Frequently Asked Questions

Accessing Git on Your Managed WordPress Account

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Last Updated: November 3, 2014 1:29 PM

You can use the version-control software Git with your Managed WordPress account. Unlike most uses of Git (which controls software subversions), Managed WordPress users find Git most useful for creating backups of their site's content.

Git will not version your Managed WordPress database, nor any of the information in it like your posts.

You can also use Git to develop your Managed WordPress site locally, but doing so is more advanced and requires additional software like Beanstalk.

To use Git, you need a repository like GitHub or Bitbucket.

To Access Git on Your Managed WordPress Account

  1. Access your Managed WordPress account via SSH (more info).
  2. Run the Git application using the following command:
    git

From this state, you can issue commands through Git as documented on their site here.

Additional Information

To properly use Git on your Managed WordPress account, you need to create a .gitignore file (more info) stored in your /html directory. The file should contain the following lines of code:

wp-admin/
wp-content/mu-plugins/gd-system-plugin.php
wp-content/mu-plugins/
wp-includes/
wp-*.php
!wp-config.php
index.php
gd-config.php

If you do not create this file, you will experience versioning issues caused by updates to the WordPress core.

Git Alternatives

If you want to use version control software without learning Git, we recommend a plugin called Revisr or Gitium. They offer most of Git's functionality through a GUI, which makes them simpler to use.


Disclaimer

As a courtesy, we provide information about how to use certain third-party products, but we do not endorse or directly support third-party products and we are not responsible for the functions or reliability of such products. Third-party marks and logos are registered trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved.