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WordPress Guide → Development → Staging Site
What is a WordPress staging site and how to create one
You want room to experiment without risking your live site. A staging site gives you that freedom and keeps your visitors from seeing unfinished work.
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What is a WordPress staging site?
A WordPress staging site is a replica of your live website that you can use to test any changes before making them visible to the public.
A staging site acts like a private playground where you can test anything without touching your real website. It mirrors your live site’s content, theme, settings, and plugins, so every change you make behaves the same way.
This protects your live site from broken layouts, plugin conflicts, and update errors. Beginners and growing websites benefit from staging, because it creates a safety net for every update and redesign you plan.
When you should use a staging site
As a best practice, use a staging site for any change you’d like to make to your website. Make the change on the staging site first and then push it to your live site. Many site owners build a staging site only when something goes wrong, but setting it up early helps you avoid problems in the first place.
You can use it anytime you want to test theme changes, plugin updates, or new design ideas before they go public. A staging site also helps when moving your site to new hosting, working on performance improvements, or preparing major WooCommerce edits that affect customers.
Hosting-based staging vs plugin-based staging
There are two main ways to create a staging site, and your choice depends on your hosting plan and technical comfort.
- Hosting-based staging gives you the fastest and easiest experience, because it usually includes one-click cloning tools.
- Plugin-based staging works well on shared hosting plans that don’t offer built-in staging tools.
The best option for you depends on how much automation you want and how much control you need over the cloning process.
Method 1: Create a staging site using your hosting provider
Most modern hosts include a staging feature in their dashboards. This option lets you create a fully cloned copy of your site in just a few clicks. It also reduces the risk of errors since your host manages the server-level work for you.
Steps to create a hosting-based staging environment
- Log in to your hosting account and open your dashboard or cPanel.
- Look for tools labeled WordPress Toolkit, Staging, Clone, or something similar.
- Choose the main site you want to copy into a staging environment.
- Select the option to create a staging site or clone the installation.
- Wait for the host to set up your duplicate site on a subdomain, such as staging.yoursite.com.
- Open the staging URL your host provides and log in using your WordPress credentials.
What this method is best for
Hosting-based staging works best for beginners who want a straightforward process. It’s fast, simple, and doesn’t require extra plugins. Your host also handles server configuration, so you get more stability and fewer technical steps.
How to set up a staging environment with Liquid Web
Already hosting with Liquid Web? Our Help Doc on how to set up a staging environment provides details and screenshots for you.
Method 2: Create a WordPress staging site with a plugin
If your host doesn’t offer staging tools, you can install a plugin like WP Staging to clone your site. Plugins give you more flexibility on shared hosting plans and don’t require backend access outside the WordPress dashboard.
Steps to create a plugin-based staging environment
- Open Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for a staging plugin such as WP Staging and click Install, then Activate.
- Open the plugin panel in your dashboard, for example, WP Staging > Staging Sites.
- Click the button to create a new staging site, name the clone, and start the process.
- Open the staging URL once the cloning completes and log in with the credentials provided or copied from your main site.
What this method is best for
Plugin-based staging works well when your host doesn’t provide a dedicated staging tool. It lets you create a safe environment without upgrading your hosting plan, and it keeps everything inside your WordPress interface.
Where your staging site lives
Your staging setup can live in different locations depending on your method. Most hosting providers place it on a subdomain, while plugins often store it in a subfolder to keep everything contained.
Local tools like Local or DevKinsta create staging copies on your computer. Each option works the same way but affects how you access and manage the environment.
How to log into a WordPress staging site
You access your staging site through a unique URL, usually something like staging.yoursite.com or yoursite.com/staging. Most hosts and plugins copy your existing login credentials so you don’t need new usernames. Some tools create a fresh admin login for extra security.
Always bookmark your staging login page so you can jump back into testing whenever you need.
How to push staging changes to your live site
After you finish testing, you can send your staging changes to the live site. Hosts do this with a single button, while plugins include a “Push to Live” feature in their settings.
Best practices before pushing to production
Test your site thoroughly before publishing your changes.
- Back up both your live and staging site before deployment.
- Review all responsive layouts to make sure they display correctly.
- Test forms, checkout pages, and anything involving user input.
- Confirm that custom code works as expected.
- Turn off maintenance mode after everything goes live.
How to password-protect or hide your staging site
A staging site shouldn’t appear in search engines, and you shouldn’t give access to the public. You can enable noindex settings in an SEO plugin, add Basic Auth protection through your hosting panel, or use plugin features to hide the environment.
Checklist: What to test before launching changes
You can avoid most launch-day issues by double-checking your work.
- Test theme updates and layout changes.
- Try plugin updates to spot conflicts early.
- Look for broken links or missing images.
- Measure loading speed to ensure improvements work.
- Check editor functionality in Gutenberg or Elementor.
- Test mobile versions of every key page.
- Submit sample forms to confirm email delivery.
- Make sure analytics and tracking scripts fire correctly.
Common mistakes to avoid
Staging makes updates safer, but some habits can still cause problems if you don’t watch for them.
- Testing a staging site with caching still turned on. Caching hides real-time updates and makes it hard to see whether design changes, plugin updates, or code edits actually work. Turning caching off in staging gives you a true view of what your visitors will see.
- Running SEO plugins with their default settings. If your staging site keeps indexable URLs or canonical tags, search engines can pick it up and treat it like the real site. Always enable noindex and disable canonical features so search engines ignore it completely.
- Forgetting to disable staging mode after deployment. Some hosting tools and plugins leave maintenance settings, debug banners, or restricted access modes on even after changes go live. Reviewing your site immediately after pushing changes helps you catch leftovers before they confuse visitors.
- Editing the live site directly. Skipping the staging step removes your safety net and increases the chance of downtime, lost data, or broken features. Whenever you plan updates, treat staging as the required place to test before anything goes public.
How to create a reusable staging workflow for ongoing development
You can build a long-term workflow that helps every update run smoothly.
- Start by creating a checklist for theme updates and new plugins.
- Set up a versioning system, even if it’s a simple folder tracking changes. If you work with developers, use a development → staging → production flow to keep your environments organized.
- Refresh the staging copy regularly so it stays aligned with your live site.
- Document plugin versions and custom code to make future updates easier.
Troubleshooting staging site problems
Staging sites sometimes run into loading issues, but most problems have simple fixes.
- If your staging site won’t load, flush permalinks and clear caches.
- Fix login loops by toggling plugins or resetting your .htaccess file.
- Mixed content errors often come from incorrect URLs in Settings > General.
- Database sync issues usually mean the clone skipped a table, so re-run the staging process or use a plugin database repair tool.
WordPress staging environment FAQs
Getting started with creating a WordPress staging site
A staging site gives you a controlled, private space to test updates, design changes, and new features without risking your live website. It protects your visitors’ experience and gives you confidence before every launch.
Your next step is simple: choose whether your hosting provider or a well-rated plugin will handle your staging setup. Once you create your staging environment, you can test everything with freedom and push changes live when you’re ready.
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Additional resources
What is managed WordPress hosting? →
Get details and decide if managed WordPress hosting is right for you.
How to push specific pages in WordPress →
Easily push specific pages from staging to live in WordPress without affecting the entire site.
A complete guide to WordPress shortcodes →
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