There are two ways to update a WordPress site. You can update the live site and check afterwards whether everything still works. Or you can test the update on a copy of the site first, and only update the live site when the copy looks right.
Most agencies use the first approach, because it is faster. This article explains why the second one is safer, and what it takes to do it well.
The usual way: update first, check later
Updating the live site directly has one big advantage: it takes seconds. The problems start when an update does not go as planned.
- A plugin update changes the layout of a page builder section.
- A theme update conflicts with a custom snippet.
- A WooCommerce update breaks part of the checkout.
- A premium plugin fails to update because its licence has expired.
When you update the live site, every one of these problems is live the moment it happens. Visitors see it, customers cannot order, and the client may call before you have even noticed.
The safer way: test first, then go live
When you test on a copy, the order is reversed. The update runs on a copy of the site first. You check the copy. Only when everything looks right does the update go to the live site.
If something breaks on the copy, nothing has happened to the live site. You have time to find the cause, and your client never sees the problem.
What makes a good staging test
A staging copy is only useful if it behaves like the live site and if you actually check it.
- The copy should have the same files and database as the live site, so you test what is really there.
- It should run on the same server and PHP version, so the result is realistic.
- It should not be visible to visitors or search engines.
- You should compare the copy before and after the update, not just glance at the homepage.
That last point matters most. A staging copy that nobody checks gives a false sense of safety.
What to compare
Check the pages that matter to the client’s business, on desktop and on mobile:
- the homepage and the main menu pages
- contact and quote forms
- shop, cart and checkout pages
- the login page
Comparing screenshots before and after the update makes this faster and more reliable than clicking around. Differences of a few pixels are normal. A missing button or a broken layout is not.
What to do when something looks off
If the copy does not look right after an update, do not push it to the live site. Instead:
- Find out which update caused the difference.
- Check the plugin’s changelog and support forum for known issues.
- Hold that update back and apply the others, or wait for a fixed version.
- Explain to the client what you found and what you did.
After going live
Even with a good staging test, check the live site once more after the update. If something breaks after going live anyway, roll back to the backup you made just before the update.
Is it worth the extra time?
Testing on a copy takes longer than updating directly, especially when you do it by hand. But it replaces the worst kind of surprise, a client finding a broken site, with a calm decision you make before anything goes live.
Test first, without the manual work.
Verploy tests every WordPress update on a copy of the site first, compares key pages on desktop and mobile, and only goes live when nothing looks off. It is launching soon, and agencies on the waitlist get first access to the founding spots: 40% off, for life.