There are a lot of pitfalls\u00a0to fall into when building, redesigning, or updating a website. No one wants to see the white screen of death instead of the login page. How do you avoid\u00a0breaking your website by accident?<\/p>\n
Here are 3 things that you probably didn’t know could break your website.<\/p>\n
1. Updating the PHP version<\/strong><\/p>\n PHP an open-source software that allows websites to talk to a database. Like any software, PHP is updated\u00a0occasionally\u00a0to reduce vulnerability and improve functionality.\u00a0While it is true that an older PHP version can make your website more susceptible to hacks,\u00a0PHP version updates must be approached with caution. Some plugins and theme files\u00a0are incompatible with newer PHP versions,. How do you avoid breaking your website when updating PHP? Research which PHP version works best with existing plugins, update PHP in a test environment, and be prepared to hack at plugins to ensure compatibility. Don’t just hit “update” and expect everything to work.<\/p>\n 2. Modifying theme files<\/strong><\/p>\n Theme files are PHP templates that define your website’s appearance. Any changes made to a theme file can affect the appearance and functionality of your entire website. The most sensitive\u00a0and crucial theme file is functions.php, which\u00a0defines functions, classes, actions, styles, and more essential website functions. Even when installing noninvasive pieces of code like Google Tag Manager, it’s\u00a0easy to accidentally add a space or delete a closing bracket.\u00a0Modifying\u00a0theme files should be done with intentionality: one misplaced character can break a whole website.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0Plugin, WordPress, and Theme Updates<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever logged into your website and seen an error message about outdated plugins? It\u00a0is tempting to hit the update button without asking any questions. However, even simple plugin updates must be approached with care. Newer plugin versions may be incompatible with some versions of WordPress and theme files. Research to ensure that all plugins, WordPress, and theme files are compatible with each other.<\/p>\n Also, if you have a Managed IT Services provider<\/a> who works on your email or other corporate platforms, make sure they are careful not to change DNS settings while working on internal systems. While these are some unexpected ways to break a website, there are many more simple mistakes that can impede your website’s functionality or ruin its appearance. If you have questions about website design<\/a> and development, contact our team of website experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are a lot of pitfalls\u00a0to fall into when building, redesigning, or updating a website. No one wants to see the white screen of death instead of the login page. How do you avoid\u00a0breaking your website by accident? Here are\u2026","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13360,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,133],"tags":[40,156],"class_list":["post-13357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-list","category-web-design","tag-seo","tag-website-design"],"yoast_head":"\n