Create a staging site or clone a site

Step 1 Choose staging or clone

Open the WordPress site from Sites. At the top of the page:

• Create staging site makes a private copy to try changes on. It is hidden from search engines.
• Clone site makes a new, separate site with the same files, database and WordPress accounts.

If the site already has a staging site, the button reads Open staging site instead. A staging site itself can't get another staging site; clone it, or create the staging site from the live site.

Step 2 Pick the address

In the dialog, choose where the copy is reachable:

• Temporary address: a random name with HTTPS, nothing to set up.
• Your own domain: for example staging.example.com. Enter it in Domain and point its DNS at the server.

If you have more than one server for WordPress, choose one under Server. The site's own server is marked (same server).

Step 3 Start the copy

Click Create staging site or Clone site. The dialog shows the progress: setting up a new WordPress site, copying themes, plugins and uploads, copying the database, switching links to the new address and clearing caches.

You can close the dialog; you get a notification when the copy is done. Only one copy of a site can run at a time.

Step 4 Open the copy

When it finishes, click Open staging site or Open new site. Log in with the same WordPress accounts as on the original.