WordPress Deployment Methods for Developers

Deploying WordPress sites can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it might even become the easiest part of your workflow. You can use manual deployment via SFTP or more advanced CI/CD pipelines, but the right method should save you time and headaches down the road.

Join us as we explore some popular deployment methods and break down their pros and cons, so you can choose the best fit for your projects.

What you need before deploying a WordPress site

Before deploying a WordPress site, make sure you have the right hosting environment. Choose a reliable web host that supports PHP, MySQL and SSL. Modern WebOps platforms can help automate much of this process, but it’s important to understand the basics regardless.

Shared hosting can work for smaller sites, but VPS or dedicated hosting offers better performance and flexibility for growth. Install a fresh WordPress instance on your server or use one-click installations from your host if available.

Ensure your domain is set up and pointing to your server. You'll need to configure DNS settings to point to your hosting provider’s IP address. Make sure you have an SFTP client or SSH access to upload files to your server if necessary. If you plan on using a content delivery network (CDN) or caching, set that up as well for performance optimization.

Back up your files and database before deployment. Use tools like phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI to export your database, then download all WordPress files – themes, plugins and media – via SFTP, SSH or your hosting file manager. You’ll need to set up email notifications for your site as well, ensuring you can receive important updates or errors after deployment.

Finally, review your site’s security settings. Install an SSL certificate for secure HTTPS traffic, configure firewalls and ensure that the WordPress admin area is protected with strong passwords and, ideally, two-factor authentication.

Choosing where to deploy your WordPress site

The best place to deploy a WordPress site is with a host that specializes in it. Specialized hosts optimize performance, ensure compatibility and address WordPress-specific needs like database management and scaling.

Pantheon excels in this area, offering a container-based infrastructure, automated backups, a global CDN and Git workflows.

Otherwise, start by evaluating the specific needs of your project – performance, scalability and budget. Shared hosting is the easiest and most affordable option, but it comes with limitations in speed and customization. If you're working with a larger or growing site, consider VPS or cloud hosting (like AWS or Google Cloud). These options offer more control, better performance and scalability as your traffic increases.

Managed WordPress hosting is another good choice if you want to offload technical management like updates, backups and security.

If you need high levels of customization, opt for VPS or dedicated servers. These are ideal for sites with heavy traffic or complex functionality, though they require more technical knowledge to configure and maintain. Cloud hosting services like AWS or Azure are also a solid option for larger deployments that need to scale quickly, but they often come with a steeper learning curve.

Don't overlook the location of your hosting provider’s data centers. For better site speed, choose a host with data centers near your target audience. Latency can significantly affect user experience, especially for international users.

Finally, consider the long-term growth of your site. If you expect rapid growth or traffic spikes, choose a provider that can scale easily and offer flexible plans. Make sure they provide good support, reliable uptime and security features like automatic backups and SSL certificates.

How to deploy your WordPress site

Method 1: Manual deployment

The simplest method for WordPress deployment involves direct file transfer from local development to the server via an SFTP client like Filezilla or your hosting control panel.

This requires manual database synchronization, URL updates and careful file management. It’s suitable for simple sites, developers comfortable with manual processes, emergency fixes or situations where automated tools aren't available or overkill for the project scope.

Here’s how to manually deploy a simple WordPress website:

1. Create a full backup of your development WordPress files and database.
2. Export your development database using phpMyAdmin or a similar database management tool.
3. Download all WordPress files from your development server via SFTP or file manager.
4. Upload all WordPress files to your live server's web directory using SFTP or hosting file manager.
5. Create a new database on your live hosting account and note the credentials.
6. Import your database into the new live database using phpMyAdmin or hosting database tools.
7. Edit wp-config.php to update the database name, username, password and host for your live server.
8. Update site URLs in the database by changing the home and siteurl values in the wp_options table.
9. Set correct file permissions (typically 755 for folders, 644 for files).
10. Test your live site and fix any broken links or functionality issues.

If you’re dealing with anything above a barebones website, you might need to skip this one and look into some other methods.

Method 2: Using migration plugins

Migration plugins package your entire WordPress site (database, files, configurations) into transferable bundles.

They usually handle serialized data updates, URL replacements and path corrections automatically. They work best for non-technical users moving between hosts, going from staging to production or for one-off migrations where you need a complete site clone with minimal technical complexity.

Here’s a process that should work with most migration plugins:

1. Export/create a site package using the plugin's backup or export function.
2. Download the generated files (usually a zip/archive file and sometimes an installer script).
3. Set up your live hosting with WordPress installed or prepare an empty database and web directory.
4. Upload the migration files to your live server using SFTP, file manager or hosting control panel.
5. Import/restore the package either by running an installer file in your browser or using the plugin's import feature on the live site.
6. Update site URLs and database settings when prompted during the import process.
7. Test your live site to ensure everything works correctly.
8. Clean up by deleting any installer files or temporary migration files from your server.

