Title: Maintenance Mode plugin
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: January 1, 2024
Last modified: June 26, 2025

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 1. [Plugins](https://docs.wpvip.com/plugins/)
 2. [Automattic plugins](https://docs.wpvip.com/plugins/automattic-plugins/)
 3. Maintenance Mode plugin

#  Maintenance Mode plugin

[Maintenance Mode](https://github.com/Automattic/maintenance-mode-wp) is an Automattic-
authored plugin that can temporarily block a site from public traffic until site
maintenance is complete. A customized page template and messaging can be served 
to users while the plugin is enabled.

**Note**

If added, the `maintenance.php` drop-in will be ignored by a VIP Platform WordPress
environment. The Maintenance Mode plugin is the suggested alternative for the functionality
that the `maintenance.php` drop-in provides.

After the [plugin is installed](https://docs.wpvip.com/plugins/installing-plugins/),
activated, and configured:

 * Logged-out requests requests [will return an HTTP 503 status](https://github.com/Automattic/maintenance-mode-wp/blob/3dd8a318abed975c369d734e01d04d77bc2f1102/vipgo-helper.php#L22)
   other than requests initiated by the user agents `iphone`, `UptimeRobot`, and
   user agents containing `check_http` will be served as these user agents are used
   by VIP’s application monitoring system. Requests made by Jetpack will also continue
   to be served.
 * Requests to the WordPress login page will continue to be served to allow users
   to log into the site. Only registered users with at minimum [an Author role](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/roles-and-capabilities/#author)
   will have the ability to access the site.
 * The access restrictions will only apply to content that is generated by WordPress.
   Media and static assets will continue to be publicly accessible.
 * Content will continue to be syndicated via Jetpack’s content distribution tools.
   To change this behavior, refer to [Controlling Content Distribution via Jetpack](https://docs.wpvip.com/wordpress-on-vip/jetpack/content-distribution/).

Last updated: June 26, 2025