When do things actually break in WordPress sites?
For something to break in WordPress, something has to be changed in one way or another either in the code on the site, or on the server. Changes could for example be:
- Added or changed code
- Updated plugins
- Updated theme
- Changes or software updates on the server
If you go onto any general WordPress help forum, you will quickly realise that most sites break due to updates of plugins and themes. Most WordPress users tend to look at those red indicators in the sidebar and want to get rid of them as soon as possible without performing any safety measures before updating their production site.
This is in our opinion one of the biggest mistakes you can do on your WordPress site; you just want those updates done, but risk ending up troubleshooting for hours and you might even have to hire a developer to help you out to fix the problem.
How to avoid problems when updating your WordPress site?
- Perform updates on a staging or local version of the site first
- Analyse the site using Visual Regression Testing to make sure nothing has changed after the updates
- Perform automated testing to ensure functionality
- Perform manual testing to ensure functionality
Always make sure to keep proper backups of your site before doing any updates or changes on your production site.
If you need help maintaining your WordPress site then please submit a support ticket here, or order one of our maintenance packages here. We have fixed price maintenance packages, and we also offer custom solutions to fit customers needs.
