Title: Launches for site redesigns
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: October 19, 2023
Last modified: December 17, 2024

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 1. [Launch a site](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/)
 2. Launches for site redesigns

#  Launches for site redesigns

The VIP Platform is built to support [a “code moves up; content moves down” workflow](https://docs.wpvip.com/guidebooks/develop-on-wpvip/applications-and-environments/#1-code-moves-up-content-moves-down).
This means that any new content needs to be added to the production site and then
synced down to non-production environments. New code should be tested on the non-
production environment prior to introducing it to the production environment.

This workflow ensures that untested code is not added to the production environment
where it could potentially cause adverse outcomes such as taking down a launched
site or possibly opening it up to security issues.

In most cases, redesigning a site that is already launched on the VIP Platform can
be accomplished by developing the new code on a non-production environment. If the
redesign requires new content to be created, it can be created on the production
environment and [set to draft status](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/post-status/#draft).
[Sync the production database to the non-production environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/data-sync/)
where the content in draft status can be updated to publish status to support the
redesign process. When the new code for the redesign is ready to be merged to the
production branch and deployed, the draft content on production can be simultaneously
bulk-published for the full release of the redesign.

## Redesigns on a multisite

When redesigning a launched network site on a WordPress multisite, a new network
site can be added to the production environment to support the redesign process.
To add a network site that is already populated with the content and settings of
the original site, some customers on VIP have leveraged [MultilingualPress’s “Based on site” feature](https://multilingualpress.org/docs/getting-started-with-multilingualpress/).

During the redesign process, the new network site can be hidden from public traffic
by installing and activating [the Maintenance Mode plugin](https://docs.wpvip.com/restricting-site-access/maintenance-mode/)
for that site.

Perform a data sync from production to the non-production environment where code
for the redesign can be developed and thoroughly tested. When the new code for the
redesign is ready to be merged to the production branch, the Maintenance Mode plugin
will allow the redesign to undergo one final review on the new network site before
being publicly released.

To launch the redesigned site, the domain of the original launched site must be 
mapped to the new site. In most cases, this can be accomplished by performing [network site launch processes in the Network Sites launch tool](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/begin-a-multisite-launch/).

 1. Relaunch the original network site (e.g. `example.com`) with an updated Site Address
    URL that is a subdirectory of the main site (ID 1). For example, if the domain 
    mapped to the main site is `admin.example.com`, the original network site can be
    relaunched with the site address `admin.example.com/old-site`. The main site should
    be marked as “Launched” even though it might not receive public traffic.
 2. The redesigned network site is now ready to be launched with the domain that was
    previously assigned to the original site. Use the Network Sites launch tool to 
    launch the redesigned site with the domain `example.com` and mark the site as “
    Launched”.

During the time between Step 1 and the completion of Step 2, the page cache will
serve content for requests to the launched domain for up to 30 minutes. Until the
original site is archived or deleted from the network, it is recommended to activate
[the Maintenance Mode plugin](https://docs.wpvip.com/restricting-site-access/maintenance-mode/)
on that site to hide it from public traffic.

## Additional environment for a redesign

In some cases completing a site redesign on a separate network site within an existing
environment is not possible (e.g., different team or agency access, security reasons,
WordPress single sites). To request an additional environment to facilitate the 
redesign process, customers should reach out to their Relationship Manager.

In the absence of a Relationship Manager, customers can [create a VIP Support request](https://wordpressvip.zendesk.com/)
for an additional environment. The request should include:

 * An indication of the type of environment needed (e.g., WordPress single site,
   WordPress multisite, Node.js)
 * A list of any necessary non-production environments (e.g., preprod, develop) 
   that should also be created.

Last updated: December 17, 2024