Overview #
A WordPress staging site is a clone of your live website, which is used for testing purposes. In other words, it’s a duplicate of your production site that’s only accessible to you or other administrators you authorize. Staging environments can be set up on a local server or with the help of various hosting providers who offer built-in staging capabilities.
Why is WordPress Staging Useful? #
- Risk Mitigation: The staging site allows developers or administrators to test any changes or new features before implementing them on the live website. This mitigates the risk of making mistakes that could lead to downtime, data loss, or other negative effects on the user experience.
- Performance Optimisation: Staging sites offer a safe environment to test the impact of new plugins, themes, or updates on site performance. This can help to identify any issues that could slow down your website and find ways to mitigate them before deploying changes to the production site.
- Streamlined Workflow: Having a separate environment for testing can lead to a more efficient development workflow. You can test changes extensively and make necessary adjustments before deploying them, leading to more successful updates and less time spent troubleshooting issues after deployment.
- Website Redesign: If you’re planning a significant redesign of your website, a staging environment can be an excellent tool. You can redesign your site entirely on the staging platform and then replace your live site once everything is ready and tested.
- User Training: A staging site is also beneficial for user training. If you have a new team member or if you’re implementing a new feature that requires user training, a staging site provides a safe, risk-free environment to learn in without the fear of making mistakes that could affect your live site.
How to Create a WordPress Staging Site? #
- Through our portal or a ticket: As a managed hosting provider, we offer the option to create a staging site directly from your hosting account dashboard.
- WordPress Plugins: There are several WordPress plugins that can help you set up a staging site, such as WP Staging and Duplicator. These plugins create a clone of your website in a subdirectory of your current hosting space.
- Manual Setup: If you’re technically inclined, you can also set up a staging site manually on a local server or another hosting account. This involves installing WordPress, copying your website files and database, and updating the site URL.
Summary #
WordPress staging is a best practice that all website owners and developers should adopt. It allows for extensive testing in a controlled environment, leading to a smoother workflow, less downtime, and a better user experience for your visitors.
