Safe WordPress Migration and PHP Upgrade
Budget / Salary€30–250
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted59 minutes ago
# WordPress & Aruba/cPanel Expert Needed: Website Updates and Migration from /new/ to Main Domain
We are looking for an experienced professional to update and launch the new HTS Enologia company website. This is a sensitive migration: the current website must remain operational during preparation, and we need a verified way to restore it if anything goes wrong.
The new website is already built. This project does not involve creating a new website or redesigning it.
## Current setup
- Current website: https://www.hts-enologia.com/
- New website: https://www.hts-enologia.com/new/
- Hosting: Aruba Business Cloud Hosting Multidomain, running Linux with cPanel.
- Two separate WordPress installations: the current website in `public_html` and the new website in `public_html/new`, with separate databases.
- The new website currently runs WordPress 6.8.3 and PHP 7.4.33.
- WooCommerce is used only as a product catalogue. There are no online purchases or payments.
- Installed components include Elementor, Elementor Pro, Elementor add-ons, Porto Functionality and other plugins. The latest review showed 24 installed plugins and 18 available updates.
Our website collaborator has requested PHP 8.4 or later, along with updates to WordPress, plugins and themes. Compatibility must be tested.
**Requested launch date: November 11, 2026**, during an agreed time window. Please confirm feasibility after the initial assessment and promptly identify anything that could prevent a safe launch.
## Important: customized theme
The active theme is called “HTS Enologia” and is a customized copy of Porto. The freelancer who originally prepared it is no longer available.
We do not have the original theme package, licence or documentation. An initial inspection of the backup found modifications to Porto’s activation and content-loading mechanisms.
You will need to assess the origin of these components, identify the customizations that must be preserved and propose a solution using official packages.
Any required licences must be identified and quoted separately, with client ownership where applicable. We do not accept pirated components or licence bypasses.
## Preparation already completed
We have:
- Locally downloaded JetBackup backups of the files and both databases, dated November 4, 2026.
- A file archive of approximately 8.4 GB, read through without errors and confirmed to include both installations.
- Database archives identified for both websites. Restoration has not yet been tested.
- An export of the active code snippet that controls the manual product display order.
- Notes documenting the checks already completed.
A test subdomain, `test.hts-enologia.com`, has been created with a document root outside `public_html`. It does not contain a website copy yet.
PHP Selector currently shows PHP 7.4 for both the main domain and test subdomain. “Per Domain Settings” has no editable controls, and MultiPHP Manager was not found. You must establish the Aruba-supported method for assigning an independent PHP version to the test environment.
## Required work
1. Assess the hosting configuration, dependencies, customized theme and licence requirements. Provide an implementation plan before making changes.
2. Create fresh backups and verify a practical restoration procedure.
3. Prepare an access-protected test environment with separate files and database, preventing unintended outgoing emails or interference with the live website.
4. Test updates to PHP, WordPress, plugins and the theme while preserving the existing design, content and customizations.
5. Check the product catalogue, categories, images, downloadable documents, search, filters, product ordering, mobile navigation and core functionality.
6. Prepare and perform the migration to the main domain, including URL and path changes, serialized data handling, permalinks, cache, HTTPS and necessary redirects.
7. Preserve email services and applications in other subdirectories. Assess the effect of changing PHP on those applications before applying changes.
8. Check indexing settings, sitemaps and existing links at launch, minimizing broken links and 404 errors.
9. Deliver a concise report covering changes, backup locations, licences and the rollback procedure.
We are looking for an experienced professional to update and launch the new HTS Enologia company website. This is a sensitive migration: the current website must remain operational during preparation, and we need a verified way to restore it if anything goes wrong.
The new website is already built. This project does not involve creating a new website or redesigning it.
## Current setup
- Current website: https://www.hts-enologia.com/
- New website: https://www.hts-enologia.com/new/
- Hosting: Aruba Business Cloud Hosting Multidomain, running Linux with cPanel.
- Two separate WordPress installations: the current website in `public_html` and the new website in `public_html/new`, with separate databases.
- The new website currently runs WordPress 6.8.3 and PHP 7.4.33.
- WooCommerce is used only as a product catalogue. There are no online purchases or payments.
- Installed components include Elementor, Elementor Pro, Elementor add-ons, Porto Functionality and other plugins. The latest review showed 24 installed plugins and 18 available updates.
Our website collaborator has requested PHP 8.4 or later, along with updates to WordPress, plugins and themes. Compatibility must be tested.
**Requested launch date: November 11, 2026**, during an agreed time window. Please confirm feasibility after the initial assessment and promptly identify anything that could prevent a safe launch.
## Important: customized theme
The active theme is called “HTS Enologia” and is a customized copy of Porto. The freelancer who originally prepared it is no longer available.
We do not have the original theme package, licence or documentation. An initial inspection of the backup found modifications to Porto’s activation and content-loading mechanisms.
You will need to assess the origin of these components, identify the customizations that must be preserved and propose a solution using official packages.
Any required licences must be identified and quoted separately, with client ownership where applicable. We do not accept pirated components or licence bypasses.
## Preparation already completed
We have:
- Locally downloaded JetBackup backups of the files and both databases, dated November 4, 2026.
- A file archive of approximately 8.4 GB, read through without errors and confirmed to include both installations.
- Database archives identified for both websites. Restoration has not yet been tested.
- An export of the active code snippet that controls the manual product display order.
- Notes documenting the checks already completed.
A test subdomain, `test.hts-enologia.com`, has been created with a document root outside `public_html`. It does not contain a website copy yet.
PHP Selector currently shows PHP 7.4 for both the main domain and test subdomain. “Per Domain Settings” has no editable controls, and MultiPHP Manager was not found. You must establish the Aruba-supported method for assigning an independent PHP version to the test environment.
## Required work
1. Assess the hosting configuration, dependencies, customized theme and licence requirements. Provide an implementation plan before making changes.
2. Create fresh backups and verify a practical restoration procedure.
3. Prepare an access-protected test environment with separate files and database, preventing unintended outgoing emails or interference with the live website.
4. Test updates to PHP, WordPress, plugins and the theme while preserving the existing design, content and customizations.
5. Check the product catalogue, categories, images, downloadable documents, search, filters, product ordering, mobile navigation and core functionality.
6. Prepare and perform the migration to the main domain, including URL and path changes, serialized data handling, permalinks, cache, HTTPS and necessary redirects.
7. Preserve email services and applications in other subdirectories. Assess the effect of changing PHP on those applications before applying changes.
8. Check indexing settings, sitemaps and existing links at launch, minimizing broken links and 404 errors.
9. Deliver a concise report covering changes, backup locations, licences and the rollback procedure.
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