WordPress Domain Due Diligence Checklist
Due diligence is the investigation process before purchasing a WordPress domain. Skipping or rushing this step is the most common cause of buyer regret. This actionable checklist ensures you examine e...
Introduction
Due diligence is the investigation process before purchasing a WordPress domain. Skipping or rushing this step is the most common cause of buyer regret. This actionable checklist ensures you examine every critical aspect of a potential acquisition, protecting your investment and setting you up for success.
Pre-Purchase Checklist
Section 1: Basic Information
Domain Details
- Domain name and extension
- Current registrar
- Registration date
- Expiration date
- Transfer lock status
- WHOIS privacy status
Seller Information
- Seller identity verified
- Reason for selling documented
- Seller responsiveness rating
- Reference check (if available)
Sale Details
- Asking price
- What's included in sale
- Transfer method specified
- Escrow service agreed
- Timeline expectations
Section 2: Traffic Verification
Google Analytics Review
- 12+ months of data available
- Monthly users documented
- Monthly sessions documented
- Monthly pageviews documented
- Avg session duration noted
- Bounce rate recorded
- User demographics reviewed
- Geographic distribution analyzed
Traffic Source Analysis
- Organic search percentage
- Direct traffic percentage
- Referral traffic percentage
- Social media percentage
- Email traffic percentage
- Paid traffic percentage (if any)
Traffic Quality Checks
- No suspicious spikes identified
- Traffic trends stable/growing
- Seasonality patterns understood
- Bot/spam traffic filtered
- Geographic match to monetization
Traffic Verification Score: ___/10
Section 3: Revenue Verification
Revenue Documentation Received
- 12 months of revenue data
- Ad network screenshots (dated)
- Affiliate reports (dated)
- Payment processor records
- Bank deposit confirmation
Revenue Stream Analysis
| Source | Monthly Avg | % of Total | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Ads | $ | % | Y/N |
| Affiliate | $ | % | Y/N |
| Products | $ | % | Y/N |
| Services | $ | % | Y/N |
| Other | $ | % | Y/N |
| Total | $ | 100% |
Revenue Health Checks
- RPM within industry norms
- Revenue trend assessed
- Revenue diversification evaluated
- Seasonal patterns understood
- No single dependency over 70%
Expense Documentation
| Expense | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $ | $ |
| Plugin licenses | $ | $ |
| Content creation | $ | $ |
| Marketing | $ | $ |
| Other | $ | $ |
| Total Expenses | $ | $ |
Net Profit Calculation
- Monthly Revenue: $_______
- Monthly Expenses: $_______
- Monthly Profit: $_______
- Annual Profit: $_______
Revenue Verification Score: ___/10
Section 4: SEO Analysis
Domain Metrics
- Moz DA: ___
- Ahrefs DR: ___
- Majestic TF: ___
- Domain age: ___ years
Backlink Profile
- Total backlinks: ___
- Referring domains: ___
- Dofollow percentage: ___%
- Link quality assessment complete
- Anchor text distribution reviewed
- Link velocity checked
Backlink Health Checks
- No PBN links identified
- No link schemes detected
- Anchor text diversity acceptable
- Toxic links percentage low (<10%)
- Natural link growth pattern
Keyword Rankings
- Keywords in top 10: ___
- Keywords in top 100: ___
- Featured snippets: ___
- Ranking trends assessed
- No major ranking drops
Google Search Console Check
- Manual actions: None / Present
- Security issues: None / Present
- Coverage errors reviewed
- Mobile usability: Pass / Issues
- Core Web Vitals: Pass / Issues
SEO Score: ___/10
Section 5: Content Audit
Content Inventory
- Total posts: ___
- Total pages: ___
- Categories: ___
- Content freshness assessed
- Publication frequency noted
Content Quality Check (Sample 10-20 pieces)
- Plagiarism check passed
- Writing quality acceptable
- Information accuracy verified
- Formatting consistent
- Images properly licensed
Top Performing Content
| Post Title | Monthly Traffic | Revenue Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | ||
| 2. | ||
| 3. | ||
| 4. | ||
| 5. |
Content Risk Factors
- No plagiarized content found
- No AI content without editing
- No severely outdated content
- No copyright violations
- YMYL content accuracy verified
Content Score: ___/10
Section 6: Technical WordPress Review
WordPress Installation
- WordPress version: ___
- PHP version: ___
- Database version: ___
- All core files present
- No modified core files
Theme Details
- Theme name: ___________
- Theme version: ___
- Theme type: Free / Premium
- License status: Active / Expired
- License transferable: Yes / No
- Child theme used: Yes / No
Plugin Inventory
| Plugin | Version | Status | License | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Plugin Health
- All plugins updated
- No abandoned plugins
- No conflicting plugins
- Premium licenses documented
- Total annual plugin cost: $___
Database Health
- Database size: ___ MB
- Post revisions: ___
- Spam comments: ___
- Database optimized: Yes / No
Security Check
- Security plugin installed
- Malware scan: Clean / Issues
- User accounts reviewed
- Admin renamed from default
- 2FA available
- File permissions correct
