Use Git to version the WordPress code you own, not the entire live site by default. Keep a custom theme, plugin, selected wp-content directories, build files, and deployment scripts in a repository; keep the database, uploads, secrets, and host-managed WordPress core in separate operational workflows. A reliable setup is local development → Git repository → staging → production, with database migrations and backups handled deliberately at each release.
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This guide explains how to choose the repository boundary, initialize Git, protect sensitive files, move database changes, deploy with or without managed hosting, automate repeatable tasks with WP-CLI, and recover when a release fails.
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What Git should control in a WordPress site
WordPress has two different kinds of state. PHP, JavaScript, CSS, templates, block metadata, configuration, and deployment scripts are files that can be reviewed and merged. Posts, pages, menus, widget settings, plugin options, users, and other records live in the database. Media uploaded through the dashboard normally lives in wp-content/uploads. Treating both categories as if they were ordinary source files causes noisy commits, leaked credentials, and incomplete rollbacks.
The practical boundary is ownership. Version the custom code and configuration your team maintains. Treat WordPress core and third-party packages as managed inputs that are installed or rebuilt at deployment time. A full-site repository can still be useful, but it should be a deliberately scoped repository under wp-content, not an automatic copy of every file in the WordPress installation.
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- Good Git candidates: custom themes, child themes, custom plugins, must-use plugins, build configuration, dependency manifests and lock files, deployment scripts, and project documentation.
- Usually separate from source commits: database content, user uploads, secrets, logs, caches, generated dependency directories, and host-managed core files.
- Exception: include an item only when the hosting provider documents a workflow that requires it and the team understands how it is restored.
Choose the repository scope before running Git
Repository scope determines who can change a file, how often it changes, and how safely it can be deployed. Start with the smallest boundary that gives the team useful history.
One custom theme
Initialize the repository in wp-content/themes/acme-theme when the theme is the main asset you develop. This keeps commits focused and allows the theme to be tested and deployed independently. A child theme belongs in its own directory and can have its own repository if it has a separate release cycle.
One custom plugin
Use wp-content/plugins/acme-tools for a plugin that your team owns. Include its source, tests, build instructions, and dependency manifests. Do not place unrelated plugins in the same repository merely because they happen to be installed on the site.
A selected wp-content repository
A broader repository is appropriate when a site has several coordinated custom components, must-use plugins, shared build tooling, or deployment configuration that must change together. Track selected directories rather than every installed package. WordPress.com’s GitHub guidance recommends a repository for each theme, plugin, or full-site project and, for a full site, tracking the contents of wp-content instead of automatically tracking the entire WordPress installation.
| Approach | What is tracked | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme repository | One custom or child theme | Theme teams and independent releases | Site-wide plugin and deployment changes are elsewhere |
| Plugin repository | One custom plugin | Reusable functionality with its own release cycle | Theme and infrastructure history is separate |
Selected wp-content |
Several owned themes, plugins, build files, and scripts | Coordinated site projects | Requires stricter boundaries and a more careful deployment process |
| Entire WordPress installation | Core plus all content and installed files | Only when a host explicitly requires it | Large, noisy history and a higher risk of tracking secrets or generated data |
Prepare a local development environment
Work on a local WordPress installation before changing the repository. The WordPress Theme Handbook treats a local development environment, a capable editor, and version-control integration as foundational tooling. Match the production PHP version, database engine, enabled extensions, WordPress version, and relevant plugin versions as closely as practical.
- Install a local WordPress environment and create a site that can be reset or restored quickly.
- Install Git and configure your author name and email with
git config --global user.nameandgit config --global user.email. - Open the project directory in your editor and confirm that the theme or plugin activates without PHP errors.
- Record the local setup, required PHP version, Node or Composer commands, and any build steps in a project README.
- Make a harmless change, such as editing a development-only style, and verify that the change appears on the local site before creating the first commit.
Initialize the repository and make the first commit
For a theme repository, change into the theme directory. For a plugin repository, change into that plugin directory. For a broader project, use the selected project root under wp-content.
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- Run
git initto create the local repository. - Create the project’s ignore rules before staging files. This prevents credentials, uploads, caches, and generated output from entering the first commit.
- Inspect the candidate files with
git status. Read the list rather than staging everything automatically. - Stage only intended files with
git add, then review the staged patch withgit diff --cached. - Create a descriptive initial commit, for example
git commit -m "Add initial Acme theme structure". - Create an empty or initialized repository on your chosen Git host, then add its SSH or HTTPS address with
git remote add originand push the branch withgit push -u origin main.
