When working with unique or proprietary WordPress setups, migrating a live site to a staging environment can present unexpected challenges. In one recent project, our team encountered multiple issues while moving a Bedrock-based WordPress site into staging. The process involved troubleshooting disk space errors and resolving plugin conflicts with WP All Export and the ACF Export Add-On.
Issue background
The live site was built on a Bedrock WordPress structure, which changes the default WordPress file paths (web/app/ and web/wp/) and introduces composer-based dependency management. To prepare for a rebuild of a large section of the site, we attempted to move the installation to staging using the All-in-One WP Migration plugin.
Two main issues emerged:
- Disk space limitation
Running All-in-One WP Migration triggered an error:
out of disk space
This indicated that the hosting plan had insufficient storage for the backup export. - Plugin conflict
While WP All Export Pro worked correctly, enabling the ACF Export Add-On Pro produced:
An unknown error occurred
The site was running Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) version 5.6.10, an older release that appeared incompatible with the newer ACF Export Add-On.
Diagnosis
- Bedrock environment check
Developers first confirmed the structure by checking forcomposer.json,config/, andweb/wp/directories. This helped establish whether a clean rebuild from the repo was possible versus needing to migrate the entire file system. - Disk space verification
The All-in-One WP Migration error pointed directly to hosting limitations. Client confirmation revealed the hosting plan was near capacity. - Plugin compatibility review
The ACF Add-On error aligned with outdated plugin versions. Since ACF 5.6.10 predates many newer Add-On updates, compatibility issues were expected.
Resolution steps
- Increase hosting storage
The hosting plan was upgraded, immediately resolving the disk space problem. Afterward, All-in-One WP Migration successfully created and exported a backup of the live site. - Re-test plugin exports
With sufficient storage, both WP All Export Pro and the ACF Export Add-On Pro were activated and tested again. This time, exports completed without errors. - Update environment for long-term stability
While the immediate migration succeeded, the outdated ACF 5.6.10 version remained a long-term concern. Updating this plugin in a controlled staging environment was identified as the best way forward to ensure smooth compatibility with modern add-ons.
Final outcome
By addressing the hosting storage limitations and verifying plugin compatibility, we successfully exported the Bedrock WordPress site into staging. From there, rebuilding the target section of the site could continue without impacting the live production environment.
For other WordPress developers and site owners facing similar issues, the key takeaways are:
- Always confirm hosting disk space before running migration or backup tools.
- Bedrock installs require special attention to file paths and composer dependencies.
- Plugin add-ons like ACF Export Pro may fail on older versions of ACF—testing and updates in staging are recommended.
Need help resolving complex WordPress migration or plugin conflicts? Contact Freshy for expert assistance with Bedrock setups, staging migrations, and advanced plugin troubleshooting.
