Don't Do It Yourself

How to Hire a WordPress Virtual Assistant (Job Description + Trial Tasks)

From publishing blog posts to fixing broken links, resizing images, updating plugins, and formatting content, it’s easy to get stuck in backend busywork that doesn’t actually grow your traffic or revenue.

That’s where a WordPress Virtual Assistant comes in.

A WordPress VA is a remote professional trained to handle daily website maintenance, content uploads, plugin updates, and backend cleanup, so your site stays up to date while you focus on strategy and growth.

Here’s how to hire a reliable WordPress VA the right way.

In This Guide, You’ll Learn:

  • What a WordPress virtual assistant can help with
  • Why hiring one can save you hours of backend work
  • How to write a job description, run interviews, and assign trial tasks
  • Tools to use for collaboration
  • Common mistakes to avoid when outsourcing WordPress tasks

What Tasks Can a WordPress Virtual Assistant Handle?

What Tasks Can WordPress VA Handle

A WordPress VA can take care of all the day-to-day backend tasks that keep your website clean, functional, and ready to scale.

Content Publishing

  • Format and upload blog posts
  • Add images, alt text, internal links, and SEO fields
  • Schedule or backdate content

Page and Design Updates

  • Update homepages, landing pages, or service pages
  • Edit menus, buttons, and site structure
  • Use page builders like Elementor, WPBakery, or Gutenberg

Plugin and Site Maintenance

  • Update plugins and themes
  • Test functionality after updates
  • Monitor site speed and security

SEO and Optimization

  • Add meta titles/descriptions
  • Compress images and fix broken links
  • Create redirects and submit sitemaps

Site Cleanup and Organization

  • Organize the media library
  • Archive or delete outdated content
  • Remove unused plugins or themes

Why Hire a WordPress Virtual Assistant?

Why Hire WordPress VA

Hiring a WordPress VA lets you keep your site updated, fast, and organized, without taking time away from higher-level work.

Save Time on Backend Tasks

No more formatting blog posts at midnight or Googling how to fix a plugin error.

Keep Your Site Healthy

Regular updates prevent security issues, broken layouts, and slow loading times.

Affordable Support with Long-Term Value

Most WordPress VAs cost $600 to $1,500/month, which is far less than hiring a developer or doing it all yourself.

Step-by-Step: How to Hire a WordPress Virtual Assistant

Step 1: Define the Role of a WordPress VA

Define Role to WordPress VA

Start by listing the recurring site tasks you do (or avoid) each week:

  • Uploading content
  • Fixing spacing/layout issues
  • Updating pages or forms
  • Checking plugin updates
  • Formatting SEO or linking content

Build your job post around the 3–5 tasks that eat up the most time.

Step 2: Choose Where to Hire WordPress Virtual Assistant

Choose Where to Hire WordPress VA

Option

Pros

Cons

Freelance platforms
Flexible rates, wide talent pool
Requires manual vetting
WordPress support agencies
Trained staff, managed process
Higher cost, less flexibility
Pre-vetted matching (DDIY)
Fast, personalized placements
Onboarding still required

Want help? We’ll match you with a vetted WordPress VA who knows your tech stack and content goals.

Step 3: Write a WordPress Virtual Assistant Job Description

Write WordPress VA Job Description

Your job post should attract detail-oriented candidates who understand basic site structure, plugins, and visual formatting.

What to Include:

  • Overview of your site and goals
  • Weekly responsibilities
  • Tech stack (e.g., Elementor, Rank Math, WooCommerce) and skills
  • Required availability or overlap
  • Application instructions

Sample WordPress VA Job Description:

Title: WordPress Virtual Assistant
Rate: $600 to $1,200/month
Hours: 10–20 per week
Time Zone: Must overlap at least 2 hours with EST

We’re looking for a WordPress VA to help us manage blog formatting, plugin updates, page edits, and content optimization. You should have experience working inside WordPress, with a strong eye for clean formatting and basic SEO.

Responsibilities:

  • Format and upload weekly blog posts
  • Update existing pages using Elementor or Gutenberg
  • Monitor plugins and perform safe updates
  • Compress and rename images
  • Check for broken links or formatting errors

Tools You’ll Use:

  • WordPress Admin
  • Elementor
  • Yoast or Rank Math SEO
  • Google Docs
  • ClickUp or Trello

How to Apply:
Send 2–3 site URLs you’ve worked on and a short Loom (under 2 mins) walking through how you format and publish a blog post in WordPress.

Step 4: Ask WordPress-Specific Interview Questions

Ask WordPress Sepcific Interview Questions

Ask practical, situational questions to uncover how the VA works inside WordPress, how much initiative they take, and how they handle unexpected issues.

“Can you walk me through how you upload and format a blog post in WordPress?”

  • What you’ll learn: Attention to formatting, SEO fields, headings, and structure.

“How do you safely update plugins or themes?”

  • What you’ll learn: Awareness of backups, testing environments, and error rollback.

“What page builders have you worked with (Elementor, WPBakery, Gutenberg, etc.)?”

  • What you’ll learn: Whether their experience matches your tech stack.

“What would you do if a plugin update broke a page layout?”

  • What you’ll learn: Their problem-solving approach and communication under pressure.

“How do you check for broken links, 404 errors, or slow pages?”

  • What you’ll learn: Their ability to proactively maintain site health.

“Have you ever migrated content or duplicated a page layout?”

