How to work on a theme without it being live?

  • I currently have a WP site and would like to upgrade the theme. I would like to know if there is a way to develop the new site without taking down the new one and then switch them when i’m ready.

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  • I’d like to know this too! ??

    1. Make a subdomain of your main domain.
    2. Export database of live site and save it.
    3. Create a new database and database user.
    4. Restore/Import the backup/exported database sql file to the newly created database.
    5. Change all URL reference to your live site to the new subdomain URL by sql query (check this link on how to do that).
    6. Copy (not Move) over the files from your live site to your subdomain folder.
    7. Edit the wp-config.php, replace DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD (maybe also your Authentication Unique Keys). Then save the file.
    8. Visit your subdomain’s URL and finish the WordPress installation. (Create admin user, site name, etc.)
    9. Login to admin panel, go to Settings > Privacy and tick “I would like to block search engines, but allow normal visitors” radio button. If you want, you can also add robots.txt in the root folder disallowing all spiders on your subdomain folder.
    10. Done! That is, if I haven’t missed a step. Lol.

    If i’m using the same database name in wp-congig.php. with install new wordpress only (same version.) I have a problem or not?

    You could always turn your home computer into a working server. Install wordpress on there and modify your theme’s files right there.

    Then when you’re happy with the changes upload and replace all your themes files to the live website on your server. It will probably be down for about 10mins while you upload all the new files but it’s an easy method.

    https://www.nerd-centre.net/how-to-create-offline-testbed-wordpress/

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