themes - A wordpress site keeps editing wp-content files after migration

We migrated our clients websites to a new server, just afterwards, a client started calling us upon problems with his website's layout and design (basically, all his wp-content/themes files are automatically updated).

I launched a backup restoration, and I noticed that the website gets back to normal just before the end of restoration.

But once restoration ended successfully, I see that the website's design is again changed.

So, to solve this, I did not check database restoration, which makes the site look normal for about 4 - 5 hours, and it deforms eventually after.

We scanned the website for malware, but in vain.

I don't think personally that it's a cache problem, since cache would not change files like wp-content/themes/header.php , whose PHP and HTML code get edited just after 4 - 5 hours.

Do you have an idea what may be the source of this problem?

Thank you

We migrated our clients websites to a new server, just afterwards, a client started calling us upon problems with his website's layout and design (basically, all his wp-content/themes files are automatically updated).

I launched a backup restoration, and I noticed that the website gets back to normal just before the end of restoration.

But once restoration ended successfully, I see that the website's design is again changed.

So, to solve this, I did not check database restoration, which makes the site look normal for about 4 - 5 hours, and it deforms eventually after.

We scanned the website for malware, but in vain.

I don't think personally that it's a cache problem, since cache would not change files like wp-content/themes/header.php , whose PHP and HTML code get edited just after 4 - 5 hours.

Do you have an idea what may be the source of this problem?

Thank you

• themes

Share Improve this question edited Nov 28, 2018 at 13:19 fuxia♦ 107k3939 gold badges255255 silver badges461461 bronze badges asked Nov 28, 2018 at 10:16 SmootQSmootQ 10333 bronze badges 9

• 1 i think db migration problem please check database . – vikrant zilpe Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 10:47
• 1 please upload old theme file – vikrant zilpe Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 10:49
• 1 use duplicator plugin for site migration – vikrant zilpe Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 10:51
• 1 Most probably it's an infection. What are these changes? – Krzysiek Dróżdż Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 11:39
• 2 @SmootQ Are you modifying a 3rd-party theme? If you do that then if the theme is updated you will lose the changes. Use a custom child theme if you want to modify an existing theme. – Jacob Peattie Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 12:37

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 1

You may have an issue with parent/child theme overwriting like Jacob Peattie said in the comments.

Another possibility is that your hosting provider is changing something during that restore process. Check your wp-config.php settings to make sure they haven't changed, and check your Settings > General tab in wp-admin to make sure your domain hasn't changed. The WordPress Address (URL) and the Site Address (URL). I know of a few hosting providers who try to convert the site's domain when migrating and restoring backups, and if you have a custom domain setup and this changes from its original value, then your site doesn't know how to find the theme content that is hard linked and located in wp-content. Any relative links would still work if the base domain changed, but any hard links would have been broken. (This might be hard to check if you don't have access to any root files)