Understanding the Transition: Key Considerations When Managing a Transferred WordPress Website

Embarking on the journey of maintaining a website transferred from another owner can be both exciting and daunting, especially if you are new to managing live web environments beyond static sites. If you’re stepping into a role that involves overseeing a WordPress-based website, there are several essential factors to consider to ensure a smooth and secure transition.

1. Clarify Your Access Level and Limitations

Since the server is cPanel-based, it’s important to understand your privileges:

• File Management: Typically, you’ll have access via the cPanel File Manager or FTP to modify files in the public_html directory.
• Database Access: Use cPanel’s phpMyAdmin to manage the database.

• Server Restrictions: You may not have root access; certain configurations or server-wide settings could be outside your control.

• Prepare Your Development Environment

To safely make changes and test updates:

• Download Files and Database: Use cPanel’s File Manager or FTP clients like FileZilla to download website files. Export the database via phpMyAdmin.
• Local Environment Setup: Tools like WAMP (Windows) or XAMPP provide a local server stack, including Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP. Ensure that your local PHP version matches the live server (e.g., PHP 7.4) to avoid compatibility issues.

• Restore on Local Server: Import the database into your local MySQL/MariaDB instance and place the site files in your web root directory.

• Understand the Existing Site Architecture

• Content Management System (CMS): Determine if the site uses WordPress, a custom PHP CMS, or a hybrid approach.

• Code Quality: Be aware of any “spaghetti code” or custom scripts, especially if they interact with WordPress or other components.

• PHP & Dependencies: Confirm the PHP version and extensions needed, and verify if there are any specific server configurations.

• Prioritize Security and SSL

• SSL Certificates: Check whether the site currently uses HTTPS. If not, consider installing an SSL certificate (e.g., via cPanel’s Let’s Encrypt integration).

• Ports and Firewall Settings: Usually, web traffic runs on port 443 (HTTPS) or 80 (HTTP). Verify firewall rules and hosting provider policies if you plan to modify these.

• Plan Your Design and Code Changes

• Template and Theme Updates: Backup existing