Header Text - Top Solutions for WordPress Version Control

When you build or update a WordPress website, things can change quickly. You might update a WordPress theme, add a new plugin, or change your website’s code. But what if something breaks? That’s where WordPress Version Control comes in. WordPress Version Control helps you track all the changes you make on your site. It records everything, so you can go back and undo mistakes.

Tracking changes on your site is important for many reasons. Not only does it let you fix errors easily, but it also helps you stay organized. For example, if you’re working with a team, Version Control for WordPress ensures everyone is on the same page, preventing accidental overwrites. Plus, it’s handy for restoring an older version of your website.

Here, we explain WordPress Version Control and why it’s important. Then we show how it differs from the WordPress built-in Revisions feature. After that, we discuss top solutions for WordPress Version Control. Lastly, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to use various tools for WordPress Version Control. By the end, you’ll know how to keep your website safe and running smoothly, no matter how many changes you make.

What is WordPress Version Control?

WordPress Version Control is a system that helps track changes made to your website over time. It’s like a save-and-undo feature, but much more powerful. Version Control maintains a record of any changes made to your site, including:

  • Updates to Content
  • Installing or Uninstalling Plugins
  • Changing WordPress Themes
  • Editing WordPress Core Files.

This makes it easier to see what has been modified and, more importantly, to roll back to a previous version if something goes wrong.

For developers and site owners, Version Control is essential to maintaining the stability of a site. By using a WordPress Version Control system like Git, you can manage updates without fear of breaking your site, and you can collaborate on changes more effectively.

If an update causes an issue, WordPress Version Control allows you to revert to a stable version, ensuring your site remains functional while troubleshooting the problem. It’s valuable for large, complex sites or development teams that need to manage changes smoothly. Overall, it makes website maintenance more reliable and efficient.

Benefits of WordPress Version Control

WordPress Version Control provides several important benefits that significantly improve how to manage your website particularly when handling complex or collaborative projects. Let’s break down these advantages in detail:

Rollback Mistakes

WordPress Version Control allows you to undo any changes you didn’t intend or that caused issues on your site. Imagine making a mistake while editing your website or updating a theme or plugin that breaks the site functionality.

With Version Control, you can easily revert to a previous, stable version of your website without having to recreate or lose content. This ability to restore previous versions ensures your site stays safe, reliable, and operational, even in the face of mistakes or unforeseen issues.

Enhanced Team Collaboration

Version Control is essential when multiple people work on the same WordPress site. It lets you keep track of everyone’s changes, ensuring nobody overwrites another’s work.

Teams can work on different parts of the website simultaneously, and the Version Control system will help merge their changes without conflicts.

Additionally, it records a history of who made what changes and when; this is great for accountability and tracking progress. This collaborative efficiency makes it easier to maintain a well-organized workflow, especially when working with larger teams or on complex projects.

Monitor Content & Code Changes Effectively

WordPress Version Control allows you to monitor all the changes to your website’s content and code over time. Whether it’s a small content update or a significant code modification, Version Control tracks these changes and provides you with detailed logs.

This tracking feature helps you identify when an issue arose and which specific change might have caused it, making troubleshooting much faster and more precise. Monitoring also helps maintain a clear history of the site’s development, so you can track improvements and quickly spot performance or functionality issues.

Support for Continuous Development & Testing

For developers, WordPress Version Control facilitates continuous integration and development processes. By keeping a record of changes in separate branches, you can test new features or updates in a development environment before applying them to the live site.

This minimizes the risk of deploying problematic code and ensures new developments are properly vetted. This is especially useful for enterprise sites that continuously evolve their digital presence.

Backup & Security

WordPress Version Control is an extra backup layer, keeping snapshots of your site’s past states. In addition to regular backups, this feature ensures that specific changes can be undone without restoring the entire site.

Furthermore, Version Control enhances security by offering rollback options when errors, malware, or unauthorized changes occur, ensuring your website remains secure and functional with minimal downtime.

At this point, as a WordPress user, you might be thinking about how Version Control differs from WordPress’ built-in revisions feature. We discuss this below.

