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Better WP-Config: 7 Step Tutorial

If you are a WordPress professional you should be able to use Better WP-Config for almost any WordPress website where you want more control and better workflow.

Better WP-Config is a single file

Better WP-Config's source code comes in a single file: better-wp-config.php. That is the only source code file you will need to add, but you will need to modify the existing /wp-config.php and the root /index.php files.

Step #1: Copy better-wp-config.php to your web root

Copy better-wp-config.php to your web site's root directory, the same directory where your root /index.php is located.

WordPress' root index.php file

One of the benefits of using Better WP-Config is you no longer need to modify your root /index.php if your local development configuration for WordPress core is different from your hosted configuration.

Step #2: Update your root /index.php file

Update your root /index.php to look exactly like the following (you can copy it directly from the GitHub raw page if you like):

<?php
/**
 * Front to the WordPress application. This file doesn't do anything, but loads
 * wp-blog-header.php which does and tells WordPress to load the theme.
 *
 * @package WordPress
 */

/**
 * Tells WordPress to load the WordPress theme and output it.
 *
 * @var bool
 */
define('WP_USE_THEMES', true);

/**
 * Load Better WP Config configuration
 */
require( __DIR__ . '/better-wp-config.php' );

/** Loads the WordPress Environment and Template */
require( wp_config()->dirs->core . '/wp-blog-header.php' );

The above has only two (2) small changes from the /index.php that ships with WordPress core. Those changes are:

  1. The require() statement to load for better-wp-config.php, and
  2. The use of wp_config()->dirs->core to locate /wp-blog-header.php.

By using wp_config()->dirs->core instead of dirname( __FILE__ ) then you won't need to change /index.php in your deploy if your local development environment has WordPress core in a directory (for example: /wp) that differs from where your web host has WordPress core (typically: /).

WordPress' wp-config.php file

When using Better WP-Config you can use one standard wp-config.php, and you won't ever have to change it.

Step #3: Replace your /wp-config.php file

Copy your wp-config.php to wp-config.save.php; you will need it in a minute.

Now replace your /wp-config.php with the following code, making sure that you locate this wp-config.php file is in your web root and not in the web root's parent directory (you can copy it directly from the GitHub raw page if you like):

<?php
/* Config by Better WP-Config: https://github.com/wplib/better-wp-config */
require_once( __DIR__ . '/better-wp-config.php' );
require_once( wp_config()->dirs->core . '/wp-settings.php' );

Note that all configuration is now performed when better-wp-config.php is required, thus making the only other action needed in wp-config.php is to require wp-settings.php.

Better WP-Config's wp-bootstrap.php file

Better WP-Config expects a /wp-bootstrap.php file in the root of your website — the same directory where your root /index.php is found — and it should contain at least the first two (2) of the following four (4) items:

  1. Environments: An array of regular expressions to match and associate the domains you are using with a "name" for each of your various web hosts, e.g. local/test/stage/live.

  2. Configs: An array of regular expressions to match your environment "names" from the environments and a relative path to the directory that will contain your configuration file(s).

  3. File Format: The file formats for your configuration files, one of: php, env or json. Defaults to php.

  4. Provider: A name for your webhost or local development provider. Normally you won't need to set this because Better WP-Config sets this for you based on inspecting the current environment although it is possible you may need to set it in rare cases.

    Currently the supported webhosts are pantheon and wpengine, and wplib-box for local development, however we will be happy to accept pull requests that add support for others.

Step #4: Create your wp-bootstrap.php file

Create a /wp-bootstrap.php to map your environment's domains to a name for each environment, and then map your environments to directory where you want your configuration files:

<?php
return array(
	'environments' => array(
		'(www\.)?example.com'   => 'live',
		'test.example.com'      => 'test',
		'stage.example.com'     => 'stage',
		'(www\.)?example.local' => 'local',
	),
	'configs' => array(
		'(live|test|dev)' => '/wp-content/config',
		'local'           => '/wp-content/config',
	),
);

Better WP-Config's project config.php file

Better WP-Config stores allow its configuration in a one-dimension associative array (except for the defines element which can contain an array of defines to set.)

