Behind this phrase lies not yet another article on how to create and restore a backup – not that the subject isn’t interesting, but it’s been covered so thoroughly in the Joomla community. No, today we’re going to talk about our relationship with others and with ourselves: a highly philosophical subject, isn’t it? So what could it be?

Back to the future... of VHS tapes

The older ones among us will no doubt remember a time when, to watch a film, we would go to a video rental shop, where the tapes were labelled with the message ‘Be kind, rewind’. What did this message mean? Simply that once you’d watched the film, it would be very considerate to rewind the tape to the start, so that the next person watching it wouldn’t have to do so. This small gesture is, in fact, a thoughtfulness towards the next person, towards others; a display of empathy.

This ritual of rewinding, however trivial it may seem today, actually embodied a silent social contract. By taking a few seconds to rewind the cassette to the start, the listener ensured that the next person could enjoy a seamless experience, free from waiting or frustration. It was a form of mutual respect between strangers, facilitated by a simple object. This culture of everyday courtesy has largely disappeared with the shift to streaming, but the principle remains relevant in our professional practices.

According to an informal survey  within the Joomla community (my own circle of acquaintances and colleagues), a developer spends an average of two to three hours ‘cleaning up’ a site before they can start working on it effectively. This time could be saved entirely if the previous developer had taken 30 minutes to tidy up their workspace before leaving.

The unfinished building syndrome

What if we did the same when we finish a Joomla site?

How many times have you walked into a site that hadn’t been cleaned up, with the feeling that it hadn’t really been finished? How many times have you raged at your predecessors? And out of all those times, how many times have you realised that the predecessor was actually you?

A "messy" website can be recognised by several tell-tale signs: a database cluttered with ghost tables, dozens of test plugins that have never been uninstalled, and an images folder turned into a digital dumping ground where logos, test photos, screenshots and poorly named files (“image-final-really-final-v3.jpg”) are all jumbled together. Not to mention deactivated modules that are still present, empty categories, orphaned menus, and those infamous “Test” or “Lorem Ipsum” articles that clutter up the database.

The impact of this mess is far from negligible. Beyond the time wasted on troubleshooting, it is professional credibility that is at stake. A client who discovers 47 unused extensions or test items in production is right to question the quality of the work delivered. A developer who has to take over the site wonders whether they can trust the code they see.

The boomerang effect: you are your own future customer

After all, thinking of others means thinking of yourself too: one day you will no doubt need to return to this site, but that might involve a developer you’ve asked for help, the end client you’re delivering to, a colleague, the person taking over your business, and so many other scenarios you haven’t even thought of.

The list of potential beneficiaries of your cleaning work is longer than you might think:

• Imagine yourself in six months, a year or three years’ time, when the client calls you back to discuss further developments
• The freelance developer you’ll bring in to help with another project, who will maintain a professional image of your work
• Your client, who can access the administration and form an opinion on the quality of your service
• Your colleague or partner who will take over the case in your absence
• The buyer of your business, if you sell your client portfolio
• The agency that will take over the project and review your code
• The intern or junior staff member you will be mentoring on this real-world project

In all these cases, a clean and well-organised website makes all the difference between a good and a bad experience. It’s also an investment in your reputation: a developer who delivers high-quality work is a developer people will recommend.

A matter of respect... and Kaizen

The Japanese concept of Kaizen (continuous improvement) applies perfectly here. It is not about striving for absolute perfection, but about gradually improving one’s practices. Every site cleaned is a small step towards excellence. This philosophy aligns with that of respect for work — one’s own and that of others — which lies at the heart of many craft traditions. Delivering a clean site is a way of honouring one’s profession.

The Courteous Joomler’s Checklist

Consider, for example:

Cleaning the contents

• delete the sample data
• Remove unused modules, articles, categories and menu links
• empty the bins

Joomla sample data is useful during development, but has no place in a live environment. The same applies to all those articles labelled "Test", "Draft", "To be deleted" or empty categories created during the project. Remember to systematically empty all recycle bins (articles, media, modules, plugins) before handover.