Top Version Control Solutions for WordPress

Previously, we explained WordPress Version Control, why to use it, and how it differs from the WordPress built-in Revisions feature. Now, let’s explore the top WordPress source control solutions:

Git

Git is a powerful and widely used Version Control system that tracks changes in your WordPress codebase. It helps developers manage project files and collaborate seamlessly. Using Git, developers can maintain a clear history of changes, return to earlier versions, and avoid overwriting others’ work.

It’s flexible, powerful, and has a large community for support. It offers advanced features like Git branching and merging, which are great for team collaboration. However, Git has a steep learning curve for beginners, and using it on WordPress can be more complex than other solutions.

To use Git with WordPress, you can integrate it manually via the command line or use services like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket for easier collaboration and hosting repositories.

WP Pusher

WP Pusher is a plugin that connects your WordPress site to Git repositories like GitHub or Bitbucket. It allows you to push theme and plugin updates from Git to your site without needing a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

WP Pusher simplifies theme and plugin deployment through Git. You can deploy updates directly from your Git repository into WordPress with just a few clicks. It’s ideal for developers who want to update themes or plugins from GitHub repositories without manual file transfers.

Git-based Deployment Tools (e.g., DeployBot & Buddy)

Tools like DeployBot and Buddy (a.k.a Buddy.Works) streamline Version Control and deployment by automating changes from your Git repository to your WordPress site.

These tools reduce manual work by handling deployments efficiently. Also, these tools allow automated, consistent deployments, reducing human error and streamlining workflows.

DeployBot offers easy deployment from Git repositories to WordPress, while Buddy provides powerful automation for DevOps workflows. Both are excellent for continuous integration and deployment.

WP Rollback

WP Rollback is a simple tool for reverting themes and plugins to previous versions. It’s useful when an update causes issues, allowing you to switch back to a working version quickly.

It’s helpful when a new version of a plugin or theme creates conflicts, and lets you roll back easily without losing functionality. Now that you know the top solutions for WordPress Version Control, let’s see how to use them for your project needs.

How to Use Git/GitHub with WordPress

There are two primary reasons you and developers turn to Git and GitHub for WordPress Version Control projects: theme and plugin development.

For example, if you’re building a new theme or using a custom-built website theme, GitHub is an excellent platform for managing your project’s code. You can retrieve the theme repository from GitHub, make the necessary changes, and test the updated theme on a local server.

Once everything checks out, the updated repository can be pushed back to GitHub, and the changes can then be applied to the theme on your live WordPress site.

Similarly, if you’re developing WordPress plugins, GitHub is an effective way to handle the plugin’s code. It’s also a valuable tool for open-source projects, where others can contribute to improving the plugin. For instance, developers can access the plugin’s files from GitHub to fix bugs or add new features.

Beyond development, Git and GitHub can be used to download and install WordPress plugins and themes on your live site. While GitHub does support file storage and downloading, it’s not designed to function as a traditional storage platform like Dropbox.

Step 1: Set up a Local WordPress Environment for Git

Before diving into working with Git and GitHub, we recommend you set up a local WordPress environment. This allows you to develop your project, modify your WordPress site, add new features, test new code, and work on plugin or theme development in a safe space.

If you use a local environment, you ensure that any changes made won’t impact your live website until they are ready for deployment. If issues arise, you can troubleshoot and make necessary adjustments without risking your live site’s functionality.

To get started, you can use software to host local WordPress sites directly on your computer, avoiding a staging environment or live server. Popular options for creating local environments include tools like LocalWP, WAMP, and XAMPP. These tools are free, user-friendly, and simple to set up.

However, if you’re a Hosted client and want to have your live site’s files locally, you may use an FTP client (like FileZilla) to download website files to your local computer. To do this, you need to configure your site in FileZilla. Then, connect to your website’s server. Once done, select your files, right-click, and choose Download to get those files on your computer.

WordPress Version Control - Download Website Files to Local Machine

For this tutorial, we’re using LocalWP to have a local WordPress environment without affecting our live website.

