: Deploying websites with a 'Maintenance Mode' switch I'm working on a site where I need to add a 'maintenance mode' and became curious to see what methods people use to deploy their sites to

@Si4351233

If you are developing a web application which requires login, you should build this into your administration area which controls parts of the app. Once the app is in Maintenance mode when users attempt to login it redirects or displays a specific message. You can build in further conditions allowing admins or members with specific group ID's access if needed.

Using this method allows you to keep your front end up, and no need to mess with an .htaccess file. If you have multiple developers around the world keeping up with their IP's takes time, plus you can break part of the app while editing the .htaccess file which most likely will contain re-writes and other functions for your app.

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@Kaufman445

I recommend using .htaccess redirect for several reasons:


you can activate/deactivate it by just renaming the file, which is very easy and fast
you can do temporary redirects (302), which is good for seo
you can let several "test/dev" IPs see the real stuff while all other users see the maintenance page (so you can test the new features before going back live)
it's very easy to set this up

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