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Updating a WordPress Website

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  1. You will need to check if updates exist on the server by SSH’ing into the server
    1. If updates exist you will need to get these changes down stream by firstly creating a new branch [server]
    2. Checkout to this new branch [server]
    3. Add the changes to the new branch [server]
    4. Commit these changes the new branch [server]
    5. Push this branch to the repo
      1. git push <REMOTENAME> <BRANCHNAME>
    6. Locally pull the changes from the repo
    7. Checkout to the new branch [server]
    8. Merge the new branch [server] into an up to date development branch [dev]
    9. Checkout to the development branch [dev]

 

  1. Ensure the local environment is set up and mimics the live site
    1. Check the database has been backed up, you will need a backup of the live site and the local database, keep these somewhere safe
    2. Create a copy of the live DB backup and inside of this copy update the urls to local url. (ensure you have saved this file)
    3. Ensure all the hidden files exist
    4. Ensure the local version of wp-config.php have the correct settings
    5. Download the uploads folder, this ensures we have the same content as the live site
    6. GIT – Make sure you have checked out to a development branch [dev], this branch should be up to date with master

 

  1. Update one plugin at a time
    1. Update the plugin
    2. Make sure the plugin is not causing any issues with the functionality it provides by testing the components it is integrated with.
    3. After updating the plugin stage and commit the changes from the update.
    4. Repeat …

 

  1. Update WordPress Core
    1. After updating all plugins and having made all the commits for those changes, you can update WordPress Core.
    2. Commit these Changes

 

  1. Update translations
    1. Update Translations and Commit

 

  1. Test All Important areas of the website locally, Posts, Custom Field Groups, Pages, Content, Payment Gateways, and other common elements.

 

  1. When testing is complete locally the updates need to be pushed to staging (remaining on the development branch [dev])
    1. If the staging environment does not exist this will need to be created.
      1. If you do not have permission to do this see your supervisor
    2. Copy your local DB, back it up and make changes to the URL’s contained in this file and save it as a new file(this will be used to create staging)
    3. Create a backup of the Live Database Before proceeding
    4. With the local database file that has been modified you will now need to upload this to a new database (usually [sitename]_staging)
    5. Pull the development branch into the staging subdomain.
    6. Upload the uploads.zip and unpack
    7. Update the wp-config.php file to point to the correct DB with the correct details

 

  1. Add .htpasswd to .htaccess
    1. Password is normally the username with !@# appended to the end for example
      1. user
      2. user!@#

 

  1. Test the website on the staging environment

 

  1. When the website has been tested internally
    1. Contact the client and provide them the details to view the updated website on the staging environment
    2. Follow up after 2-3 days and if the client is happy proceed with taking the updates live

 

  1. Once the updates are live to protect the client you can either
    1. Remove the subdomain so that they do not attempt to update the staging environment
    2. Change the .htaccess details so that they cannot log into the staging environment

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