{"id":171266,"date":"2018-03-20T13:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/premium.wpmudev.org\/blog\/?p=171266"},"modified":"2018-07-24T16:47:59","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T16:47:59","slug":"how-to-take-full-advantage-of-wordpress-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/how-to-take-full-advantage-of-wordpress-automation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Full Advantage of WordPress Automation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Automation can be a scary word for some, especially when a business relies on being able to make a personal connection with clients or customers. When it comes to working in WordPress, however, we understand that automation is a good thing (up to a certain point anyway). While we obviously don\u2019t want a bot writing a bunch of gobbledygook for our blogs, we do want to streamline our workflows when it makes sense to do so.<\/p>\n

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That said, while WordPress automation is a good thing, it typically comes in the form of a plugin\u2026 which is why this can get a little tricky. As you know, WordPress plugins can add some serious weight to a site, so you don\u2019t want to overdo it. But if you get the right plugins in place, you won\u2019t have to worry about any degrading side effects to your site\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s take a look at all the ways you can automate WordPress as well as how you should set up each of these processes.<\/p>\n

15 Ways to Automate Your WordPress Site and Workflow<\/h2>\n

Gray Scott<\/a> hypothesized that, \u201cBy 2018, automation is going to be in full swing in the United States and around the world. There are estimates that it could replace 50 percent of our jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you replace \u201cjobs\u201d with \u201ctasks\u201d, I think that\u2019s a wonderful outlook to have for the state of working with WordPress. Imagine having to spend 50% less time on the menial tasks that detract from the real work you should be doing. Of course, that\u2019s not to say that those tasks are unnecessary to your workflow and aren\u2019t \u201creal\u201d work. It\u2019s just, why waste your time on them if a piece of software can do it more quickly and efficiently?<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to look at right now: all those WordPress website processes that can and should be automated on your website.<\/p>\n

1. Updates<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s essential to keep the WordPress core as well as any themes or plugins on your site updated. If you fail to make these updates–or even if you fail to do so in a timely fashion–your site could suffer some serious consequences (usually as it pertains to security). So, if you decide to pick-and-choose which of these tasks to automate in WordPress, this should definitely make your list.<\/p>\n

To automate the updates process<\/a>, get acquainted with Automate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Automate <\/div>\n

Upon activating this tool, you can choose how much or how little you want to automate the updates process. It also comes with a neat reporting feature, so you can be informed of all the updates happening on your site (even if you didn\u2019t have a hand in doing them).<\/p>\n

2. Database Cleanup<\/h3>\n

There are a number of ways in which you can clean up and optimize your WordPress site<\/a>. While most of those tasks require direct input and action taken by you, there is one very important task you can automate: database cleanup.<\/p>\n

With a plugin like WP-DBManager<\/a>, you can schedule the automatic backup, cleaning, and optimization of your site\u2019s database. This isn\u2019t always the most exciting or even easiest of tasks, so it\u2019s nice to have a plugin to relieve you of that responsibility.<\/p>\n

3. Backups<\/h3>\n

Your database isn\u2019t the only thing that needs a backup. If you want to ensure your site\u2019s content is preserved somewhere outside of WordPress in case you need to quickly restore your site to its last-saved version, regular backups are necessary. Of course, these take time to manage (and to remember to do), which is why you should automate this with a plugin.<\/p>\n

The first backup tool you should use is Automate. With it, you can schedule a backup prior to any updates being made to your site. The second backup tool which you should use for more predictable and regular backups is a WordPress plugin.<\/p>\n

\"Snapshot<\/a>
Automate your WordPress backups with Snapshot Pro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You have a number of quality backup plugins<\/a> to choose from, but you should start with Snapshot Pro<\/a> if you have a WPMU DEV account.<\/p>\n

4. Security Monitoring and Cleanup<\/h3>\n

When it comes to securing your WordPress site<\/a>, you can never have too much security in place. As you can imagine, this can occupy quite a lot of your time, which is why automation is going to be key here. Automation also allows you to peek behind the scenes to scope out whether someone\u2019s infiltrated areas of your site that aren\u2019t readily visible. It\u2019s definitely a huge help.<\/p>\n

As far as automating WordPress security, you won\u2019t be able to do so with every task on your security checklist<\/a>. However, there are some parts of it that can be automated through WordPress tools and WordPress security plugins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Defender<\/a>
Keep your WordPress site safe, secure, and free of vulnerabilities automatically with Defender.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the Defender plugin<\/a>, you can automate tasks like:<\/p>\n