The following are the default options set in Better WP-Config (expect we will add more as needed; pull requests appreciated!):

public function defaults() {
	return array(
		'defines'                    => array(),
		'environment[scheme]'         => 'https',
		'environment[domain]'         => 'www.example.com',
		'environment[platform]'       => 'wordpress',
		'disallow[unfiltered_html]'   => false,
		'disallow[file_edit]'         => false,
		'disallow[file_mods]'         => false,
		'allow[subdirectory_install]' => false,
		'allow[unfiltered_uploads]'   => false,
		'allow[auto_update_core]'     => false,
		'allow[auto_update_plugin]'   => false,
		'allow[auto_update_theme]'    => false,
		'debug[wp]'                   => false,
		'debug[script]'               => false,
		'error[reporting]'            => E_ALL,
		'error[display]'              => '0',
		'error[display_startup]'      => '0',
		'db[name]'                    => 'wordpress',
		'db[user]'                    => 'wordpress',
		'db[pass]'                    => 'wordpress',
		'db[host]'                    => 'localhost',
		'db[charset]'                 => 'utf8',
		'db[collate]'                 => '',
		'db[table_prefix]'            => 'wp_',
		'salts[auth_key]'             => 'insecure',
		'salts[secure_auth_key]'      => 'insecure',
		'salts[logged_in_key]'        => 'insecure',
		'salts[nonce_key]'            => 'insecure',
		'salts[auth_salt]'            => 'insecure',
		'salts[secure_auth_salt]'     => 'insecure',
		'limit[memory]'               => '64M',
		'limit[max_memory]'           => '64M',
		'dir[root]'                   => __DIR__,
	);
}

If any of the above options are sufficient for your project, you don't need to set them. You only need to set the ones that differ.

Step #5: Create your project's config.php file

Next, create a /wp-content/config/config.php file and include any configuration options that are project wide but differ from Better WP-Config's defaults. You may need to refer to your saved wp-config.save.php here:

<?php
return array(
	'disallow[file_edit]'         => true,
	'disallow[file_mods]'         => true,
	'debug[wp]'                   => true,
	'debug[script]'               => true,
	'error[display]'              => '1',
	'error[display_startup]'      => '1',
	'db[name]'                    => 'example_db',
	'db[user]'                    => 'example_user',
	'db[pass]'                    => '1234567890abcdef',
	'db[table_prefix]'            => 'ex_',
	'salts[auth_key]'             => '&-BI@:CFy~}WNeWHvM#J{T%Gf#t$]#iLL,,ERkNoE!Kc]ieXD[{-qYMy2>mJlieD',
	'salts[secure_auth_key]'      => '@zO^-`:Yc{mVBpH1gt:%mMAM&*u-[.j?(jL<8r ];h~BWZnf||):Y?gyRQ]R+gI(',
	'salts[logged_in_key]'        => '}Rb,~^#Bn#EW,jkdIG[*+vMSdte&+#ewIPC;^eM{fakrqXafX|ewHn+q/8Bh8P-R',
	'salts[nonce_key]'            => 'T-FNz9xr8[41;n@KD $M*aIUBSN 8r4-[0>Ws2t`og!0YntKCyS!JwEfC?|ELb>_',
	'salts[auth_salt]'            => 'qJDhrvzmP;qa4O&<P{*ct-,F$|V!-]SHO1$V72W<_o$[cV/sR,5+-Q3<-PhX2r|2',
	'salts[secure_auth_salt]'     => 'J|H`ZOmiW3]vK-8?/NqDNsaVCV5K6QL|&4z10N=^<OlQzv,vg!|6gf)d}$HhB5{m',
	'limit[memory]'               => '256M',
	'limit[max_memory]'           => '256M',
);

Better WP-Config's environment-specific configuration files

For each of your environments you can create a environment-specific configuration filename will be the same as your environment and found in the /wp-content/config/environments directory, e.g. your live environment configuration will be found in /wp-content/config/environments/live.php

Step #6: Create your environment's configuration files

For each environment you specified in your wp-bootstrap.php file you can a configuration file to override both Better WP-Config's default as well those options set in your project's /wp-content/config/config.php file.

