Background:
This client is a licensed medical cannabis dispensary based in Maryland. One of my previous colleagues, who was their developer, approached me for assistance when their website encountered critical issues. Due to limited experience in debugging and resolving WordPress issues, the developer sought my expertise to address the problem promptly. With their site down and potential sales at stake, it was crucial to act swiftly.
Diagnosis and Resolution:
Upon investigation, I discovered significant display and functionality issues on the site. Customers were unable to complete transactions, and the age gate required for legal compliance was disabled. Analyzing the site’s debug logs, I determined that the client’s theme was incompatible with the recent WordPress 6.2 update, automatically applied by their hosting provider. Rolling back to the 6.1 branch of WordPress was able to resolve these issues, while ensuring the site still received security updates.
Challenges:
One major challenge was that the client did not have any site backups. While no critical data was lost and there were no severe errors, it was essential to create backups of all files and databases before attempting to roll back the WordPress version. This precautionary measure ensured that we had a fallback option in case the rollback process encountered any issues. Although it extended the downtime, it was necessary to mitigate potential risks.
Less than 24 hours after restoring the site, the same issue recurred, resulting in another site outage. Further investigation revealed that the hosting provider had reapplied the incompatible update, and they had a configuration issue preventing clients from disabling automatic updates. Taking immediate action on behalf of the client, I contacted the hosting provider and escalated the matter, urging them to address their configuration issue promptly.
By navigating these challenges and diligently resolving the technical issues, I aimed to restore the client’s website functionality and ensure that they could continue their operations smoothly.