Rsync deployment of TYPO3

rsync is a command-line tool for copying files between systems.

It can be used to deploy both Composer-based and classic TYPO3 installations by synchronizing project files from a local environment (such as a DDEV setup) to a production server over SSH.

rsync is often used for small to medium-sized projects, or by teams who prefer a controlled and scriptable way to deploy TYPO3 without setting up full CI/CD systems. It can also be part of automated workflows in larger or more complex environments.

By default, rsync only transfers changed files, compared to uploading zip or tar archives, and avoids the need to unpack anything on the server.

Tools like Deployer or TYPO3 Surf often use rsync internally to transfer files, but add features such as automated deployment steps, release management, and rollback support on top.

Using rsync directly gives you full control over what is transferred and when, but you are responsible for handling additional deployment tasks yourself.