Quick note here: I'm working with Drupal 8--although, the process documented here is more or less the same for Drupal 7 or even Drupal 9...

I recently ran some Drupal module updates on our Development site; one of those updates required a database update--namely, the Google Tag Manager module. I brought down the branch with module updates onto my localhost and then imported a copy of my Production database to continue the work on my computer. Upon loading the site, I encountered an unexpected error:

Let me qualify that, slightly: the risk of bringing your site down grows considerably when you're not constantly keeping up with updates. If you've neglected your updates for more than a few months or so, you may be inviting the WSOD (White Screen of Death--a digital grim reaper, of sorts) the next time you run your updates. Even without months of neglect, unless you're paying attention, updates can still be deadly to your site. Here's why:

Today I'd like to look at one of the most obvious, but least thought of, reasons for why sites stop working. Plain and simple--it's billing. Drupal may be free* (with an asterisk), but even with an open source CMS, you'll likely be signing up for any number of products and services in order to run your site. Your server, your domain, your SSL Certificate--these are all fundamental in your site's operations. What happens if you don't pay for them?