A staging site is a separate copy of your site where you can test an update, a new plugin or extension, or a redesign. When it works, make the same change on your live site, or ask us to help copy it over. Starter includes 1 staging copy, Simple 2 and Business 3.
Before you start #
- Make a backup of the live site. See Back up and restore your site.
- A staging copy runs on a test address shown in your control panel, separate from your domain. It’s for testing, not for visitors.
Make a staging copy of your site #
- Open your hosting control panel. See How to open your control panel.
- Select Add website on Home or Websites.
- In Subscription, pick your hosting plan.
- Choose Staging website. If you choose Production website instead, the copy counts as one of your plan’s websites.
- Choose Clone a website.
- In Staging domain, enter a name for the copy. The rest of the test address is filled in for you.
- On a WordPress site, leave Perform a WordPress search and replace checked. It changes your site’s address to the test address throughout the copy’s database.
- In Select a website to clone, pick the site you want to copy.
- Make sure Staging website is still selected, then select Add.
- On a WordPress site, sign in to the staging copy’s dashboard, open Settings, then Reading, tick Discourage search engines from indexing this site, and select Save Changes.
Test on the staging site #
- Run the update, the plugin or extension change, or the PHP version change on the staging site. See Change your site’s PHP version.
- Check the front end and the admin area (wp-admin for WordPress, the Administrator for Joomla).
Move your changes to your live site #
When your changes work on the staging site, make the same changes on your live site. When you’re ready to make the staging copy live, make a backup of your live site first (see Back up and restore your site). Then open a ticket from Get Help and we’ll help. Once it’s live, if it’s a WordPress site, open Settings, then Reading on your live site, make sure Discourage search engines from indexing this site is unchecked, and select Save Changes.
FAQ #
How many staging sites do I get? #
Starter includes 1 staging copy, Simple 2 and Business 3.
Does a staging site count against my plan’s site limit? #
No. Staging copies have their own allowance (Starter 1, Simple 2, Business 3) and do not count toward the number of sites your plan includes.