GitHub Desktop follows the same model: the documented theme flow creates a repository in the theme folder and adds Git metadata, including .git and .gitattributes. Whether you use the desktop client or the command line, inspect the first commit in the remote interface and confirm that no secrets or user content were included.
Write project-specific exclusion rules
There is no universal WordPress .gitignore. The correct list depends on the host, build system, plugins, and whether a directory is rebuilt or uploaded during deployment. Start with rules for the assets your project definitely does not own, then review them with the hosting team.
# local configuration and secrets
.env
.env.*
wp-config-local.php
# runtime data
wp-content/uploads/
wp-content/cache/
wp-content/upgrade/
*.log
# dependency and build output
node_modules/
vendor/
dist/
coverage/
# editor and operating-system files
.DS_Store
.idea/
.vscode/The example intentionally treats dist and vendor as generated directories. If your release artifact is built elsewhere and the host expects committed compiled files, remove the corresponding rule and document why. Never commit production passwords, API keys, private certificates, or a complete production configuration file. Use environment variables or the host’s secret store instead.
Use commits, branches, and reviews as a release record
Commit changes in units that can be tested and reverted. A commit that changes a template, its accompanying CSS, and the test that validates the behavior is easier to review than a week of unrelated edits. Write messages that identify the outcome, such as Fix archive pagination for filtered queries, rather than messages such as updates.
Keep the production branch protected when your Git host supports branch rules. Develop a feature or fix in a short-lived branch, push it to the remote, and open a pull request for review. The reviewer should inspect the diff, confirm that build files and migrations are present, and check that no environment-specific values slipped in. Merge only after the change works in the local environment and the project’s automated checks pass.
Tags are useful for releases. A tag such as acme-theme-2026.10.1 identifies the exact code that was sent to staging or production. If the project uses Composer or Node, commit the manifest and lock file so the deployment can reproduce the tested dependency versions; rebuild the dependency directory instead of committing it when the host supports that workflow.
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Keep the database and uploads out of ordinary code commits
Git does not automatically version WordPress posts, pages, options, menus, plugin settings, or users. Media files in wp-content/uploads also need a storage and backup policy. Decide how these assets move between environments before you promise that a code deployment is reversible.
Export and import with WP-CLI
WP-CLI provides scriptable database operations. A typical backup before a migration is:
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wp db import backups/pre-release.sqlWhen a local copy uses a different domain, use WP-CLI’s search-and-replace command rather than editing a SQL dump by hand:
wp search-replace 'http://local.test' 'https://staging.example' --all-tables-with-prefix --skip-columns=guidThe exact flags depend on the migration. WordPress stores serialized PHP data in many options and metadata fields, so test search-and-replace on a disposable copy and confirm that serialized values remain valid. Take a fresh database backup before every destructive import or replacement, and verify the site in staging before touching production.
Separate uploads from deployment artifacts
Do not assume that deploying a theme or plugin copies media. Use the host’s documented media storage, synchronization, and backup process. If a site must replicate uploads between environments, define that process separately and record how permissions, large files, and deleted media are handled.
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Deploy through staging before production
The safest general sequence is local development, remote repository, staging, verification, and production. WordPress.com documents this local-to-GitHub-to-staging or production flow, and its GitHub Deployments feature can deploy code changes directly to a configured staging or production site when the plan and site settings support it.
- Merge the reviewed pull request or select a release tag.
- Build dependencies from the committed lock files and run the project’s linting, tests, and asset build.
- Deploy the resulting code to staging using the host’s documented Git integration, artifact upload, or server-side checkout.
- Run
wp core verify-checksumswhere the host permits it, then check the changed templates, forms, scheduled tasks, REST endpoints, and logged-in and logged-out views. - Apply a database migration only after taking the staging backup and confirming that the migration is compatible with the code already running there.
- Record the tested commit or tag, reviewer, migration status, and any manual activation steps.
- Promote the same tested code to production, take the production database backup required by the host, and monitor logs and key user journeys.
Some themes and plugins require an activation or update step after files arrive. Include that action in the release script or runbook rather than relying on a developer to remember it. Never activate an untested branch directly on a live site.
Compare deployment approaches
| Deployment model | Code movement | Database handling | Automation depth | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual pull on a self-managed host | Server checks out a reviewed commit or receives an artifact | Separate WP-CLI export/import or migration script | Low to medium | Small teams with shell access and a clear runbook |
| Managed WordPress Git deployment | Host connects a repository to staging or production | Host-specific; still requires a planned database process | Medium to high | Teams whose plan and site configuration support repository deployments |
| CI/CD with WP-CLI | Pipeline builds, tests, and sends a known artifact | Scripted, reviewed migrations with backups | High | Frequent releases or multiple environments |
| Studio Sync | Bidirectional site synchronization rather than a Git-only workflow | Designed for complete-site and Site Editor changes | Varies by setup | Projects where Git is unavailable or full-site synchronization is the priority |
Studio Sync is an alternative documented by WordPress.com for cases where Git is unavailable or when complete-site and Site Editor changes need bidirectional synchronization. It is a different operating model, not a reason to place a production database dump in a normal source repository.
