# Enabling Magento maintenance mode

> Take your Magento store offline during updates or testing with maintenance mode, while still allowing access from your own IP address.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/apps/magento/enabling-magento-maintenance-mode/

Magento’s **maintenance mode** allows you to temporarily take your store offline while performing updates, testing, or development. During this time, visitors see a “Service Temporarily Unavailable” message, while authorized IP addresses can still access the store normally. On **ruachost.com**, you can enable maintenance mode for both Magento 2 and Magento 1.x.

## Why Use Maintenance Mode?

- Prevents customers from seeing errors during updates.
- Protects data integrity while applying patches or extensions.
- Allows developers to test changes safely.

## Enabling Maintenance Mode in Magento 2

1. Log in to your hosting account via **SSH**.
2. Navigate to your Magento installation directory:

   ```bash
   cd ~/public_html
   ```

   *(If installed in a subdirectory, adjust accordingly, e.g.* `cd ~/public_html/mag2`*)*
3. To allow access from a specific IP address while in maintenance mode:

   ```bash
   bin/magento maintenance:allow-ips xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
   ```

   *(Replace* `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` *with your IP address. You can find it at http://ipfinder.us)*
4. Enable maintenance mode:

   ```bash
   bin/magento maintenance:enable
   ```
5. To disable maintenance mode and re‑enable the store for all visitors:

   ```bash
   bin/magento maintenance:disable
   ```
6. To check the current status:

   ```bash
   bin/magento maintenance:status
   ```

## Enabling Maintenance Mode in Magento 1.9 and Older

1. Log in to your hosting account via **SSH**.
2. Navigate to your Magento installation directory:

   ```bash
   cd ~/public_html
   ```
3. Open the `index.php` file in a text editor.
4. Add the following lines after the `$maintenanceFile = 'maintenance.flag';` line:

   ```
   $ip = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
   $allowed = array('xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx'); // Replace with your IP
   ```

   *(To allow multiple IPs, separate them with commas.)*
5. Modify the conditional statement:

   ```
   if (file_exists($maintenanceFile) && !in_array($ip, $allowed)) {
   ```
6. Save changes and exit the editor.
7. Enable maintenance mode:

   ```bash
   touch maintenance.flag
   ```
8. Disable maintenance mode:

   ```bash
   rm maintenance.flag
   ```

## Important Notes

- Always back up your site before performing updates.
- Authorized IPs allow developers/admins to continue working while customers see the maintenance page.
- Maintenance mode is essential when applying patches, upgrading Magento, or installing new extensions.