Hey everyone, I’m really struggling here and could use some guidance. I just started working as a developer and got thrown into managing this huge WordPress site that’s over 21GB with more than 250 pages. The previous developer left behind quite a disaster and now I’m trying to clean things up.
My main problem is with the workflow between staging and production. I have an SEO team making changes on the staging environment, but right now I have to manually copy every single edit they make over to the live site. This includes page updates, post modifications, and all their SEO work.
This manual process is driving me crazy and taking way too much time. There has to be a better way to sync changes from staging to production automatically. Does anyone know of tools or methods that could help streamline this workflow? I’m open to plugins, scripts, or any other solutions that could save me from copying hundreds of changes by hand.
you should totally look into git workflows for managing changes. we use wp-cli with custom hooks to automate content pushes. also, platforms like WP Engine have some nice staging sync features that can really lighten the load for ya!
Been there before - you need proper version control plus deployment automation. For content management, check out Revisr. It integrates Git with WordPress database changes really well. I’ve also had success with automated rsync scripts that push specific directories and database tables on schedule. The trick is getting your SEO team to batch their changes instead of making tiny edits all day. Set up a content freeze protocol so you can sync everything during maintenance windows. And grab some staging plugins that track and log changes - makes it way easier to see what needs to go live.
I understand how overwhelming it can be to manage a large WordPress site, particularly when transitioning between developers. Efficient automation is essential to minimize manual updates. In my experience, WP Migrate DB Pro has significantly simplified the process of syncing databases between staging and production environments. Additionally, consider having your team consolidate their changes instead of implementing numerous small updates, as this can help reduce confusion. Remember to back up everything prior to syncing to avoid potential data loss.