InstaWP conducted a social survey a few months back.
It made us realize that 78% of development professionals use staging environments regularly for website development and testing.
Well, makes sense. Nobody wants downtime, broken pages, or angry clients.
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For agencies, creating a staging site is even more crucial. It helps them ensure that the new features and design changes are working flawlessly on their client’s site. And that, these changes won’t mess up the customer-facing site once live.
However, considering the time-consuming yet sensitive nature of manually setting up staging, neither your interns nor your experienced team should be doing this task.
Why? Let’s understand how manual staging works. Later in the blog post, we will talk about how to create staging faster and what are the other useful features/tools you can use with your staging site in InstaWP.
How to Create a WordPress Staging Site Manually?
Begin with creating a subdomain on the company’s hosting account, manually copying the live site files via FTP, and duplicating the database using phpMyAdmin.
The above needs to be followed by carefully updating the wp-config.php file to point to the new database and configuring the staging site for testing.
Finally, your interns can sync the version control repository with the staging site, ensuring that all plugins and themes matched the live site.
Verifying the setup for accuracy will be the last step, before your team actually starts working on the task.
How much time does it take to setup a staging?
Okay. Now, let’s do a quick time & effort Analysis. Here’s a rough breakdown of the time taken to set up a staging site this way.
Creating the Subdomain: 30 minutes to 1 hour. This includes logging into the hosting provider’s control panel, setting up the subdomain, and configuring basic settings.
Copying Files via FTP: 30 minutes to 2 hours. This involves transferring all the website files from the live site to the staging site. The time could vary based on the size of the website.
Duplicating the Database: 30 minutes to 2 hours. Exporting the database from the live site and importing it into a new database for the staging site using phpMyAdmin, then updating the database configuration in the wp-config.php file.
Configuring the Staging Site: 45 minutes to 2 hours. This includes updating file paths, adjusting configuration settings, ensuring proper functionality, and troubleshooting any issues that come up.
All in all, creating a WordPress staging site is going to take somewhere between 2 and 7 hours – FOR EACH PROJECT.
Fair, right? After all, it’s that big project where client is paying a hefty rate.
Most WordPress professionals, setting up staging day in and out for their clients, don’t think so.
According to them, manually setting up a staging environment for each new project is a tedious and increasingly monotonous task. It also consumes a significant amount of time, and any failures during the process add to the frustration. 
Relatable?
Well, thankfully, InstaWP has changed so many things for you.
Creating a WordPress staging with InstaWP is not like this. It’s just a matter of a few clicks.
Let alone interns, a kid can create staging using this platform. However, because it’s so fast, you won’t need help.
“InstaWP is my top choice for WordPress staging platforms. Its unparalleled staging user experience had me up and running in less than 5 minutes, a remarkable 95% faster compared to CPanel and other hosting platforms. Additionally, the ability to pause and resume my sites adds another layer of convenience that I truly appreciate.” – David [Source]
Read ahead to learn the unique benefits of staging with InstaWP. Oh, right, let me first show InstaWP in action.
How to Create WordPress Staging with InstaWP?
For testing or further development on an existing site:
- In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins and search for “InstaWP Connect”. Install and activate the staging plugin on the live site. Alternatively, download InstaWP Connect using this link.
- After activation, go to the InstaWP Connect menu
- Select “Create Staging” to start the process.
- Follow the instructions to link your live site with InstaWP. You will have to log in to InstaWP and approve the connection request.
- Choose between Quick, Full, or Custom staging options based on your needs.
- Review and confirm your settings to create the staging environment, which will be ready in seconds.
Yup, that’s it!
In case you want to sync the changes being made on the live site when you work on staging, you can Start Listening to Changes using the 2-way sync feature of InstaWP.
It will enable you to merge changes between live and staging (to and from) – as and when needed.
What is 2 Way Sync and Why is it Important for Development?