Assuming you have four (4) environments — local, test, stage and live — here are examples of setting of each of your environments:

/wp-content/config/environments/local.php

<?php
return array(
	'environment[domain]'  => 'example.local',
	'environment[scheme]'  => 'http',
);

/wp-content/config/environments/test.php

<?php
return array(
	'environment[domain]'  => 'test.example.local',
	'environment[scheme]'  => 'http',
	'db[pass]'             => '0987654321fedcba',
);

/wp-content/config/environments/stage.php

<?php
return array(
	'environment[domain]'    => 'stage.example.local',
	'db[pass]'               => '0987654321fedcba',
	'debug[wp]'              => false,
	'debug[script]'          => false,
	'error[display]'         => '0',
	'error[display_startup]' => '0',
);

/wp-content/config/environments/live.php

<?php
return array(
	'environment[domain]'    => 'www.example.com ',
	'db[pass]'               => '0987654321fedcba',
	'debug[wp]'              => false,
	'debug[script]'          => false,
	'error[display]'         => '0',
	'error[display_startup]' => '0',
);

Web host provider configuration files

Lastly, you might want/need to use or create a configuration file for your web host, especially if they are a managed host and are heavy handled and controlling with their service's wp-config.php files (*cough* WPEngine *cough*).

At the moment Better WP-Config includes a pre-written provider for web host Pantheon and local development solution WPLib Box, with immediate plans to add support for WPEngine (if we can) and any other web hosts and local development solutions that want to work with us to add support.

Step #7: Use/create your web host provider's configuration files

The following is our provider configuration file for Pantheon; simply replace their wp-config.php file as explained in this tutorial and it should _"just work" (you can copy it directly from the GitHub raw page if you like):

<?php
/**
 * This is configured for use with Pantheon.
 *
 * These settings were derived from Pantheon's WordPress upstream on GitHub:
 *
 *      https://github.com/pantheon-systems/WordPress/blob/default/wp-config.php
 *
 */
$is_https = isset( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT_HTTPS'] )
       && 'ON' === $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT_HTTPS'];
if ( $is_https ) {
	$_SERVER['HTTPS'] = 'on';
}
return array(
	'db[host]'               => "{$_ENV[ 'DB_HOST' ]}:{$_ENV['DB_PORT']}",
	'db[name]'               => $_ENV[ 'DB_NAME' ],
	'db[user]'               => $_ENV[ 'DB_USER' ],
	'db[pass]'               => $_ENV[ 'DB_PASSWORD' ],
	'salt[auth_key]'         => $_ENV[ 'AUTH_KEY' ],
	'salt[secure_auth_key]'  => $_ENV[ 'SECURE_AUTH_KEY' ],
	'salt[logged_in_key]'    => $_ENV[ 'LOGGED_IN_KEY' ],
	'salt[nonce_key]'        => $_ENV[ 'NONCE_KEY' ],
	'salt[auth_salt]'        => $_ENV[ 'AUTH_SALT' ],
	'salt[secure_auth_salt]' => $_ENV[ 'SECURE_AUTH_SALT' ],
	'salt[logged_in_salt]'   => $_ENV[ 'LOGGED_IN_SALT' ],
	'salt[nonce_salt]'       => $_ENV[ 'NONCE_SALT' ],
	'error[reporting]'       => E_ALL ^ E_DEPRECATED,
	'environment[scheme]'    => $is_https ? 'https' : 'https',
	'disallow[file_mods]'    => in_array( $_ENV[ 'PANTHEON_ENVIRONMENT' ], array( 'test', 'live' ) ),
	'defines'                => array(
		'WP_TEMP_DIR' => "{$_SERVER[ 'HOME' ]}/tmp",
	)
);

As implied, provider configuration files are also useful for local development environments. Here is the one we ship for WPLib Box (you can copy it directly from the GitHub raw page if you like):

<?php
/**
 * This is configured for use with the WPLib Box local development solution for WordPress.
 *
 * @see https://github.com/wplib/wplib-box
 *
 */
return array(
	'db[name]'    => $_ENV[ 'DB_NAME' ],
	'db[user]'    => $_ENV[ 'DB_USER' ],
	'db[pass]'    => $_ENV[ 'DB_PASSWORD' ],
	'db[host]'    => $_ENV[ 'DB_HOST' ],
	'db[charset]' => $_ENV[ 'DB_CHARSET' ],
	'db[collate]' => $_ENV[ 'DB_COLLATE' ],
);

That's it! You are done!

But if you have any need for support, feel free to ask questions on our Slack (join here) and/or on Github by submitting an issue, or even better, a pull request.