WordPress Version Control - Local WordPress Environment

After setting it up, click Go to site folder at the top to access website files locally.

Step 2: Install Git on Your Computer & Create a Repository

Once the local environment is ready, the next step is to install Git on your local machine. However, before doing that, check if it’s already installed.

To do that, open the Windows command prompt and write the following command:

git --version

If Git is already installed, you’ll get the Git version as follows:

WordPress Version Control - Git Version

If it’s not installed, you can download it from the official Git website according to your operating system. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to install it. Don’t worry, the installation process is straightforward.

WordPress Version Control - Download Git

Then create your local Git repository. This would be where you can commit your modifications to your own WordPress website files before pushing them to GitHub.

To do that, go to your local website files on your machine. From there, locate the wp-content folder and then navigate to the plugin or theme folder you’re working on.

Next, right-click anywhere inside the folder and choose the Open Git Bash here option to open Git software on your computer.

WordPress Version Control - Open Git Bash Terminal

Once the Git terminal is opened, write the following command and click Enter:

git init

This command initializes a new empty Git repository in the current folder, creating a hidden .git directory that tracks all WordPress version control activities for the project.

WordPress Version Control - Create New Empty Git Repository

Now, write the following command to stage file modifications and click Enter:

git add .
WordPress Version Control - Stage File Changes

Then, execute the following command to add a message to your repository:

git commit -m “This is the sample message for repo”

This message is like a note you leave about particular changes you’ve made in your repository.

WordPress Version Control - Add Note to Your Repository

Now, you should see a .git folder in your themes your-particular-theme-folder folder (which is twentytwentyfour in our example).

WordPress Version Control - .git Repository

If you don’t see .git, click the View tab at the top of the file explorer and select the Hidden items checkbox.

WordPress Version Control - Show Hidden Items

Step 3: Create GitHub Repository & Commit Changes

Go to the GitHub website and sign up for a free account. Then log in to your account. Click on the + icon on the top-right side and select New repository.

WordPress Version Control - Create New Repository

Then, provide your repository’s name. You may also add some description to identify what this repository is about.

WordPress Version Control - Repository Name and Description

Then, select Public. However, you can choose Private if you don’t want anyone to see it. Next, check the Add a README file checkbox. Creating this file is important, as this is where you give a detailed project description.

WordPress Version Control - Create README File for Public Repository

Scroll down to the Add .gitignore label, click the dropdown arrow, search for “WordPress” and select it. This is how you exclude unnecessary files and folders (which means they won’t be tracked) like the wp-config.php and other environment-specific files. It is also important for security reasons.

WordPress Version Control - Create .gitignore File

You may also choose a license if you want to. After that, click Create repository.

WordPress Version Control - Create Repository

After successfully creating your repository, you need to copy its URL. To do that, click the Code dropdown, switch to HTTPS tab, and copy the link.

WordPress Version Control - Copy Repository Link

Now, open the Git bash terminal again on your computer, write this command and press Enter:

git remote add origin URL

The command links your local Git repository to a remote repository, identified by the given URL, allowing you to push and pull changes to and from that remote location. Don’t forget to replace the URL with the link you copied in the previous step. For example:

git remote add origin https://github.com/write-your-username/HostedDemoRepo.git
WordPress Version Control - Link Local Git Repository to Remote Repository

Then, type the following command and press Enter to send your local repository to the remote repository:

git push -u origin master

Remember, sometimes the branch name is main instead of master.

This will prompt you to sign in to your GitHub account. You can do so with your browser or sign in with a code.

WordPress Version Control - Prompt to Sign Into GitHub Account

Then, you’ll be redirected to another screen to authorize the Git credential manager. To do this, click Authorize git-ecosystem.

WordPress Version Control - Authorize Git Ecosystem

Next, you need to provide a password to confirm access.

WordPress Version Control - Confirm Access

After confirming access, you should see a similar output as provided in the following screenshot:

WordPress Version Control - Git Push Results

Now, you should be able to see the local files you just modified in your GitHub repository. For example, we added a comment in functions.php file that was highlighted in green as follows:

WordPress Version Control - Modified functions.php File

Now, your team members can use those files to make further edits.

