WooCommerce Deployment

Before writing code

Fetch live docs:

1. Fetch https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/ for WP-CLI reference
2. Web-search woocommerce deployment best practices for deployment patterns
3. Web-search wordpress deployment ci cd for CI/CD integration

WP-CLI

Essential WordPress Commands

WooCommerce-Specific Commands

Scripted Deployment

# Deploy steps
wp maintenance-mode activate
wp db export pre-deploy-backup.sql
wp plugin update woocommerce
wp wc update                        # Run DB migrations
wp cache flush
wp rewrite flush
wp maintenance-mode deactivate

Database Migrations

WooCommerce Update Routine

When WooCommerce updates:

1. New version includes migration callbacks
2. wp wc update executes pending migrations
3. Migrations are versioned and idempotent
4. Track in woocommerce_db_version option

Custom Extension Migrations

For your own plugin's schema changes:

• Store a db_version option
• On plugins_loaded, compare stored vs current version
• Run migration if needed using dbDelta() for CREATE/ALTER
• Update the stored version

HPOS Migration

Migrate orders from posts to custom tables:

• WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features
• Use the built-in migration tool (batched, resumable)
• Enable sync mode during transition
• Verify data integrity before switching authoritative source

Environment Configuration

wp-config.php Constants

Environment Detection

wp_get_environment_type() returns the current environment type. Use for conditional behavior (debug output, test gateways, etc.).

Staging & Production Workflow

Recommended Flow

1. Local — develop and test
2. Staging — mirror production, final QA
3. Production — live store

Database Migration Between Environments

• Export: wp db export
• Import: wp db import
• URL replacement: wp search-replace 'https://staging.example.com' 'https://example.com' --all-tables
• Always backup before replacing

What NOT to Sync

• Active sessions and transients — they're environment-specific
• Payment gateway live keys (use environment-specific config)
• Email notification settings (avoid sending test emails from staging)

CI/CD Patterns

GitHub Actions / GitLab CI

Typical pipeline:

1. Lint — PHP_CodeSniffer with WPCS
2. Unit Tests — PHPUnit against WordPress test suite
3. Integration Tests — PHPUnit with WooCommerce loaded
4. E2E Tests — Playwright against test environment
5. Deploy — rsync/SSH or platform-specific deployer

Deployment Methods

Maintenance Mode

• wp maintenance-mode activate — enable maintenance mode
• wp maintenance-mode deactivate — disable
• Or programmatic: create .maintenance file in WordPress root
• Custom maintenance page: wp-content/maintenance.php

Best Practices

• Always backup before deploying (wp db export)
• Run wp wc update after WooCommerce version updates
• Use wp search-replace for URL changes between environments
• Set WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE per environment
• Disable file editing in production (DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT)
• Use maintenance mode during major updates
• Test updates on staging before production
• Automate deployments with CI/CD pipelines
• Keep deployment scripts in version control

Fetch the WP-CLI documentation and WordPress deployment guides for exact command syntax, flags, and platform-specific deployment patterns before implementing.