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Manual Fixes

Sometimes you may want to apply fixes manually instead of using Patcherly's automated system. This guide explains how to handle manual fixes.

When to Use Manual Fixes

Consider manual fixes when:

  • Complex fixes: Fix requires deep domain knowledge
  • Business logic: Fix affects critical business rules
  • Architecture changes: Fix requires refactoring
  • Third-party issues: Error is in external library
  • Custom solutions: You have a better fix approach

Manual Fix Process

Step 1: Identify the Error

  1. Find the error in your dashboard
  2. Review the error details and stack trace
  3. Understand the root cause

Step 2: Apply Your Fix

  1. Make the fix in your codebase
  2. Test the fix thoroughly
  3. Deploy the fix to your application
  4. Restart or refresh if needed: Python and Node.js apps usually need a process reload or restart; PHP apps may need a cache clear, OPcache reset, or composer dump-autoload to pick up the change (see Restart after a fix)

Step 3: Mark as fixed

  1. Go back to the error in Patcherly (Errors page or WordPress Patcherly → Errors)
  2. Click the orange hand icon (Mark as manually patched) when it appears on analyzed, ready-to-patch, manual-review, approved, applying, failed, rolled-back, or rollback-failed rows (when the action is offered)
  3. Choose a resolution in the modal (your own fix vs following a suggestion) so metrics stay accurate
  4. The error moves to Patched with an orange Manually fixed badge beside Status

Manual Fix Best Practices

  • Document your fix: Add notes explaining what you changed
  • Test thoroughly: Ensure the fix works correctly
  • Monitor results: Watch for any new issues
  • Update Patcherly: Mark errors as fixed so metrics are accurate

Combining manual and automated fixes

You can mix and match:

  • Let Patcherly handle simple fixes. Approving from the dashboard is always available on every plan. On plans with auto-analysis, when the Auto-Analysis toggle is on for the site, the site is not in dry-run, and the fix's confidence is at or above your workspace minimum, Patcherly can auto-apply without your click. See Auto-apply for the three gates.
  • Handle complex fixes manually. Review and fix complex issues yourself when domain knowledge or judgement is needed.
  • Use Patcherly's suggestions as input. Even if you apply the change yourself, the AI analysis often points you at the right line.

Tracking Manual Fixes

When you mark an error as manually fixed:

  • Error status changes to "Fixed"
  • Metrics are updated
  • Fix is recorded in history
  • You can add notes about the fix

Getting Help

If you need help with manual fixes:

  • Review AI suggestions: Even if applying manually, Patcherly's analysis can guide you
  • Check documentation: Review your framework/library documentation
  • Contact support: Reach out if you need assistance

Next Steps