Envwise Environment-Based Control

A WordPress plugin that automatically controls search engine indexing based on your environment (production vs development/staging).

This plugin prevents accidental search engine indexing of development, staging, or testing WordPress sites by automatically enforcing the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option when not in a production environment.

Features

• Automatic Environment Detection: Detects production vs non-production environments using two methods:
  • WP_ENV constant (takes priority if defined)
  • URL comparison between current site and configured production URL
• Automatic Privacy Control: Forces search engine discouragement on non-production environments
• Production Override: Allows search engine indexing only on production sites
• Admin Dashboard: Provides a clear status overview and configuration interface
• Production URL Setting: Define your production site URL for environment comparison
• Plugin Deactivation Behavior: Choose whether to restore search engine indexing when the plugin is deactivated
• Status Dashboard: Real-time environment status display under Tools menu
• Visual Indicators: Clear production/non-production status with color-coded indicators
• Settings Integration: Direct settings link from the plugins page
• Admin Notices: Warning notifications when running on non-production environments

Safety Features

• Database Protection: Automatically updates the blog_public option based on environment
• Activation/Deactivation Hooks: Properly handles plugin lifecycle events
• Backward Compatibility: Maintains compatibility with existing installations

Use Cases

• Development Sites: Prevent accidental indexing of localhost or development domains
• Staging Sites: Protect staging environments from search engines
• Multi-Environment Workflows: Seamlessly deploy across different environments
• Client Sites: Ensure development work doesn’t appear in search results

Configuration

Setting Up Production URL

1. Navigate to Tools > Envwise
2. Enter your production site URL (e.g., https://www.yoursite.com/)
3. Configure plugin deactivation behavior
4. Save settings

Environment Detection Methods

Method 1: WP_ENV Constant (Recommended)
Add this to your wp-config.php:

// For production
define('WP_ENV', 'production');

// For development/staging
define('WP_ENV', 'development');
// or
define('WP_ENV', 'staging');

Method 2: URL Comparison
If WP_ENV is not defined, the plugin compares:
* Current site URL: home_url(‘/’)
* Configured production URL (from plugin settings)