Coming Soon vs Maintenance Mode: Which Should You Use?

When it comes to managing website availability, choosing the right strategy between maintenance mode and coming soon is key. That’s because applying the wrong approach can lead to negative user experiences and SEO setbacks.

But, to make the right decision, you have to understand the distinct purposes of each strategy and the best uses for both. In this guide, you will learn key differences between coming soon vs maintenance mode.

You will also learn when to use each strategy, their benefits, and more.

Coming Soon vs Maintenance Mode: Key Differences

Understanding Coming Soon Page: When and How to Implement It?

A coming soon page is a temporary placeholder of a website that typically includes information about what’s coming. When you set this, visitors will see the coming soon page instead of the actual content.

It helps to generate anticipation among potential visitors before the official launch. A coming soon page also aids in collecting leads (by embedding signup forms) and encourages users to follow you on social media (by embedding social media links).

When to Use a Coming Soon Page (Strategic Timing)

The best time to implement a coming soon page are:

• New Website Launch: A Coming Soon page will give you a landing spot to send traffic from social media, email campaigns, or ads. This will help you to promote your brand before the site goes live.
• Business Rebranding: If you are rebranding, a Coming Soon page can inform visitors about the changes. This will build excitement for the new brand identity.

Besides them, product pre-release, event or conference promotion, or special offers are also great opportunities to use a Coming Soon page.

How to Set Up a Coming Soon Page (Design and Implementation)

Setting up a “Coming Soon” page for your website is an essential step to create excitement before your full site goes live. 

Here is how to do it the right way:

• Create Page: To create a “Coming Soon” page, you can take help from a plugin or you can do it manually. For in-depth guide, check out our guide on How to Create a Coming Soon Page.
• Include Key Elements: While creating your coming soon page, make sure to include these elements:
  • Compelling headline to grab attention and clearly states what’s coming.
  • Countdown timer to create urgency by visualizing the launch deadline.
  • Email sign-up form to collect leads for future marketing and updates.
  • Brief description to explain the upcoming offering in a few words.
  • Social media links to direct visitors to your social profiles for engagement.
  • Visual elements like images to enhance the page’s attractiveness.

When you are creating and designing a “Coming Soon” page, keep your design clean and organized. This will help to create excitement for your upcoming launch and make your visitors more likely to sign up for updates.

Understanding Maintenance Mode: When and How to Implement It?

Maintenance mode means a temporary state of a live website. When you set up this on your site, visitors who visit your website will see a maintenance notice instead of the live content.

It’s a way to inform visitors that the site is unavailable due to updates or repairs and will be back online shortly. Such activities can disrupt the user experience by displaying broken layouts, missing content, or functionality errors. 

But, when you use a maintenance mode using a clear message like “We’ll be back soon” you provide a professional and controlled experience.

When to Use Maintenance Mode (When it’s Essential?)

If you are not sure about when exactly you should put your site in maintenance mode, check below:

• Core/Plugin/Theme Updates: To prevent broken layouts or errors during updates.
• Critical Bug Fixes: When fixing major issues to avoid user confusion.
• Database/Server Migration: During transfers to prevent data corruption.
• Security Patches: To protect the site during vulnerability fixes.
• Major Content Overhauls: When restructuring content to avoid incomplete user experience.

In such situations, it’s always better to put your site in a maintenance mode. That’s because letting your visitors know about what’s going on is better than leaving them in the dark.

How to Set Up Maintenance Mode (Best Practices)

The setup process includes so many things from maintenance mode page creation to configuring access controls and more.

Here is how to do it effectively:

• Choose a Tool or Plugin: You can create maintenance mode in two different ways, such as:
  • Plugins: Use reliable tools like WP Maintenance Mode, or Elementor.
  • Manual Setup: By editing functions.php file or directly modifying server configuration files.
• Design a Clear Maintenance Page: While designing your maintenance page, try to include the following elements:
  • A simple headline (e.g., “Down for Maintenance”).
  • Brief explanation (e.g., “Upgrading for a better experience!”).
  • Estimated downtime or countdown timer. 
  • Contact info/social links for urgent queries.

We have a detailed guide on WordPress Maintenance Mode that you can have a look for more detailed instructions.

Which Mode Should You Choose?

From the Coming Soon page and Maintenance Mode, which strategy to choose depends on your current website’s state.

• If your website is in the pre-launch phase, a Coming Soon page is the best option to build anticipation.
• If your website is live and undergoing repairs or updates, Maintenance Mode should be your go-to strategy to avoid user frustration.

Each strategy has a distinct purpose and that is why it’s essential to know when to use which mode. The right use of a website managing strategy will ensure the best experience for your visitors while protecting your site’s SEO health.

FAQs on Coming Soon vs Maintenance Mode

• What should I Include on a Coming Soon Page?

A Coming Soon page should include a brief description of what’s coming, an engaging design, social media links, and an email subscription form.

• How Long Can I Keep My Site in Maintenance Mode?

It’s best to keep Maintenance Mode active for a short period of time. Try to fix the issues or implement the updates as quickly as possible to minimize disruption to your visitors

• Will Using Maintenance Mode Hurt My Site’s SEO?

Yes, if you don’t set the proper HTTP status codes (like a 503) and allow search engines to index the maintenance page. It can negatively impact your SEO by confusing search engine crawlers.

• What does it mean when a website is in maintenance mode?

A maintenance mode means that the site is temporarily offline or inaccessible to regular visitors. Website owners typically put their site on maintenance mode for updates, repairs, or essential maintenance. 

• What does coming soon mean on WordPress?

On WordPress, a “Coming Soon” page is a temporary landing page used to announce that a website is under development and will launch soon.

• Can I Create Coming soon page WordPress without plugin

Yes, create a Coming Soon page without plugins by coding a custom template, modifying functions.php, and setting it as a homepage.