If you need to retrieve updates from a GitHub repository for your local WordPress site, navigate to your desired theme or plugin folder on your computer. Right-click in the folder and choose Open Git Bash here. Then, type the following command and hit Enter

git fetch URL 

Remember to replace the URL with the actual GitHub repository link. You can now repeat this process to begin using Git and GitHub for WordPress development. After making changes to your local files, the next step is to push these updates to your live website. This is where WP Pusher comes into the picture, and we will show you this below.

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How to Use WP Pusher with WordPress

Once you’ve finished developing your WordPress plugin or theme, your final task is to deploy it to your live site. While you could use Git and manually run commands to push your changes to WordPress, a simpler approach is utilizing a plugin like WP Pusher, which streamlines the process.

Step 1: Install WP PusherTo get started, visit the WP Pusher website and click Download. This will download a .zip file to your local machine.

WordPress Version Control - Download WP Pusher

Then, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to Plugins Add New Plugin and click Upload Plugin.

WordPress Version Control - Upload Plugin

Click Choose File to upload the WP Pusher plugin’s file, then click Install Now.

WordPress Version Control - Install WP Pusher

Lastly, click Activate Plugin to use this plugin.

WordPress Version Control - Activate WP Pusher Plugin

Step 2: Connect WP Pusher to GitHub

Once the plugin is activated, you will see a new WP Pusher option in your sidebar. Click on that and navigate to the GitHub tab. Then, click Obtain a GitHub token.

WordPress Version Control - Get a GitHub Token

This will take you to GitHub, where you must grant WP Pusher access to your GitHub account. To do this, click Authorize wppusher.

WordPress Version Control - Authorize WP Pusher

Then, provide your GitHub account password and click Confirm to indicate you want to authorize WP Pusher to connect to your GitHub repository.

WordPress Version Control - Confirm WP Pusher Access

After confirming, you’ll see your GitHub token. Copy that token.

WordPress Version Control - Copy GitHub Token

Return to your WP Pusher and paste the token in the GitHub token box. Now, click Save GitHub token to save the settings.

Step 3: Deploy a Theme or Plugin from GitHub

In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to WP PusherInstall Plugin/Theme. In this example we go to WP PusherInstall Theme. After that, click Pick from GitHub.

WordPress Version Control - Pick Files from GitHub

A pop-up screen will appear. Click Copy to clipboard next to the repository you were working on.

WordPress Version Control - Copy Repository Link

Enter the GitHub repository URL for the theme you want to deploy in the Theme repository box. Optionally, you can select a specific branch of the repository to deploy. This is useful if you’re working in development or feature branches.

WP Pusher also provides a feature, Push-to-Deploy (see screenshot below), that will automatically update your live WordPress site whenever you push new changes to the connected GitHub repository. You may check that option to enable Push-to-Deploy to apply future updates from GitHub.

After filling out all the details, click Install theme. WP Pusher will download and install the theme from your GitHub repository onto your live WordPress site.

WordPress Version Control - Install Theme from GitHub to WordPress Website

Once the theme is installed, activate it from the WordPress admin area. To do that, go to WordPress DashboardAppearance Theme. Hover over your theme and click Activate to make this theme live on your website.

WordPress Version Control - Activate Theme

So, with WP Pusher, deploying and maintaining your custom GitHub-based themes or plugins on a live WordPress site is seamless and automated. You only need to push your changes to GitHub, and WP Pusher will handle the rest.

How to use WP Rollback with WordPress

As a human, it’s possible to make mistakes and you want to revert to the previous version of your theme or plugin. This is where the WP Rollback plugin comes into play. It’s a simple and efficient tool for downgrading themes or plugins to an earlier version. It’s useful when updates cause compatibility issues or conflicts on your site.  Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Install WP Rollback Plugin

Go to WordPress DashboardPlugins Add New Plugin. In the search bar, type “WP Rollback”. Once it appears, click Install Now next to “WP Rollback”.