  • What you’ll learn: If they can handle content replication or staging edits.

“What WordPress SEO tools or plugins have you used?”

  • What you’ll learn: Experience with Rank Math, Yoast, AIOSEO, or schema tools.

“Do you have experience managing WooCommerce sites?”

  • What you’ll learn: Their understanding of ecommerce-specific workflows.

“How do you ensure mobile responsiveness when editing pages?”

  • What you’ll learn: If they preview and adjust layouts for different devices.

“Have you created SOPs or documented site processes before?”

  • What you’ll learn: Their ability to create repeatable workflows or contribute to internal systems.

Step 5: Assign a WordPress Trial Task

Assign WordPress Trial Task

Use real-world tasks that test formatting, visual quality, SEO knowledge, and basic troubleshooting.

Trial Task 1: Upload and Format a Blog Post

  • Prompt: Take a sample Google Doc (with H2s, links, and images) and turn it into a polished blog post using the WordPress editor.
  • What it tests: Formatting ability, attention to headings, alt text, and SEO.
  • Ideal outcome: Clean layout, proper heading structure, images compressed and labeled.

Trial Task 2: Update a Page Using Elementor or Gutenberg

  • Prompt: Use provided copy and visuals to update an existing About or Services page layout. Match your brand’s fonts, spacing, and structure.
  • What it tests: Visual builder skills, design eye, consistency.
  • Ideal outcome: Balanced spacing, mobile-friendly layout, updated content and links.

Trial Task 3: Run Plugin and Theme Updates Safely

  • Prompt: Log into a staging site and update all available plugins/themes. Report on changes made and flag any issues or warnings.
  • What it tests: Technical knowledge, attention to detail, safe update process.
  • Ideal outcome: Site stays functional, changelog is clearly documented.

Trial Task 4: Fix Broken Links and Set Redirects

  • Prompt: Use a tool (like Broken Link Checker or Redirection plugin) to identify and fix 3–5 broken links. Redirect them to updated URLs.
  • What it tests: Troubleshooting, plugin usage, link logic.
  • Ideal outcome: All redirects working, errors resolved, changes documented.

Trial Task 5: Compress and Organize Images in Media Library

  • Prompt: Review and optimize 10 images in the media library. Compress them using ShortPixel (or your plugin), rename them for SEO, and organize by folders or categories.
  • What it tests: Image optimization habits and media hygiene.
  • Ideal outcome: Smaller file sizes, clear filenames, alt text added.

Trial Task 6: Create a New Blog Category + Assign Posts

  • Prompt: Create a new blog category based on a provided content plan. Reassign 5 existing posts to that category and update the navigation menu if needed.
  • What it tests: Backend navigation and taxonomy structure.
  • Ideal outcome: Category live, posts properly sorted, nav updated without breaking layout.

Trial Task 7: Add Meta Titles and Descriptions Using Rank Math or Yoast

  • Prompt: Add SEO meta fields to 3 blog posts using suggested keywords.
  • What it tests: SEO understanding, plugin usage, writing clarity.
  • Ideal outcome: Descriptions within length limit, keywords used naturally, no errors flagged.

Step 6: Set Tools and Expectations

Set Tools and Expectations

Tool

Use Case

WordPress Admin
Content, plugins, media management
Elementor
Page and design editing
Rank Math / Yoast
SEO field optimization
Trello / ClickUp
Task assignment and deadlines
Google Drive
Content and SOP storage

Set expectations like:

  • When posts or page updates are due
  • How plugins/themes should be tested
  • What naming conventions or formatting rules to follow
  • Where to log changes or updates

Final Thoughts: Take WordPress Off Your Plate

Take WordPress Off Your Plate

WordPress is an incredibly powerful platform, but running your site shouldn’t be a full-time job.

Hiring a WordPress VA gives you peace of mind that your site is always up to date, your content looks professional, and nothing is falling through the cracks.

With the right assistant, you can stop babysitting your site and start focusing on what really moves the needle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a WordPress virtual assistant cost?

Most WordPress VAs charge $7–$25/hour or $600–$1,500/month, depending on experience, tools used, and task complexity.

Do I need to provide access to my full site?

You can create limited-access user roles (like Editor or Contributor) or use a staging site to start. Many VAs are also happy to sign NDAs.

Can they manage WooCommerce too?

Yes. If your site uses WooCommerce, just be sure to include it in the job description. Some VAs specialize in eCommerce product management and order flow support.

Do they need to know coding?

Not necessarily. Most WordPress VAs handle content and layout using visual builders like Elementor or Gutenberg. For custom development, you’ll want a developer.

Can they also help with SEO?

Absolutely. Many WordPress VAs are familiar with Yoast, Rank Math, and basic on-page SEO — including meta fields, image optimization, and internal linking.

What if they update a plugin and something breaks?

That’s why it’s critical to find a VA who follows safe update procedures. Ask how they handle rollbacks and whether they check site functionality after updates.

Do I need to create training materials?

It helps, but it’s not required. A short Loom video or SOP for your common workflows is usually enough. A good VA will build their own checklist from that.

Why Trust Us

This guide is based on years of firsthand experience helping business owners delegate backend WordPress work. We’ve helped hundreds of creators, agencies, and ecommerce brands hire reliable virtual assistants to handle their content and tech stack — so they can focus on growth.

Everything in this guide is based on real-world hiring and delegation — not theory. Use it to hire a VA who can take WordPress off your plate for good.

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