diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 72d5c39..15020fe 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 .env
 backup-volumes/
-env_files/certs.env
-env_files/manage.env
-env_files/migrate-db.env
-env_files/remote.env
 exclude-list
 tmp/
 traefik-volumes/
 webroot-remote/
 webroot-volume/
+/env_files/*
+!/env_files/*example*
+/deployment/*
+!/deployment/*example*
diff --git a/deploy-directory-to-remote.sh b/deploy-directory-to-remote.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c95a113
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy-directory-to-remote.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+#
+
+if [ "$#" -eq 0 ] || [ "$#" -gt 1 ]; then
+  echo takes only one argument
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "${1}" ]; then
+  echo cannot find "${1}"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# shellcheck source=./deployment/deployment-example.env
+. "${1}"
+
+if ssh ${remote_ssh_string} "mkdir --parents ${remote_deployment_directory_path}"; then
+  echo deployment folder successfully created on remote
+else
+  echo deployment folder creation on remote failed
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if ssh ${remote_ssh_string} "cp --archive --recursive ${remote_directory_path} ${remote_deployment_directory_path}/$(basename ${remote_directory_path}).backup.${now}"; then
+  echo backup of current remote directory successfully created on remote
+else
+  echo backup of current remote directory failed
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if ssh ${remote_ssh_string} "wp option patch update wpmm_settings general status 1 --path=${remote_wp_path}"; then
+  echo maintenance mode activated
+else
+  echo something went horribly wrong
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if rsync --archive --compress --delete --delete-excluded --exclude-from="${deployment_exclude_file}" --human-readable --progress "${local_directory_path}/" "${remote_ssh_string}":"${remote_directory_path}"; then
+  echo syncing OK
+else
+  echo syncing NOK
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if ssh ${remote_ssh_string} "wp option patch update wpmm_settings general status 0 --path=${remote_wp_path}"; then
+  echo maintenance mode deactivated
+else
+  echo something went horribly wrong
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/deployment/deployment-example.env b/deployment/deployment-example.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9a0525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deployment/deployment-example.env
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+local_directory_path=
+now="$(date +%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S)"
+remote_deployment_path=
+remote_directory_path=
+remote_ssh_string=
+remote_wp_path=