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Recommended method for updating a live site with new content/assets/regions

If I have a site that's already live and has edits, but I've created new pages with new regions and assets on a dev site. I'm wondering what the recommended way to migrate this to the live site is.

The only way I can figure out is to upload the new PHP/template files and then recreate all the content and upload the assets...but this seems very repetitive and leaves the website in an awkward state while this is happening – not the best to a busy site.

I've found the page about making a site live (https://solutions.grabaperch.com/development/how-do-i-move-a-perch-site), but I'm not seeing anything about later on.

What are you doing? Any recommendations/processes?

Darryl Hein

Darryl Hein 0 points

  • 5 years ago
Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan 2638 points
Perch Support

I'd only create new content on the primary site, as a rule. Keep that as your master.

Use your dev site for working on new functionality, which will typically be based around pages and templates.

Simon Clay

Simon Clay 127 points

Hi Darryl,

I have come across this issue too.

One way I do it is to login as primary admin and disable all other editors from logging in (I may inform the client that some updates are being carried out and login will be restricted for a while). I then download the live database to my local dev along with any files and assets.

Now I have a copy of the live site locally (I make a zipped copy of it at this point too for safety). I can now add new regions/pages and content, all the while, safe in the knowledge that the client isn't making any updates to the live site in the meantime.

When the work is done I can upload the new files and database, check the site is working as expected, then lift the restriction on login and inform the client.

This method is ok if the client is happy with not being able to login for the duration of the work you're doing.

Otherwise, as Drew says, it's a case of adding new regions / content to the live site piece by piece while the client is also able to login and make changes.

Thanks Drew and Simon for the replies.

Drew, in your suggestion I'm assuming this would mean that the new page shows up initially without content in the regions? So, especially on busier sites, it'd probably be a good idea not to make the page available in menus (for example) until the regions are populated.

Simon, I'm guessing that initially you could create the pages with the region tags (perch:content, etc), then bring over the db backup and then setup the regions in Perch. Just thinking that some pages or sections may take weeks to complete and thus I wouldn't want to prevent editing for extended periods.

Simon Clay

Simon Clay 127 points

Hi Darryl, yes, the method I suggested really only works when the task will take little more than a few days. Otherwise it's a case of uploading locally developed templates to the live site and hiding pages until they're ready.

Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan 2638 points
Perch Support

In Runway you can also use backup and restore to help with the process.

https://grabaperch.com/blog/archive/migrating-sites-with-backup-and-restore

This helps with the process of getting from production to dev...but what about the other way (now that I've added new pages/content)? Do I just upload the files and have blank pages till the content is added?

Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan 2638 points
Perch Support

You can hide pages from navigation - there's an option for that in the page settings.