Create a test site without staging

  • Resolved dnstockdale

    (@dnstockdale)


    5 years, 1 month ago

    Okay, I’ll try to explain this the best I can.

    So last fall I wanted to redesign my blog [ redundant link removed ]. In order to tinker with Customize for a while before making live changes, I created a test site. But the thing is, I don’t remember how. I swear I don’t remember anything about staging. I didn’t make a staging site. I ended up with the URL /test-site, which I can access and use super easy. It doesn’t ask me to log in again, it’s not in staging mode. At that URL I can customize and design the site like I would the real one, except the changes are only to that test url, it doesn’t affect the real site at all. It’s like a duplicate of the real site but acts like a completely separate one. It says Coming Soon Active in the admin bar at the top of the page, so I believe anyone who stumbles onto it would see a coming soon page.

    All I want is to have the same kind of test site for my addon domain, if possible. Since I don’t remember how I made the first one and google search results were all about staging, I chatted with Bluehost reps. They made me staging sites in safe mode. When I told them I didn’t want a staging site and tried to explain what I wanted, they had no idea what I was talking about. So I wondered if maybe it was a problem for WordPress rather than Bluehost.

    Does anyone have any idea what I’m describing or how to help me?

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

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  • I got an .xyz domain for $1 and made it an addon domain to my main site in cpanel. I use it for a test site.

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by jimmyalfoa.
    Thread Starter dnstockdale

    (@dnstockdale)

    Ha! I didn’t remember, but I did by chance figure it out. It’s more or less the method you suggested, timmyalfoa. I got into my Bluehost account, clicked on “My Sites” in the menu on the left, and saw the test site I made last fall listed among them. So I clicked the button “Create Site,” gave it a name, chose the domain to attach it too (keeneyeediting.com) and gave it a permalink (added /test-site/), and bada-bing bada-boom, I had a test site without trying to understand how staging works. It appeared as a completely newborn WP site, not a duplicate; I had to install theme and plugins and custom stuff before I could start redesigning. But I don’t mind relearning how to start from scratch, and having to do so actually drew my attention to better options that hadn’t been available originally. It still acts separate from the main site, I just have to be careful to make changes only to the one with /test-site in the URL.

    How this makes sense or is possible, I don’t know, but it costs nothing additional (I know very well what I was billed for this year) and hasn’t caused any problems so far, so I’m not going to ask questions. *happy shrug of ignorance*

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by dnstockdale.
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