Studio is a free, open-source local development tool from WordPress.com. It allows developers to spin up WordPress sites quickly on their local machines with minimal setup. With the addition of Studio Sync, developers can now securely push and pull their site environments—including files, database, themes, plugins, uploads, and configuration—between Studio and Pressable-hosted environments.
This integration streamlines development workflows, removes the need for manual migrations, and supports iterative testing and deployment.
What You’ll Need
Before you get started, make sure:
- Your site is hosted on Pressable.
- You’ve installed and connected a Jetpack plugin on your Pressable site using your WordPress.com account. Pressable sites include a premium Jetpack Security (previously Protect) license for free.
- You’re logged into Studio with the same WordPress.com account connected to Jetpack on your site.
- Your local machine meets Studio’s system requirements (macOS or Windows 10+, Node.js not required).
Connecting a Local Studio Site to Pressable
- Launch Studio on your machine.
- In the sidebar, select the local site to which you want to connect.
- Navigate to the Sync tab.
- Click Connect site.
- Log in with your WordPress.com account if prompted.
- Select the appropriate Pressable site (production, staging, or sandbox).
- You can connect multiple Pressable sites to the same Studio site.
Important: If your Pressable site is not listed, verify that Jetpack is active and properly connected to the site. Also ensure you’re using the same WordPress.com account in both Studio and Jetpack.
Pulling a Pressable Site Into Studio
You can clone any Pressable site environment (production, staging, or sandbox) into your local Studio site. This operation will replace your local site’s:
- wp-content folder (themes, plugins, uploads)
- WordPress database
- Media library files
To pull an environment into Studio:
- Open the Sync tab in your Studio project.
- Locate the connected Pressable site or connect to another one.
- Click Pull.
- Confirm the sync when prompted.
Studio will create a full backup of your remote environment, which will be used to replace your local site.
Pushing Local Changes from Studio to Pressable
When ready to deploy, you can push your local Studio environment to Pressable. Pushing will overwrite the selected remote environment’s:
- wp-content folder (themes, plugins, uploads)
- WordPress database
- Media library files
To push your local site:
- In Studio, open the Sync tab.
- Locate the connected Pressable site or connect to another one.
- Click Push.
- Confirm the operation to begin deployment.
Warning: Pushing will fully replace the remote environment including the entire database and all content. If you push to sandbox, staging or production, you will overwrite the existing content and database records in that environment. Studio triggers a full site backup before sync so you can restore your site if you are not happy with the sync result, but use it with extra caution.
Recommended Workflow: Use Sandbox for Pre-Production Testing
To minimize risk to live or staging sites, we strongly recommend pushing to a sandbox site for review and QA. Sandbox sites are ideal for:
- Reviewing plugin or theme changes
- Testing custom code or configurations
- Sharing progress with clients or stakeholders
Once validated on the sandbox, changes can be manually migrated to staging or live (via Studio, the Pressable control panel, or a manual workflow).
Additional Notes
- Full Backups: Studio automatically backs up the remote site before syncing. You can roll back if needed.
- Database Caution: WooCommerce and membership plugins store transactional data in the database. Avoid overwriting production/staging environments for active eCommerce sites.
- Multidev Support: Multiple developers can connect Studio to the same Pressable site. Coordinate changes to avoid overwrites or conflicts.
- CLI & IDE Integration: Studio supports WP-CLI and allows you to open your site directly in your terminal or preferred code editor