WordPress Version Control - Install WP Rollback Plugin

After installation, click Activate.

WordPress Version Control - Activate WP Rollback Plugin

Step 2: Back up Before Rolling Back

It’s a good idea to back up your WordPress site before performing any rollbacks to prevent data loss or potential issues during the rollback process. You can use a backup plugin such as UpdraftPlus or manually back up your files and database. Here’s how you can export your site to have a backup:

Use Hosted to Create Full or Partial Backup of WordPress Website

Use SFTP+phpMyAdmin to have Full Website Backup (files + database)

Step 3: Access the Rollback Feature

Once the plugin is activated and your backup is complete, navigate to the Themes section under Appearance in your dashboard. Hover over the theme you want to roll back to see the Theme Details button. Click on it.

WordPress Version Control - Theme Details

In the Theme Details pop-up there’s a Rollback button at the bottom. Click on it.

WordPress Version Control - Rollback WordPress Theme

Now, a screen will appear, showing all the available versions of the theme. You can select which version you want to roll back to. Then, click Rollback.

WordPress Version Control - Rollback to Your Desired Theme Version

You’ll now get a pop-up asking for a confirmation. Click Rollback again, indicating you want to roll back your theme.

WordPress Version Control - Confirm Rollback Action

However, to rollback a plugin, go to Plugins Installed Plugins. You’ll see a Rollback option below each plugin’s name next to the regular Activate, Deactivate, and Settings options. Locate and select the plugin you want to roll back and click Rollback.

WordPress Version Control - Rollback Plugin

However, to rollback a plugin, go to Plugins Installed Plugins. You’ll see a Rollback option below each plugin’s name next to the regular Activate, Deactivate, and Settings options. Locate and select the plugin you want to roll back and click Rollback.

WordPress Version Control - Rollback Plugin

Step 4: Testing Rolled-Back Version

After rollback, thoroughly check your site to ensure everything works properly. If issues arise, you can always revert to a previous version by repeating the rollback process or updating the plugin/theme to the latest version.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

  1. WordPress Version Control helps you manage changes to your website’s code efficiently.
  2. It allows you to track every update, making it easy to revert to a previous version if something goes wrong.
  3. You can collaborate better with your team by keeping track of all the changes.
  4. In WordPress Version Control, security is improved by maintaining a record of all code modifications, which helps identify and fix issues faster.
  5. Popular solutions include Git, WP Pusher and WP Rollback, each offering unique features to help developers manage WordPress sites more effectively.
  6. The WordPress Version Control platform ensures your WordPress site stays stable even during frequent updates or complex code changes.
  7. Version Control is useful for large, dynamic websites that require regular maintenance and updates.

FAQs

What is Version Control in WordPress?

Version Control tracks changes to your website’s files, allowing you to revert to earlier versions if needed.

Why should I use WordPress Version Control?

It helps undo mistakes, collaborate with teams, and ensure your site stays stable and secure.

Do I need to be a developer to use Version Control?

While more technical, tools like WP Rollback and ManageWP make Version Control easy for beginners. Otherwise, you may need a developer to use it.

What’s the difference between WordPress Version Control & WordPress Revisions?

Version Control tracks all site changes (code, plugins, database), while Revisions only tracks post/page edits.

Is Git the best Version Control option for WordPress?

Git is a popular choice for developers, but simpler tools like WP Rollback are good for non-coders.

Can WordPress Version Control help me recover from website crashes?

Yes, Version Control allows you to rollback to a previous working state.

Can I use Version Control for plugins and themes?

Yes, with tools like Git or WP Pusher, you can manage theme and plugin versions.

What’s the easiest way to start using Version Control with WordPress?

For non-coders, WP Rollback is the easiest tool to start with.

Does WordPress Version Control slow down my website?

No, it doesn’t affect your website’s speed; it only helps track changes in the background.

Can I collaborate with my team using Version Control?

Yes. Tools like Git let multiple team members work on the same site without conflicts.

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