Hi everyone! I'm new here and looking for some advice on deploying code for my WordPress sites. I've been working solo for a while, using FTP for deploying changes to my live site, but I've been told that's pretty outdated. I use Plesk for hosting and know there's a way to use Git for automatic deployments, but I'm curious about what tools or methods other developers prefer. I've tried tools like LocalWP and Docker, but they really slow down my PC. Currently, I have my production sites on a separate server, which means I FTP changes to production, test them, and then FTP again to the live server. Is there a more efficient way to handle this?
3 Answers
It sounds like your setup is a bit behind the times, which is something you've already recognized. I suggest focusing on two main areas: first, establish a solid local development environment for testing changes; and second, consider automating your deployment process once you're confident in your updates. If you're unsure how to set this up, I'd be happy to help further!
We use a service called deployHQ, which connects your GitHub repo to your server (either FTP or SSH). You can automate deployments or do them manually, plus you get notifications sent to email or Slack, which is super handy. I still use LocalWP for initial development, then push to GitHub before deploying through deployHQ.
Sounds interesting! I didn’t come across deployHQ in my research, but I’ll definitely check it out. LocalWP was a bit too heavy for my PC, though.
Just a quick note on terminology—what you’re calling 'production' is technically 'live'. Production refers to the environment that’s live and accessible publicly. The setup you described sounds more like a 'staging' server, where you can test changes before making them live. Here’s a helpful breakdown: Development -> (Testing ->) Staging -> Production/Live.
Would a local setup still work if I have a junior developer working with me? That's where I've run into issues with tools like LocalWP and Docker.