Version control on the server.
AVAILABILITY
Git is available on most accounts with SSH access. cPanel also provides Git Version Control in the interface.
CHECKING
Run git --version over SSH. If it responds, you have it.
THE COMMON WORKFLOW
Develop locally, commit, push to a remote repository such as GitHub, then pull on the server.
The server holds a clone of the repository, and deployment is a pull.
CLONING A REPOSITORY
From SSH, clone into the appropriate directory. For a private repository you need authentication, usually a deploy key.
PULLING UPDATES
Change to the repository directory and pull. New code is in place immediately.
WHAT NOT TO COMMIT
Configuration files containing credentials The uploads or media directory, which is data rather than code Dependency directories such as vendor or node_modules, which should be installed rather than committed Cache and compiled files
Use a gitignore file to exclude them.
WHY THIS BEATS FTP DEPLOYMENT
Version history, easy rollback, and no partially uploaded files.
