Automating WordPress backends with Chrome and PHP

If you’ve ever used ManageWP then you know their onboarding is quite magical. With only three pieces of information, the WordPress site url, username and password, ManageWP will automatically install and configure their worker plugin. That allows your site to be fully managed by ManageWP. ManageWP isn’t open source so I have no idea…

Enabling IPv6 with Kinsta’s Cloudflare Integration

Officially, Kinsta doesn’t support IPv6. In fact I’m not aware of any managed WordPress host provider advertising IPv6 as a feature. Out of the popular WordPress hosts like Kinsta, Liquid Web, Pagely, Pressable, Siteground or WP Engine, only Liquid Web has their own homepage running on IPv6. I get it. IPv6 is one of…

Migrating a WordPress Site When All Options Fail

Moving a WordPress site from one server to another is a fairly straightforward process. Start by getting a copy of the WordPress files, specifically the wp-content folder, and a fresh database export. Import the files and database to the new server and then configure your domain with the new web server IP. Deploy fresh…

Kinsta’s Cloudflare Integration Deadline

A quick update: September 30th is the deadline to complete Kinsta’s Cloudflare integration. Customers who use Anchor Hosting for DNS are already covered. Otherwise, expect an email from me here shortly. That will include instructions for required DNS changes in order to make sure your website keep running. While there have been a few…

Farewell Fathom Lite, Hello Fathom Analytics

I’m a big fan of open source. That is what initially attracted me to Fathom Analytics. You can hack it to your will, extend it, and embed it within your own product or service offering. I’ve been using Fathom since pretty much day one of it’s release and it has served me well. It’s…

Scheduled WordPress Updates are the Solution, Not Blind Auto Updates

A key to running a WordPress site over the long haul is to be proactive with WordPress updates. That means installing all WordPress security and features updates on a regular basis. My personal opinion is to do that at least monthly if not a few times per month. WordPress knows updates are important and…

WordPress jQuery Compatibility Fixes

With WordPress 5.6 and 5.7 jQuery has been upgraded and support for jQuery migrate dropped. Finally! Say goodbye to jQuery v1.12.4 and hello to jQuery v3.5.1. Similar to WordPress 5.5, these jQuery improvements may cause incompatibilities issues with outdated themes or plugins. While applying compatibility fixes for Anchor Hosting customers, here are a few…

Rolling Out Kinsta’s Cloudflare Integration

Last month Kinsta enabled their new Cloudflare integration. I’ve been looking forward to this release as it opens up many opportunities for improved hosting services. I’m currently rolling out the new integration to all Anchor Hosting customers. If DNS is managed by Anchor Hosting then no action is needed. Otherwise you can expect an…

Local WordPress Meetups

As I write this (May 2021), the majority of WordPress meetups are meeting online due to Covid with only a handful of groups having resumed in-person meetups. Local WordPress meetups are foundational to the WordPress ecosystem. There is nothing quite like going to a small group of local, free, or low-cost events with other…

Introducing Domain Controls

Managed domains and DNS services are available to Anchor Hosting customers. The first domain registration is free with any hosting plan. Additional domains are available starting at $20/year per domain. Managed DNS is included at no extra charge, and both domains and DNS are handled with other reputable providers as our aim is to…