I keep my to-do lists and project plans in a planning app that runs on my own server. In mid-September I moved it to a new web address. The move was checked, marked complete, and written up as verified. A little later I opened it and got the app's own error screen: "Looks like Plane didn't start up correctly."
What went wrong
The app itself was running fine the whole time. The problem was the address. Before the move, one settings file was checked, it had nothing about the address in it, and the conclusion was that nothing else needed changing. That was the wrong file. The app actually kept its web address in five different places, and some of those settings get baked into the app when it is built, so editing them alone changes nothing. The new address sent visitors to the old one, the old one refused them, and the app gave up.
To make it more tangled, a quick hand edit to undo the move swapped some lines but not others, so the traffic rules ended up pointing in confusing directions.
The fix was not clever. I put everything back the way it was: the routing, the links on my dashboard, my documentation, the login system's link, my inventory notes. Then I confirmed the app loaded and that real project data came through. The ticket for the move went back from "Done" to "On hold," with a list of what a real move needs, in order: change every setting, rebuild, test on the new address, and only then send people there.
How I work now
That day shaped the rules I follow for anything that matters, including my own business website:
- Back up first, every time, and check that the backup is complete before touching anything.
- Make the change on a test copy, never on the real thing.
- Check it the way a visitor would: open the real pages, on a real phone-sized screen, in light and dark mode.
- Write down how to undo it before you need to.
- Then run the real version for a testing period before pointing the public address at it.
When I rebuilt my own website this month, every step went on a test copy, with a fresh backup before each upgrade and an undo plan written next to it. The live site was not touched.
What this means for you
You do not need servers to use this. Before you update your phone, reset your router, or move your business email, make sure you have a backup, know how to go back, and check the result the way your customers or family will see it. "The installer said it finished" is not the same as "it works."
If you are planning a move like that and want a second pair of eyes, let's talk.