step 4 — Check Cache Status
Check the object cache status and list active transients. A large number of expired transients or a missing object cache can indicate performance issues.
cache/object-cache-status · cache/list-transients
Step 5 — Review User Accounts
List all users, paying attention to administrator accounts. Unexpected admin users, users with no recent activity, and application passwords are security-relevant findings.
users/list · users/list-app-passwords
All Abilities Used
| Step | Ability | Type | Module |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | site-health/list-tests | R | Site Health |
| 1 | site-health/run-test | R | Site Health |
| 1 | site-health/info | R | Site Health |
| 2 | plugins/list | R | Plugins |
| 2 | plugins/get | R | Plugins |
| 3 | cron/list-events | R | Cron |
| 3 | cron/list-schedules | R | Cron |
| 4 | cache/object-cache-status | R | Cache |
| 4 | cache/list-transients | R | Cache |
| 5 | users/list | R | Users |
| 5 | users/list-app-passwords | R | Users |