WordPress accounts for 25% of all internet traffic, which is a huge amount. We need to preserve WordPress sites so that future generations can enjoy them. WordPress is, by its nature, dynamic. Most of the content is generated by PHP and then compiled on the fly. It’s not easy to export and preserve an entire WordPress website as it appears in your browser. In this post, I will outline the reasons and a way to export a complete WordPress website as a working backupbackup.
In the last few years, simplicity has become a trend in web design and development. Static site generators are one way to achieve this. Static site generators export-dynamic content into a fixed format. This means that each web page becomes a.html document that has all the information it needs to last forever.
SAVING THE PAST
Today, everything is digital. We no longer write letters, render film, create tangible art, or produce vinyl recordings. It is important to preserve digital content in order to pass it on to future generations. Data must be kept visually so that future generations can see what digital design looked like in the past. We must maintain data, including the interactions and user interface. Instagram photos of this year will become the Mona Lisas of tomorrow.
A static version of a website is a simple solution. You can still access and navigate the website even if the URL has been removed or the database is no longer available.
We web engineers still have a lot to learn about creating dynamic content that can be archived and exported using API/db data in addition to the visual component.
STATIC PRESENT
Static versions of websites are not only great for archiving but can also be used to provide current versions of a website for users to navigate. This method will not be for sites with highly dynamic content, such as single-page applications or heavily AJAX-filled content areas.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “design in browser” or seen apps or services that let you create interactive designs to be approved by clients. Exporting a static version can be an easy way to achieve this during the design phase.
A portfolio is a collection of images that developers, designers, and agencies have. A static export will reproduce the actual user interface that can be navigated. Even if the client changes the original finished product, you will still have a live example. A backlog of all projects that current designers/developers can peruse at their leisure is an excellent learning resource.
ARCHIVE TOOLS
Most static site generators don’t convert WordPress sites. Generators can be difficult to install. Install command-line tools, write your documents in Markdown (a language that converts into HTML), and then the generators will keep local copies of the files in a flat-file format. It may work for some people, but not with dynamic WordPress content. Even a WordPress plugin reviewer, @ipstenu, struggles to convert WordPress dynamic range into using the JSON API.
There aren’t many WordPress plugins that do this. Really, static works. The plugin is designed to be used on a production site, where it will produce static pages. However, I was able to create a static site locally using DesktopServer. After that, I used the Really Static FTP Export settings to upload the site to the server. You can archive the contents of your site using the local file system settings if you’re only doing an archive backup. Note that this is different from a Database Backup, which you should also do on a regular schedule.
SET UP LOCAL
I chose DesktopServer because it is easy to use and quick to install. This tutorial is only for the free base version. You can use Vagrant as well, or any WordPress installation on your local. This tutorial assumes you have a local environment and are familiar with how to set it.
Three cautions!
- If you do it locally instead of on a server, the site will only be on your computer, and other users won’t be able to add content. This may work for a personal website. This is also a good way to create “live” comps. You can create different Git branches to store different designs and then export them.
- It’s not possible to comment on a static website because you can no longer connect with the WordPress database. An external solution must be provided. Disqus can be used; I installed WordPress Disqus, and it worked perfectly.
- It could be a problem with the theme you choose. If it is really complex, then it might not export correctly. It is best to use a simple melody. In my test, I used the theme Small blog.
REALLY STATICAL
Install the Really Static Plugin once you’ve completed the local setup. If you want to export to another server, then you need to make some changes to the Static plugin. Otherwise, the file paths won’t be correct. Do not make any changes to the settings under the source tab. The default settings for the “Source” tab are your website URL and the URL of the theme that you wish to export. Check the Show Expert settings box. This option reveals more settings. Save it.
Click on the destination tab. You can use local files if you’re doing this for your production site or if you want to test it before FTP. I chose to send my post directly to the website. Change the domain prefix if you’re using FTP. The template folder will remain unchanged as we’ll change the string replacement setting later.
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