Deploy Content

To deploy configuration that depends on content such as nodes, blocks, taxonomy terms, etc.

Default Content module

Default Content module gives your module and install profile a way to ship default content as well as configuration.

Deploy module

Deploy module is designed to allow users to easily stage and preview content for a Drupal site. Deploy automatically manages dependencies between entities (like node references). It is designed to have a rich API which can be easily extended to be used in a variety of content staging situations.

Updating content

In drupal 8 there is a post update hook specifically designed to work with content:

function hook_post_update_NAME(&$sandbox) { }

New with proof of concept module Config Import N.

Content Synchronization module

Content Synchronization module provides a mechanism to export single content items, or all content items, from an environment, and move them to another, effortlessly.