This method is most effective for one-time deployments of static websites. Otherwise, the final two methods might be better for you.

Method 3: Using automated CI/CD workflows

Here, code changes trigger automated pipelines that test, build and deploy your site. WordPress CI/CD workflows can run security scans, optimize assets, sync databases and deploy to multiple environments.

This method is ideal for development teams, sites with frequent updates, complex applications requiring testing or when you need consistent, repeatable deployments with rollback capabilities.

If you’re running serious development, you’re likely using Git for version control, in which case GitHub Actions provides a strong system for deployment.

GitHub Actions is GitHub's built-in CI/CD platform that runs workflows on virtual machines whenever specific events occur in your repository, like pushing code or merging branches. You define workflows using YAML files that specify automated steps, which GitHub executes on its infrastructure and can deploy to any server via SSH, SFTP or APIs.

Many hosting providers offer prebuilt Actions for smooth deployment integration – Pantheon being a notable example – but you can always create custom workflows yourself:

1. Create a .github/workflows directory in your WordPress repository and add a deploy.yml file with workflow configuration.

name: Deploy WordPress

on:

  push:

    branches: [ main ]

  pull_request:

    branches: [ main ]

2. Define environment variables and job structure with Ubuntu runner and a prebuilt Action to ensure PHP/Node.js setup for WordPress compatibility.

jobs:

  deploy:

    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:

    - uses: actions/checkout@v3

    - name: Setup PHP

      uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2

      with:

        php-version: '8.1'

3. Configure repository secrets in GitHub settings for sensitive data like FTP_HOST, FTP_USERNAME, FTP_PASSWORD and DB_PASSWORD.
4. Add Composer and npm dependency installation steps to ensure all required packages are available for the build process.

- name: Install dependencies

      run: |

        composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader

        npm ci

5. Implement an asset optimization pipeline using Webpack, gulp or similar tools to minify CSS/JS and compress images for production.

- name: Build assets

      run: |

        npm run build

        composer dump-autoload --optimize

6. Create an automated database backup using mysqldump or the hosting provider's API before any deployment changes occur.

- name: Backup database

      run: |

        mysqldump -h ${{ secrets.DB_HOST }} -u ${{ secrets.DB_USER }} -p${{ secrets.DB_PASS }} ${{ secrets.DB_NAME }} > backup.sql

7. Use rsync or the premade FTP-Deploy-Action to synchronize only changed files to the server, excluding sensitive files like wp-config.php:

- name: Deploy files

      uses: SamKirkland/FTP-Deploy-Action@4.3.3

      with:

        server: ${{ secrets.FTP_HOST }}

        username: ${{ secrets.FTP_USERNAME }}

        password: ${{ secrets.FTP_PASSWORD }}

        exclude: |

          **/.git*

          **/.git*/**

          **/wp-config.php

This should give you a functional CI/CD pipeline, but there’s a bit more you could do to make things as smooth as possible:

• Execute database migrations or WordPress updates using WP-CLI commands through SSH connection to handle schema changes.
• Clear WordPress cache –  object, page and CDN – using appropriate APIs or WP-CLI commands to ensure fresh content delivery.
• Implement error handling by checking for failure conditions (e.g., after critical steps like backup or deployment), alerting your team and halting the pipeline if an issue is detected.
• Configure notifications via Slack, Discord or email to alert team members about deployment status and any failures that occur.
• Set up conditional deployment to staging environment for pull requests and production deployment only for main branch merges.
• Implement a rollback mechanism using Git tags or previous deployment artifacts in case the new deployment introduces critical issues.

Method 4: Using your hosting provider’s built-in tools

Hosting platforms like Pantheon offer one-click staging environments, automated backups and Git integration.

These tools are pre-configured for the host's infrastructure and often include performance optimizations. They’re perfect for users who want simplicity, don't need complex workflows or prefer integrated solutions that work natively with their hosting environment.

The exact steps may vary between hosts, so you should contact support or read the docs, but here’s how it usually goes:

1. Log in to your hosting provider's control panel or dashboard.
2. Navigate to the WordPress management or deployment section.
3. Create a staging environment if deploying from development.
4. Upload your WordPress files to the staging area or connect a Git repository.
5. Import the database backup through the hosting provider's database tools.
6. Update wp-config.php with staging database credentials.
7. Use the hosting provider's find/replace tool to update URLs in the database.
8. Test staging site functionality and performance.
9. Use the hosting provider's deployment tool to push from staging to production.

