The WordPress Source Control Post to End All Posts

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If you manage WordPress sites on GoDaddy and you’re looking for a way to level up your source control game, this is the deep dive you didn’t know you needed. Forget surface-level guides — this is the end-all, be-all WordPress source control post. I’ll keep it light, mildly educational, and mildly amusing because, let’s face it, source control can get about as dry as toast left out in the sun.

Why Bother with Source Control for WordPress?

If you’ve ever made a small change to your WordPress theme file, then watched in horror as your site turned into a blank white screen of despair, you already know the value of having a backup. But source control isn’t just a safety net. It’s a superpower. It allows you to:

  1. Track every single change you make to your files.
  2. Test risky edits before pushing them live.
  3. Collaborate without stepping on someone else’s digital toes.
  4. Roll back changes faster than you can say “child theme.”

And yes, GoDaddy Managed WordPress makes it a bit trickier to integrate source control because you’re working within a managed hosting environment. But tricky doesn’t mean impossible — just fiddly.

Step 1: Understanding GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress Limitations

Managed WordPress hosting from GoDaddy is like WordPress on rails. It’s optimized for speed and security, but you’re also limited by some guardrails:

  • No direct SSH access. Yeah, that stings. Forget about typing git pull on the server.
  • File access is via SFTP. Say goodbye to seamless git clone on the server itself.
  • GoDaddy auto-updates WordPress Core. Great for security, but sometimes it’ll surprise you mid-sprint.

Managed WordPress hosting assumes you aren’t a developer. But guess what? You are, and you want source control. So let’s work around this.

Step 2: The Local Workflow (Aka: Bring Your Own Git)

Since GoDaddy doesn’t let you directly run Git on their servers, you’ll need to set up a local development environment:

  1. Install Local by Flywheel or DevKinsta. These tools allow you to replicate a WordPress site locally with a few clicks. You get access to a database, theme files, plugins, and everything else you need.
  3. Connect Local to Git. Initiate a Git repository on your local WordPress project directory. You’re going to be version-controlling all the important files:
  • wp-content/themes/your-theme-name
  • wp-content/plugins/your-custom-plugins
  • Any custom configurations or mu-plugins you need.
  1. Pro tip: Don’t add the entire WordPress core to your repo. Use .gitignore to exclude it—you don’t want to be the person tracking 1,500 files you’ll never touch.

Example .gitignore snippet:

/wp-admin/
/wp-includes/
*.log
wp-config.php
  1. Pull a Copy of Your Production Site. Use a plugin like WP Migrate to pull the database and files from your GoDaddy site into your local environment. Now you have an exact replica to work on.
  3. Make Your Edits Locally. Add new features, test things, break things… but only locally. Commit your changes using Git.
git add .
git commit -m "Added new header design and fixed menu alignment bug"

Boom. Version controlled.

Step 3: Deploying Changes to GoDaddy Managed WordPress

Here’s where things get fiddly. Without SSH access, you can’t use tools like git push directly to the server. So you need to use one of these methods to get your changes live:

1. SFTP Deployment (The Manual Approach)

  • Use an FTP client like FileZilla.
  • Connect to GoDaddy via SFTP.
  • Upload only the files you changed.

Pro tip: If you keep a Git repository, you can use git diff to identify the files you’ve modified.

git diff --name-only HEAD~1 HEAD

This lists all the files changed in the last commit. Upload just those.

2. Use a Git Deployment Tool

If manual SFTP gives you hives, automate the process with tools like:

These tools allow you to set up workflows that push files to your server after you commit them to Git. For GoDaddy Managed WordPress, configure them to use SFTP.

Step 4: Keep Your Workflow Clean

Let’s recap:

  1. Develop locally using Git.
  2. Test changes before pushing live.
  3. Deploy via SFTP or automated tools.

Follow this workflow, and you’ll avoid the chaos of cowboy coding — you know, making live edits on the production site at 2 AM. Even on GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress, you’ll look like a pro.

The Simplified AI Art Prompt

Prompt: A serene impressionist painting of a lone developer at a desk, bathed in morning light, coding quietly. A single canvas shows an elegant flow of source code, clean and artistic, symbolizing the harmony of perfect workflow.

If you found this deep dive helpful, hit the follow button. If you have questions or clever workarounds of your own, drop them in the comments — I’d love to hear them!