And when you do not.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO
Edit content, which the application does properly Change settings, which the application does properly Add users, which the application does properly
Doing these directly risks inconsistency, because applications frequently store related data in several places.
YOU MIGHT NEED TO
Reset a password when you are locked out Correct a site URL after a migration Run a search and replace after a domain change Clean bloat the application cannot remove Recover content from a backup without restoring everything Fix a corrupted setting Diagnose a problem
THE RULE
Back up before any direct change. Always, without exception.
A mistaken UPDATE without a WHERE clause changes every row, and there is no undo.
WHEN TO ASK INSTEAD
Anything you are unsure about. Open a ticket describing what you want to achieve.
We would rather advise beforehand than restore afterwards.
THE SAFER ROUTE
Where a plugin or a command-line tool can do the job, use it. Tools that understand the application handle the related data correctly.
