Some links still point to my source site after Total Upkeep restoration

Hi Flo,

I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing difficulties with your staging environment created with Total Upkeep. This issue seems like it could be related to the URL settings in your destination installation.

When you create a staging environment, WordPress should automatically update all the URLs to match the new staging path. However, in some cases, some URLs might not be updated correctly, causing the issues you’ve described.

Here’s what you can do to resolve this:

1. **Check and Update Permalinks:** Log in to your staging site’s WordPress admin dashboard. Go to Settings > Permalinks and simply click on the “Save Changes” button without making any changes. This forces WordPress to regenerate the .htaccess file, which might solve the issue.

2. **Search and Replace URLs:** If the above step doesn’t solve the issue, you might need to manually update the URLs in your staging site’s database. You can use a plugin like “Better Search Replace” to do this. Be sure to backup your staging site before using search and replace tools.

3. **Clear Cache:** Clear your browser cache and your website’s cache (if you’re using a caching plugin). Outdated cache files can sometimes cause issues with links and navigation.

If you continue to face issues after trying these steps, please let us know and we’ll help you troubleshoot further.

I hope this helps, please let us know if we can assist you further with this!

Hey Flo,

I’m happy to hear you’re making progress! You’re right, as long as the /staging links are replaced correctly when pushing the site live, you should not have any issues. Here’s what you should note:

1. When moving from staging to live, all instances of the “/staging URL” should be replaced with the live site URL. This includes internal links, images, scripts, etc. This is usually handled by a search and replace script or tool in the migration process.
2. If you are creating new internal links on the staging site, you should create them with the /staging path structure. This is because when the site moves from staging to live, these links will be automatically updated to the correct URL structure.
3. There could be issues if the replacements are not done correctly or fully. For example, if a /staging URL is hardcoded somewhere in the theme or plugins, it might not get replaced, leading to a broken link. So, it’s always good to double-check everything after the migration.
4. As a best practice, it’s recommended to keep a backup of your live site before making any major changes like this. This way, you can always revert back if something goes wrong.

I hope this helps clarify everything for you. Let us know if you have any other questions!

You’re very welcome Flo!

I believe you have it down!  Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you continue to have trouble we’re always here to help.