Question

Download database and files / replicate environment

Posted on January 21, 2025
Backups
Asked by Nick Thorley

I would like to make large changes to our wordpress site but need to get approval before going live. My initial aim was to download the php and mysql files, replaicate it locally and then upload it to the web once approved. However I see downloading the database / files isnt possible. Do you have any other suggestions of how we could work in parallel wihtout harming the running VM / environment.

Submit an answer

This textbox defaults to using Markdown to format your answer.

You can type !ref in this text area to quickly search our full set of tutorials, documentation & marketplace offerings and insert the link!

These answers are provided by our Community. If you find them useful, show some love by clicking the heart. If you run into issues leave a comment, or add your own answer to help others.

alexdo

Site Moderator

• January 21, 2025

Heya, @nickthorley

You can use plugins like WP Staging or Duplicator make it easy to clone your site.

Install the plugin on your live site.
Clone your site to a subdomain (e.g., staging.yoursite.com) or a local directory.
Make changes in the staging site, test them, and push them to live after approval.

Once the staging environment is done you can use a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration to export your site (including the database) and then import it to your dev site.

Hope that this helps!

Bobby Iliev

Site Moderator

• January 21, 2025

Hey Nick,

In addition to what @alexdo suggested, you can also create a copy of the entire Droplet. This way, you can replicate your environment, including all files and the database, without touching the live site.

Here’s how to clone your Droplet:

Follow this guide to create a Droplet snapshot: How to clone or make a copy of a Droplet.
Once you have the snapshot, you can restore it as a new Droplet to work on your changes in an isolated environment.
On the new server, you will need to update the WordPress site and home URLs to the new temporary domain name.

This approach will allow you to work in an exact copy of your live environment, giving you peace of mind when making large changes.

Hope this helps!

- Bobby

KFSys

Site Moderator

• January 22, 2025

Heya,

Another way is to use the Snapshot feature. Snapshots are on-demand disk images of DigitalOcean Droplets and volumes saved to your account. Use them to create new Droplets and volumes with the same contents

https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/snapshots/