Locked down 🔒 options

• Plugins/themes managed by developers via git.
• Deploy to test, development and production environments.

Trellis 🔗 roots.io/trellis
Pantheon 🔗 pantheon.io

Open 🔓 options

• Plugins/themes open by everyone
• Maintenance handled directly on production environment

ManageWP 🔗 managewp.com
Bash scripts, WP-CLI and SSH

• Less secure
• More chance of update issues

Recommendations

• Don't do manual updates, automate! 🤖
• Pick a time and schedule them. 🕘

15 09 * * 3 captaincore update @production.updates-on --fleet

# update-everything.sh 
wp plugin update --all
wp theme update --all
wp plugin update --all --skip-plugins --skip-themes
wp theme update --all --skip-plugins --skip-themes
wp core update
wp core update-db
wp core update-db --network

Bonus WP-CLI Tip

echo "<?php define( 'WP_ADMIN', true ); ?>" > define-wp-admin.php
wp theme update --all --require="define-wp-admin.php"
wp plugin update --all --require="define-wp-admin.php"

• Less secure
• Required to receive updates

Recommendations

• Every quarter hunt  👀  for outdated themes/plugins and resolve the underlying issue.
• Make a list 📝 of themes/plugins with known issues.

Manually override paid plugins with SSH

• Upload zip of paid plugin to public location or generate one on the fly
• On destination site run

  wp plugin install $plugin_url --force

Generating plugin zip on the fly

# plugins-zip.sh
plugins=(plugin-slug-1 plugin-slug-2 plugin-slug-3)
cd wp-content/plugins
for plugin in ${plugins[@]}; do
	zip -r ${plugin}.zip $plugin
done

ssh user@source-address "bash -s" < plugins-zip.sh

ssh user@destination-address "wp plugin install $plugin_url --force"

• Annoying popups
• Required to fully finish updates

Recommendations

wp wc update      # Runs WooCommerce database upgrades

wp core update    # Updated WordPress core
wp core update-db # Runs WordPress database upgrades

Recommendations

• Use a web host that supports switching between PHP versions
• Upgrade PHP on your schedule, before it's automatically updated

Tips to resolve
outdated PHP code

• Update all plugins and themes.
• Use a web host which supports latest PHP.
• Google error messages.
• Get help. Consult with a PHP developer.

• Plugin conflicts.
• Website behavior changes.

Recommendations

• Check for errors after updates
• Track file changes

Check for errors after updates

• Use a site monitor
• WordPress 5.2 includes recovery mode. Define RECOVERY_MODE_EMAIL within wp-config.php

define( 'RECOVERY_MODE_EMAIL', 'email@domain.tld' );

Track file changes with git

• Automatic nightly SFTP sync and git repository check in (themes and plugins only)
• If no changes, then no new commit.
• Can be used to roll back any theme/plugin to a previous version
• Not a replacement for backups however solves "What changed and when?"

Any git repo can be given an interface

Taken from my WordPress management toolkit is open source and currently ⚠️ alpha development stage.