- SSL certificate active
Performance Check
- Mobile PageSpeed: ___/100
- Desktop PageSpeed: ___/100
- GTmetrix grade: ___
- Time to interactive: ___ sec
- Core Web Vitals: Pass / Fail
Technical Score: ___/10
Section 7: Hosting & Infrastructure
Current Hosting
- Hosting provider: ___________
- Plan type: ___________
- Monthly cost: $___
- Server location: ___
- Resources adequate: Yes / No
Transfer Requirements
- Hosting transfer needed: Yes / No
- Migration complexity: Low / Medium / High
- Downtime expected: ___ hours
- SSL transfer plan
- Email migration plan
Domain Transfer
- Auth/EPP code obtainable
- 60-day lock status
- Transfer process clear
Infrastructure Score: ___/10
Section 8: Risk Assessment
Penalty Risk
- Google manual actions: None / Present
- Historical penalties: None / Past
- Algorithm vulnerability: Low / Medium / High
- Link penalty risk: Low / Medium / High
Dependency Risk
| Dependency | Risk Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic source | ||
| Revenue stream | ||
| Key plugin | ||
| Content type |
Legal Risk
- Trademark search completed
- No trademark conflicts
- Copyright verified
- Privacy policy compliant
- Terms of service present
- GDPR/CCPA compliance
Market Risk
- Industry outlook assessed
- Competition analyzed
- Technology changes evaluated
- Google dependency acceptable
Risk Score: ___/10 (Higher = Lower Risk)
Section 9: Growth Potential
Content Opportunities
- Keyword gaps identified
- Content expansion potential
- Update opportunities listed
- Format expansion possible
Monetization Opportunities
- Additional ad networks
- New affiliate programs
- Product creation potential
- Service offerings
- Email monetization
Traffic Growth Potential
- SEO improvement potential
- Social media opportunity
- Link building potential
- Email list growth
Growth Score: ___/10
Section 10: Financial Analysis
Valuation Metrics
- Monthly profit: $___
- Valuation multiple: ___x
- Calculated value: $___
- Asking price: $___
- Price vs value: Over / Under / Fair
ROI Projection
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Profit | Cumulative ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $ | $ | $ | % |
| 2 | $ | $ | $ | % |
| 3 | $ | $ | $ | % |
Break-Even Analysis
- Purchase price: $___
- Monthly profit: $___
- Break-even: ___ months
Investment Decision Matrix
| Factor | Weight | Score | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic | 20% | /10 | |
| Revenue | 25% | /10 | |
| SEO | 20% | /10 | |
| Content | 15% | /10 | |
| Technical | 10% | /10 | |
| Risk | 5% | /10 | |
| Growth | 5% | /10 | |
| Total | 100% | /100 |
Final Decision Framework
Score Interpretation
85-100: Strong Buy
- Proceed with confidence
- Negotiate reasonable terms
70-84: Buy with Conditions
- Address specific concerns
- Negotiate price adjustments
- Plan for improvements
55-69: Proceed with Caution
- Significant due diligence gaps
- Major price negotiation needed
- Consider alternative opportunities
Below 55: Do Not Buy
- Too many red flags
- Risk outweighs potential
- Look elsewhere
Go/No-Go Decision
PROCEED if:
- Total score above 70
- No unresolved red flags
- Financials make sense
- Growth potential exists
- Transfer process clear
- Within budget
DO NOT PROCEED if:
- Seller won't verify claims
- Manual penalty present
- Revenue unverifiable
- Major technical issues
- Legal concerns
- Score below 55
Post-Decision Actions
If Proceeding
- Finalize price negotiation
- Set up escrow
- Create transfer timeline
- Prepare hosting (Cloudways recommended)
- Document all access credentials
- Plan first 30-day actions
If Not Proceeding
- Document decision reasons
- Save research for future reference
- Provide feedback to seller (optional)
- Continue searching alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should due diligence take?
Plan 2-4 weeks for thorough evaluation. Complex sites need more time.
What's a dealbreaker?
Manual Google penalties, unverifiable revenue, plagiarized content, or unwilling sellers are immediate dealbreakers.
Can I skip sections for small purchases?
Scale effort to purchase size, but never skip traffic, revenue, and SEO checks regardless of price.
Should I share this checklist with the seller?
Yes - professional sellers appreciate thorough buyers. It sets expectations and speeds the process.
Key Takeaways
- Use this checklist for every potential acquisition
- Don't skip sections regardless of time pressure
- Score objectively before making emotional decisions
- Red flags in one area can outweigh positives elsewhere
- Documentation protects both parties
- Walk away if due diligence isn't possible
Next Steps
Download and customize this checklist for your next acquisition. Browse our marketplace for pre-vetted WordPress domains where much of this due diligence is already completed for you.
Meta Description: Complete WordPress domain due diligence checklist covering traffic, revenue, SEO, content, technical, and risk assessment. Never skip these checks before buying.
Keywords: wordpress due diligence, domain buying checklist, website acquisition, due diligence checklist, buying wordpress sites
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