WordPress automated synchronization tool for live website with staging

A common need in a website’s development cycle is synchronizing the live website to a second installation (dev, test, staging), in order to test new features in the staging environment before implementing them on the live website.
Therefore, there is a regular need to create a “clone” copy of the live website to the staging website, so that testing can be performed on an updated copy of the live website.

For this purpose, we have developed an automation tool that, when executed, synchronizes your live WordPress installation to your dev/staging installation, regardless of whether the different environments are on the same or different servers.

Running the WordPress Synchronization Tool

1. To start updating (synchronizing) your staging environment from live, simply run the synchronization tool. On the server running your live WordPress, simply enter the following command in SSH:

   ts_synclive2stage

   It doesn’t matter which directory you’re in when you run the command.
   Note that the tool will not change anything in your live WordPress installation.

2. The tool starts, and if you have multiple testing environments available (e.g., dev, staging, test), it asks you to select which environment you want to synchronize to. Example:
   
3. Next, you need to answer “Yes” or “No” (Y/N: Yes/No) to the questions that appear, where you select in detail what you want to synchronize.
   Example screen you will see:What the options mean:
   • Transfer Database (Y/N): Do you want to synchronize the database from your live website to staging?
   • Transfer Files (Y/N): Do you want to transfer all files from the live website to staging?
   • Transfer Catalog Media (Y/N): Do you also want to synchronize WordPress images – files in the wp-content/uploads/ subfolder? Since these images often take up a large amount of space and not all are needed in a staging installation, you can answer “No” to this question so that the wp-content/uploads/ WordPress subfolder is not synchronized.
   • Auto deployment (Y/N): Do you want the tool to execute the necessary WordPress commands for deployment in the staging environment after synchronization? Yes (Y) is recommended.
     Note that the tool also automatically changes the database for Redis so that it differs from the live one.
   • Final confirmation (Y/N): Final confirmation to start the synchronization and a reminder from the tool that existing data in the staging installation (Database and/or files) will be deleted as new files will come from the live installation.
4. The tool will start the synchronization, providing you with detailed information about the steps it performs and their progress. Example: