Staging and cloning a website – test changes safely

In short

A staging site is a test copy of your website at its own address. There you try out updates, plugins or a new design without visitors noticing anything. When everything works, you switch it to your domain with Push live. Cloning creates a complete, independent copy of a website – for example as a template for a new project.

Staging or cloning?

What are you planning?

Test an update, plugin or new design and then adopt itStaging site→

A second, independent website based on an existing oneClone the website→

Just a quick safeguard before a changeCreate a backup→

	Staging site	Clone
Purpose	test, then push live	independent copy
Counts against the number of websites	no, has its own staging allowance	yes, like a normal website
Own domain	no, only the staging address	yes
Email mailboxes	no	are not copied
For search engines	blocked by default (noindex)	like a normal website
Marked in the web panel	with STG	as a normal website

What does my plan include?

Plan	Webspace staging	WordPress staging	Cloning
Starter	–	1	yes, if a website slot is free
Basic	1	3	yes
Pro	3	5	yes
Business	10	10	yes

A clone needs a free slot in your website allowance. In the Starter plans (one website each), this slot is usually already taken by your website. For testing there, use the staging site on WordPress Starter, and on Webspace Starter a backup before every bigger change.

Working with staging

The staging cycle

1. ▶Copy the live siteas a staging site
3. 2Change on stagingupdates, plugins, design
5. 3Testclick through everything
7. ?All good?
9. !Back up the live site
11. ✓Push liveto your domain

Creating a staging site

1. In the web panel, open Websites and click Add new.
2. Choose Clone a website and then your live site as the source. (For a completely new project, Start from scratch or Install an app also work.)
3. Tick Make this a staging site.
4. Confirm with Add. The staging site appears in the list marked STG and has its own address.

With WordPress you can also create a copy via WP Toolkit.

Working on the staging site

• Open the staging address and log in to the copy’s WordPress admin (/wp-admin). Users and passwords are the same as on the live site at the time of the copy.
• Install updates, test plugins, build the new design.
• Check the most important flows: home page, menu, contact form, and for shops the cart and checkout.

Staging sends real emails

The copy contains real customer data and settings. A shop or a newsletter plugin on the staging site can therefore send real emails to customers, for example through scheduled tasks. Turn off mail sending on the staging site (e.g. in your SMTP plugin) and keep payment providers in test mode.

Pushing staging live

1. Create a backup of the live site, or check that the latest backup is current.
2. Open Websites and click the staging site.
3. On its dashboard, choose Push live.
4. In the dialog, enter the live site’s domain and confirm.
5. Afterwards check the live site, clear caches and look at the PHP error log.

Careful with shops and members' sites

When you push live, the staging site’s state is adopted. Orders, comments, sign-ups and form entries that arrived on the live site since the copy was created can be lost in the process. For active shops it is often safer to only test on staging and then repeat the tested updates directly on the live site.

Cloning a website

1. Open Websites and click Add new.
2. Choose Clone a website and the website to be copied.
3. Leave Make this a staging site unticked.
4. Enter the domain for the clone (or use the preview address at first) and confirm with Add.

All files and databases are copied. Email mailboxes are not copied. With WordPress you have to switch the address in the clone to the new domain; otherwise it redirects to the original site – see Correcting the WordPress address.

Frequently asked questions

Will my staging site be found on Google?

Staging sites are blocked for search engines by default. Still, do not link the staging address publicly anywhere.

I do not see the “Make this a staging site” option.

Then your plan does not include staging (Webspace Starter) or your allowance is used up. Delete a staging site you no longer need, or change your plan (Changing plans).

Can I simply delete a staging site?

Yes. It has no effect on the live site. Delete staging sites you no longer need – they contain a copy of your data.

The staging site shows a certificate warning.

The SSL certificate for new addresses can take a few minutes. Wait a moment and reload.

Further reading

• Maintaining WordPress
• Backups and restoring
• Create a website
• PHP settings