Automate repeatable operations with WP-CLI
WP-CLI’s principle is that WordPress actions are scriptable. Keep repeatable release commands in the repository so a human and a CI runner execute the same procedure. Common building blocks include:
wp plugin listandwp plugin update --allfor inventory and controlled updates.wp theme listandwp theme activate acme-themefor theme state.wp core verify-checksumsfor a core integrity check where supported.wp db export,wp db import, andwp search-replacefor documented database operations.- Custom WP-CLI commands or shell scripts for cache clearing, rewrite flushing, health checks, and post-deployment verification.
Keep scripts idempotent where possible: running a check twice should not create duplicate records or damage content. Fail the pipeline when a required command returns a nonzero status. Store environment-specific credentials in the CI or host secret manager, never in the script. Test every script on staging with the same PHP and WordPress versions used in production.
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A code rollback and a database rollback are different operations. To restore code, redeploy the last known-good commit or use git revert to create a new commit that undoes the faulty change. A database backup or a compatible reverse migration is required for database changes; reverting PHP files alone cannot restore deleted records or changed options.
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- Identify the failed release tag and the last verified tag.
- Put the site in the maintenance mode or traffic-control state required by the host.
- Redeploy the verified code version.
- Restore the database backup or run the tested reverse migration if the schema or content changed.
- Clear relevant caches, verify the front end and administrative screens, and inspect error logs.
- Record the incident, the exact commands used, and the follow-up fix before reopening automatic deployment.
Test rollback on staging before production automation. A rollback plan that has never been exercised is only a hypothesis, especially when a release includes irreversible data transformations.
Common mistakes and fixes
Committing the whole server directory
Symptom: the repository contains WordPress core, caches, logs, uploads, and installed packages. Fix: create a new scoped repository for the owned theme, plugin, or selected wp-content directories. Keep core and generated assets in the host or build process.
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Symptom: a password or API key appears in a commit or pull request. Fix: revoke and rotate the credential immediately, remove it from the working tree and history using a documented secret-removal process, and add the relevant file or pattern to the project’s ignore rules. Deleting the latest file does not invalidate an exposed credential.
Assuming Git restored the database
Symptom: code was rolled back but menus, settings, or content remain changed. Fix: restore the matching database backup or run a tested reverse migration, then verify serialized data and URLs.
Overwriting production uploads
Symptom: a deployment removes or replaces media. Fix: keep uploads outside the code artifact and use the host’s documented media and backup process.
Running a migration once without documenting it
Symptom: a second staging run fails or a new environment lacks a required schema change. Fix: store the migration and its order in the repository, make it safe to detect an already-applied change, and include backup and verification steps in the release runbook.
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Symptom: PHP changes arrive but compiled JavaScript or CSS is missing. Fix: define the build command, lock its dependencies, run it in CI or on the deployment target, and deploy the resulting artifact consistently.
Pre-release checklist
- The repository contains only code and configuration the team intends to own.
- Secrets, local settings, logs, caches, uploads, and generated dependencies are excluded or handled by a documented exception.
- The commit or tag has been reviewed and can be identified unambiguously.
- Build, lint, and test commands pass with the production-compatible runtime.
- A database backup exists, and any migration has been tested with serialized-data handling.
- Staging has been checked for front-end, editor, administrator, REST, cron, and integration behavior.
- The production deployment and rollback commands are written down for the specific host.
- Someone knows how to restore the database and where uploads are stored.
How to choose the right setup
Choose a theme or plugin repository when one component is independently maintained. Choose a selected wp-content repository when several custom components must be released together. On a self-managed host, start with reviewed commits, a staging server, WP-CLI scripts, and manual promotion; add CI/CD after the steps are reliable. On a managed WordPress.com site, use the documented GitHub repository and GitHub Deployments workflow when the plan and configuration support it. If your project needs complete-site and Site Editor synchronization or cannot use Git, evaluate Studio Sync instead.
The durable design is not a particular Git provider or CI product. It is a clear separation between versioned code, environment configuration, database state, and user-generated files, backed by a staging gate and a rollback procedure that has been tested on the host you actually run.
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