Blogging Tips

8 Things to do to Update your Blog in 2026

Last updated on 26 November 2024

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Laptop on a desk, with a woman's legs propped up to the right. The text reads '8 things you should do at the beginning a new year for your blog'

Whether you’ve been blogging for a while or you’re ready to start a blog in 2026, it’s good to create a list of things to do to update your blog at the beginning of the new year. The list I’m going to share with you is just some of the things that I try to do every single year to ensure that all the things I’m creating for the upcoming year are actually sitting in a blog that is ready for readers.

These are things that you could definitely do multiple times every year (perhaps every quarter, or once again in the middle of the year), but the New Year is a great time to have a re-look at your blog and get it all ready for the year. Trust me.

You may look at the list below and think you don’t need to do any of these things – or you may need to do them all! But I encourage you to check them all anyway, just in case. Let’s get into it!

8 things you should do at the beginning of 2026 for your blog

  1. Make sure your pages are up to date
  2. Check your links with a broken link checker
  3. Ensure your contact details are up to date
  4. Update a few of last year’s blog posts for 2026
  5. Create new pages for your new services
  6. Update your footer’s date if it’s not automatic
  7. Brainstorm some posts for each upcoming season
  8. Double-check that your blog is still looking good on mobile and tablet

Make sure your pages are up to date

This is something I need to do often, and if you’re anything like me, then you’ll update and changes things mentally … but forget about doing it on my actual pages.

At the beginning of the year, it’s important to make sure your blog pages are up to date. This includes updating any out-of-date information, refreshing images or videos, and adding new content.

Keeping your blog pages fresh and relevant helps ensure your readers are getting the best experience possible, and it means that what they’re seeing on your blog is true and the most relevant info.

Check your links with a broken link checker

Links break. All the time. Sometimes out of no fault of our own.

But things happen. And we need to make sure that our links are all working. This can be a daunting task (I feel ya!), but there’s a trick!

Head to this online link checker, and pop in your blog link. It will then spit out all the lines on your site that are broken, and where they are. This means you can go through your site and know exactly where the broken links are and get to fixing them!

If your list is really long, break it down into lots of 10 or 20 and do some each day or set yourself a task of X number of links per day to get them all sorted.

Ensure your contact details are up to date

Changed emailed address? Instagram handle changed? Be sure to update your contact information on your blogs, and make sure your forms for email lists or freebies are all working.

There’s nothing worse than finding an amazing blog post that you love, and wanting to email or get in touch with the writer and have your email bounce.

Update a few of last year’s blog posts for 2026

You can do this every year! In fact, it’s good practice. Are there blog posts that you wrote last year that can be updated for the new year? Some blog posts you’ll be able to update the year on (eg How to start a blogging habit in 2025 – change out 2025 for 2026).

Create new pages for your new services

Got something epic up your sleeve? Make sure you’ve created new pages for any new services, courses, digital downloads, or even freebies that you might be offering your readers.

If you’ve created them in the past, you can always copy and paste/duplicate a previous page and change up the information if you’d like them to stay the same in style and visual looks.

Update your footer’s date if it’s not automatic

Many blogs, including my own, automatically update the date in the footer. If you scroll down you’ll see the year at the bottom of every page. Once the new year hits, your blog’s theme may be automatically set up so you don’t need to do anything at all – it magically changes all on its own – but if it doesn’t, you’ll need to go in and change it.

Either way, be sure to check! Having an updated year in the footer shows people your blog is actually up to date and it’s good for copyright purposes.

Brainstorm some posts for each upcoming season

It’s January! This means it’s the perfect time to look ahead at your blog and brainstorm new ideas for the upcoming year. Whether you have particular blog posts that you write every year, or you’re mixing it up, have a good brainstorming and research season and see if you can plan out your month/quarter or even year.

Double-check that your blog is still looking good on mobile and tablet

The world lives on mobile these days, so our blogs need to look good on mobile and tablet. Double-check that your blog is looking mighty fine when you open it on your phone.

And if you don’t have a tablet to check it out on, go to your blog on your laptop or desktop and right-click anywhere on the page. Then select ‘Inspect’. This will bring up a bunch of code, however, you just want to toggle from laptop to tablet. There is a cluster of devices in a logo on the far left, and when you click that you’ll be able to resize the screen, and therefore see what your blog looks like on mobile and tablet.

The new year is nearly upon us

As you begin a new year, it is important to take some time to review your blog and make sure that everything is up to date. We don’t want our blogs to let us down!

Taking the time to review your blog at the beginning of the year can help you stay ahead of the competition, improve your traffic, and ensure that your blog is providing your visitors with the best possible experience. Which, at the end of the day, is what we want!

Which of these things will you check as we start a new year? Let me know in the comments!

Anjali Kay is an Aotearoa New Zealand-based blogger and book lover sharing travel inspiration, bookish posts, the occasional creative project, and a lot of practical blogging tips here at This Splendid Shambles. Based in Auckland, she's been writing book reviews and travel posts, sharing creative projects and blogging tips since she started her first blog in 2009. When she's not working on her own blog, Anjali also offers blog coaching and support for bloggers who want real guidance from someone who's actually done the work, and is a few chapters ahead of them.

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