For a more concrete illustration, let’s look at how Pantheon handles it.

Example: Pantheon WebOps workflow

Pantheon provides a structured three-environment workflow that separates code and content management. Every Pantheon site includes Dev, Test, Live environments, each running on its own container.

The core principle is "code moves up, content moves down" – you develop code in Dev, deploy it upward through Test to Live, while pulling fresh content downward from Live to Test and Dev for testing purposes.

Here’s the general workflow:

1. Deploy code from Dev to Test by logging into your Pantheon dashboard and navigating to the Test environment's Deploys section. Click Deploy to move your committed code changes from Dev and check the option to pull database and files from Live to ensure you're testing with current content.
2. Test your changes thoroughly, checking that database updates succeed, exported configurations are in place and all functionality works as expected. Run Pantheon's Launch Check tool to identify any performance or configuration issues.
3. Deploy code to Live once testing is complete. Navigate to the Live environment's Deploys section and deploy code from Test to Live. Clear your caches to refresh static assets like images and CSS files.
4. Manage content directly in the Live environment, then clone this content down to Dev when you need to work with current data. The system automatically handles URL conversions and database synchronization between environments.

Troubleshooting common deployment issues

When deploying a WordPress site, issues can arise even with careful planning. Here's how to resolve them:

• Check file permissions by ensuring your WordPress files and folders have the correct read, write and execute permissions. Incorrect permissions can cause errors like failed uploads or broken functionality, disrupting site performance.
• Clear your cache to rule out issues with outdated content or incorrect configurations. Caching problems can prevent changes from displaying, making troubleshooting more difficult.
• Disable conflicting plugins by deactivating them one by one and checking site behavior. Conflicts between plugins can cause functionality issues, especially when they don’t work well together or with the WordPress version.
• Review error logs to identify any server-side issues that might be affecting your site. Logs provide valuable insights into specific errors, helping you pinpoint the root cause quickly.
• Update your .htaccess file if you're encountering redirect loops or broken links. A misconfigured .htaccess file can lead to endless redirects or site inaccessibility, disrupting your visitors' experience.
• Verify database connection settings to ensure the correct database name, username and password are configured in wp-config.php. A misconfigured connection can prevent WordPress from interacting with the database, leading to a broken site.
• Test for theme issues by switching to the default WordPress theme temporarily. Sometimes, themes can cause display or functionality issues due to outdated code or compatibility problems.

WordPress deployment best practices

Here are some actionable WordPress deployment tips tailored to optimizing your workflow:

• Use Git for version control by setting up a repository for your WordPress files and database schema. This allows you to track changes across themes, plugins and configuration files, making it easier to collaborate and revert problematic changes.
• Deploy to a staging environment first to thoroughly test updates and new features before going live. This ensures that any updates or changes won’t break functionality or impact the user experience on your production site.
• Compress and optimize images using tools like ShortPixel or WP Smush before uploading them. Reducing image sizes without sacrificing quality improves site speed, which directly enhances SEO and overall user satisfaction.
• Force SSL on your site by setting FORCE_SSL_ADMIN in your wp-config.php file and redirecting all traffic to HTTPS. This secures user data, boosts trust and prevents SEO penalties from search engines, which favor HTTPS sites.
• Set up automated backups using a reliable plugin like UpdraftPlus or via your hosting control panel. Automating backups ensures you're protected from data loss and can quickly restore your site to a previous, stable state in case of failure.
• Update WordPress core, themes and plugins automatically for security patches and compatibility. Enabling automatic updates through wp-config.php or a plugin like Easy Updates Manager reduces the risk of exploits and keeps your site running smoothly with minimal intervention.
• Limit login attempts and disable file editing within the WordPress dashboard by adding define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); to wp-config.php. This hardens your site against brute-force attacks and prevents malicious edits to your theme or plugin files.

Accelerate your development cycle with Pantheon

WordPress deployment becomes significantly more streamlined when you have the right hosting infrastructure supporting your workflow.

Pantheon's Dev, Test, Live workflow eliminates the guesswork from deployments by providing clear separation between development, testing and production while automating the complex parts of database synchronization and URL management.

The "code moves up, content moves down" philosophy eliminates common deployment headaches, such as overwriting live content or testing with outdated data. Instead of manually coordinating file transfers and database imports across environments, you can focus on building features and fixing bugs while Pantheon handles the infrastructure concerns.

For development teams managing multiple WordPress sites or agencies juggling client projects, Pantheon's Git integration and one-click deployments can cut deployment time from hours to minutes. The built-in performance monitoring, automated backups and staging environments mean fewer late-night emergency fixes and more predictable release cycles.

Start building on Pantheon today and transform deployment from a necessary evil into a competitive advantage!