To try big changes without touching your live website, make a copy of your project file (the editable copy of your website on your computer), point the copy at a test folder, such as yourdomain.com/test, and publish it there. Check it on any device and send the address to anyone who needs to approve it. Then make the changes in your real project, or switch to the copy, and publish. For small changes, Preview is usually enough.
When you'd use this
- A web designer wants a client to approve a new home page before it replaces the old one.
- A school rebuilding with Responsive pages wants the old website online until the new one is ready.
- A shop owner wants to test a new contact form, search box or payment button. These don't work in Preview.
Which way to test
| Way | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Preview in the toolbar | A quick look on your computer | Nothing goes online. Forms and some widgets don't work |
| Preview > Preview QR Code | A quick look on your phone | Phone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi |
| Publish To: Folder | Seeing the published files on your computer | Forms and other features that need a web server don't work |
| A test copy in a subdirectory | Everything, on any device, and sharing with others | Uses your hosting space until you remove it |
Make the test copy
- Go to File > Projects Window. Click the three dots next to your website (the arrow on Windows) and choose Duplicate....
- Click the three dots next to the copy, choose Rename Website and add "TEST" to its name, so you can't mix them up.
- Open the copy and go to File > Edit Publishing Settings.
Important: the copy starts with the same publishing settings as your real website. If you publish it without changing them, it replaces your live website.
- Point the copy at a test location:
- EverWeb + Hosting: leave Publish To set to EverWeb, with the same domain. Type test in Subdirectory.
- Another web host: keep your FTP details and type test in Subdirectory.
- Your computer only: set Publish To to Folder and choose an empty folder for Folder Location.
Use a plain folder name with no dots or spaces. If EverWeb warns that you're about to overwrite an existing website, stop and check these settings.
Keep the test copy out of Google
In the copy, select each page, go to Inspector > Page Settings > Search Engine Optimization and untick Include page in search engines. This asks search engines not to list the page. If Optimize & Submit Website to Search Engines is ticked in the copy's publishing settings, untick it too.
Publish and share it
- Make your changes in the copy.
- Choose File > Publish Entire Site.
- Open yourdomain.com/test in a private browser window, and on your phone.
- Send the address to your client or committee, and tell them it's a test version.
Links set to An External Page with your full address go to the live website. Link your own pages with One of My Pages.
Make it live
Choose one way:
- Make the same changes in your real project, then publish it. Best if only a few pages changed, or you updated the real website meanwhile.
- Use the test copy as your website. In the copy, empty the Subdirectory field completely, tick Include page in search engines on every page again, and choose File > Publish Entire Site. Then work only in this project and keep the old one as a backup. Changes made to the old project after copying aren't in it.
Remove the test folder afterwards
Publishing never deletes files from your server, so the test copy stays online at /test, using your plan's storage, until it's removed. On EverWeb + Hosting, contact us with the test address and we'll remove it. On another host, delete the folder with your host's file manager or an FTP app.
Common problems
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your live website changed when you published the copy | The copy still had the original's settings. Type a name in the copy's Subdirectory, then open the original and publish it with File > Publish Entire Site |
| Your changes don't appear on your website, but they do at /test | Your real project is publishing into the test folder. Empty Subdirectory and use File > Publish Entire Site |
| Publishing to the test folder fails | Use a plain folder name in Subdirectory, with no dots. See What does this publishing error number mean? |
| Test pages appear on Google | Untick Include page in search engines, publish, and ask us to remove the test folder. Google drops the pages over time |
| Error 55 or "out of disk space" | The test copy counts toward your plan's storage. See My hosting is full. What is using my space and how do I clear it? (Error 55) |
Related articles
- Copy a page, or a whole website, within a project or to another project
- What's the difference between Publish and Publish Entire Site?
- I deleted a page in EverWeb but it's still online
- How do I publish my EverWeb website to another web host with FTP, FTPS or SFTP?
- My hosting is full. What is using my space and how do I clear it? (Error 55)