Media management

• clean up the image folders and organise them neatly by folder from the outset

The /images/ folder is often the one overlooked during a clean-up. Create a logical folder structure from the outset (for example: /images/logos/, /images/content/news/, /images/content/team/, /images/banner/). Delete all test images, duplicates and misnamed files. A well-organised images folder saves a considerable amount of time when searching for and managing visuals. Also remember to optimise images that are too large, as they slow down the site.

Extensions and components

• remove all extensions that were tested during development

Did you try out three different photo galleries before settling on the right one? Perfect. Now uninstall the other two. The same applies to all plugins, modules and components that were used during the development phase but are no longer needed. Every unnecessary extension is a potential security risk and a dead weight for the site. Sort through them – be ruthless.

Database

• have a look through the database
• remove unnecessary databases and duplicate test environments, as well as old versions (typically during migration or upgrades)

Open phpMyAdmin or Adminer and check for any leftover data. Tables from uninstalled extensions are often still present (some extensions do not clean up after themselves). If you have migrated from Joomla 3.x, check that there are no old tables with different prefixes left behind. Delete any test databases created during development (joomla_test, joomla_dev, joomla_backup_temp, etc.). A lighter database means faster backups and improved performance.

Pro tip

Create a personalised checklist in a reusable document (text file, spreadsheet or task management tool). For each project, duplicate it and tick off the steps as you go along. After two or three projects, it becomes second nature. Some developers even go so far as to create a shell or PHP script that automates part of the clean-up process.

Documentation and organisation

• customise your admin dashboard
• include all the documents you may have produced during the project (tutorials, technical documents)
• comment on your code
• use the notes for modules, categories and menus.

The admin dashboard can be customised to display the most useful information. Add shortcuts to frequently used sections. If you have written a tutorial for the client (“How to create an article”, “How to add a news item”), place it in a Joomla article accessible from the backend, or better still, embed it in a custom module that is always visible. Use the "Notes" or "Description" fields found in almost all Joomla elements: a note on a menu can explain its function, a note on a category can clarify the classification logic, and a note on a module can document its settings. These little touches make all the difference six months down the line.

If you have developed custom code (template overrides, custom plugins, specific modules), make sure to comment it out thoroughly. Explain not only HOW the code works, but above all WHY you wrote it that way. Your future self (or your successor) will thank you for it.

Further reading

Some developers create a custom "Delivery Notes" or "Project Documentation" module that remains in the backend, containing all the information needed for future maintenance: FTP/hosting details (without passwords, of course), site structure, critical extensions and their roles, technical specifics, key contacts, and a history of major changes. This module may also contain a link to more comprehensive external documentation (Google Docs, Notion, Wiki).

Rewind – you’ve got everything to gain

In short: tidy up and leave the place as you’d like to find it (your future self will thank you for it)

The measurable benefits

Spending 30 minutes to an hour cleaning a site before delivery yields tangible benefits:

• Time saved: 2 to 3 hours saved on the next visit
• Enhanced security: fewer unnecessary extensions = fewer potential vulnerabilities
• Improved performance: a streamlined database, fewer files to load
• Customer satisfaction: a sense of professionalism and attention to detail
• A well-established reputation: satisfied customers recommend us
• Personal pride: the satisfaction of a job well done

The commercial aspect

A well-delivered website means a client who will come back to you for future updates rather than looking elsewhere. It also means a client who will recommend you to their network. The quality of the clean-up is part of the overall customer experience. In a competitive market, these details make all the difference. A developer who delivers a clean project stands out, gets noticed and is recommended.

Personal commitment

Beyond the practical and commercial aspects, there is a personal dimension. Delivering high-quality work means respecting your profession and upholding your professional reputation. It also means respecting yourself: when you revisit a website 18 months later and find that the work is neat and well-documented, you feel proud of yourself. That pride fuels motivation and continuous improvement.

So, just like with those old VHS tapes, remember to rewind. Take the time to tidy up, clean and document everything. Your future self, your clients, your colleagues and the whole Joomla community will be grateful to you for it. And who knows, perhaps one day someone will return the favour by leaving you a spotlessly clean website.

Be kind, rewind !