Create a Staging Copy of Your Website

What is staging?

A staging site is a private copy of your live website. It is like a practice stage before a school play. You try everything on the practice stage first. Your visitors only see the live site, so mistakes stay hidden.

Use staging before you update a plugin, change a theme or edit code.

Before you start

Many hosting accounts include a tool such as Softaculous. This is an app installer in your control panel. Some versions can make a staging copy for you. Not every plan has it. Ask Hostvento support if you are not sure it is on your plan.

Three simple steps

Step 1: Create the staging copy

1. Log in to your hosting control panel. Your welcome email has the details.
2. Open the app installer, such as Softaculous.

   

3. Find your site in the list of installed apps.
4. Click the Create Staging icon next to it.

   

5. Choose a folder name, such as staging.
6. Click Create Staging and wait until it says it is done.

Step 2: Make your changes

1. Open the staging address the tool shows you.
2. Log in with the same username and password as your live site.
3. Try your update, new plugin or design change.
4. Click around and check that everything works.

Step 3: Move the changes to the live site

1. Go back to the app installer.
2. Find the staging copy in the list.
3. Click the Push to Live icon.
4. Read the message carefully and confirm.

If you have no staging tool

You can build a copy by hand. Create a subdomain, such as test.yourdomain.com. Copy your files into its folder. Copy your database too. A database is where your site stores its text and settings. Then edit the copied wp-config.php file to point to the new database. If this feels hard, open a ticket at https://secure.hostvento.com/submitticket.php.

Quick recap

• Staging is a private practice copy of your site.
• Back up first, then create the copy.
• Test your changes on the copy.
• Push to live only when everything works.
• Ask support whether your plan has a staging tool.