How to Create a Staging Website Copy in WP Squared Print

Creating a staging site is the safest way to test new themes, plugins, or updates before pushing them live. WP Squared makes this process simple and automated.

A staging site is a full copy of your live website created on a temporary domain. It allows you to safely test updates, design changes, plugins, or content without impacting visitors on your live site.

Once you’re satisfied with your changes, you can publish them from the staging site back to your live website with just a few clicks.

Follow the steps below to create a fully functional staging copy of your WordPress website.

Best Practices for Staging a Site

• Test more than design: Always use staging to test updates such as plugins, themes, and PHP version changes before pushing to live.
• Make a backup first: Create a full backup before any changes. Some issues only become apparent over time.
• Keep staging private: Use password protection to avoid search engines or the public viewing your staging site.
• Review publish options carefully: Confirm file and database selections before publishing.
• Avoid live changes during publish: Don’t make edits on the live site while you are publishing from staging.

How to Create a Staging Site in WP Squared

1) Get Into WP Squared

1. Log in to your client portal at https://www.mydomainname.com:2083
2. Click Services → My Services
3. Select the WordPress Hosting plan that hosts the website you wish to work on
4. Under Actions, click Log in to WP Squared

Your screen should look something like this:

2) Create the Staging Website

1. In the WP Squared dashboard, select your Website
2. Click Manage Website

3. Select the Staging Tool

4. Review the staging information and click Continue

Staging Site Visibility Options

Before creating your staging site, choose how it should be accessed:

• Password protect my website
  Visitors must enter a username and password to view the staging site. This is recommended if you want to keep your work private.
• Anyone can view my website
  The staging site is publicly accessible. We recommend using this only if visibility is not a concern.

Example of the visibility options menu:

After selecting your preferred option, click Continue.

The staging site creation process may take a few minutes to complete.

Publishing Changes to Your Live Website

Once you’ve completed your testing and updates on the staging site:

1. Open the Expanded Website View for your staging website
2. Click Publish at the top of the page
3. The Publish Website window will appear
4. Select the appropriate publication options for:
   • Website files
   • Database tables
5. Confirm and proceed with publishing

Your selected changes will then be pushed from the staging site to your live website.

Sample of what you should see:

✅ Tips & Best Practices

• Always back up your live site before pushing changes from staging.
• Do not share the staging URL publicly — it’s meant for testing only.
• Regularly delete old staging copies to free up disk space.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues creating or syncing your staging site, open a support ticket to us and our team will assist you.