Creating a Fresh Staging Site
Want to build a WordPress staging starting afresh? It’s a task requiring one to a few clicks, depending on how you do it in InstaWP.
- Sign up with InstaWP, in case you are new.
- Click on “Create your First Staging site” from the InstaWP dashboard > Staging.
- Pre-install plugins or build a staging using your saved site (aka Template). You can also use a readymade template from the InstaWP Store.
- Follow the prompts to set up a new site. This process is swift, and your staging environment will be ready in under a minute.
Okay, but why Create Staging in WordPress using InstaWP?
If you are following the blog post thoroughly, it must be clear to you that speed and convenience are the top 2 reasons for choosing InstaWP.
The good news is – it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can do a lot more with InstaWP, such as:
WordPress Hosting in 1-click
Seamlessly transfer staging (or migrate websites) to InstaWP’s hosting platform with just a few clicks. InstaWP’s managed WordPress hosting service, InstaWP Live, is optimized for WordPress and suitable for WordPress agencies.
All it takes to host a website with InstaWP (from staging) is – one click on the Go Live icon plus a few guided clicks!
Automated Hosting Setup
We are talking about building a WaaS here!
You can use InstaWP to quickly set up hosting for client websites while clubbing development, maintenance, design, and hosting services as one. This streamlines the process and saves time, allowing agencies to focus on delivering high-quality services to their clients.
Website as a Service (WaaS) – Perfect Way to Scale Your Agency!
Effortless Website Migration
Yes, you can seamlessly migrate websites between any 2 hosting platforms with just a few clicks. This simplifies the migration process and minimizes downtime, ensuring a smooth transition for clients.
Efficient Cloning
Clone client websites effortlessly to create staging environments for testing and development purposes. This enables agencies to experiment with website changes without impacting the live site, ensuring a seamless user experience for clients.
“This tool has completely revolutionized my development workflow. With over a decade of experience in the WordPress realm, I’ve experimented with numerous tools for creating local development sites, but none compare to this one. It’s truly a game-changer and easily one of the best and coolest new tools I’ve encountered in a long time.” – Kathy [Source]
How does InstaWP Help you build Powerful Websites?
InstaWP empowers you to effortlessly create robust websites with its intuitive platform. It lets agencies deliver exceptional value to their clients by streamlining the website development process.
The platform streamlines the entire process, from staging to management, so you can focus on unleashing your creativity and building powerful online experiences.
On the other hand, your clients benefit from faster turnaround times, increased efficiency, and a smoother experience overall.
Here’s a quick list of unique tools that help professionals build more powerful sites using InstaWP:
- SFTP/SSH Access: Access client websites securely via SFTP/SSH to manage files and configurations with ease. This gives agencies full control over website management tasks and enables them to troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively.
- Code Editor: Access and modify website code directly within the InstaWP dashboard using the built-in code editor. This simplifies the development process and allows agencies to make code changes on the fly.
- Database Editor: Easily edit and manage client website databases directly from the InstaWP dashboard. This allows agencies to make quick database changes without needing to access the server separately.
- Log Viewer: Monitor website activity and troubleshoot issues with the built-in log viewer feature. This provides agencies with valuable insights into website performance and helps identify and resolve any errors or issues quickly.
- Versioning: Keep track of changes made to client websites with InstaWP’s versioning feature. This allows agencies to roll back to previous versions if needed and ensures that website changes are documented and accessible at all times.
- Automated Backups: Protect client websites from data loss with InstaWP’s automated backup feature. This regularly backs up website data and allows agencies to restore previous versions in case of emergencies.
Final Word
InstaWP’s WordPress staging solution not only streamlines the development process but also enhances speed, efficiency, productivity, and client satisfaction. It empowers agencies and developers to create, manage, and deploy staging environments with unparalleled ease and speed. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a business owner looking to optimize your website development workflow, InstaWP is your ultimate solution.
Ready to experience the unique benefits of staging with InstaWP?
Sign up now and revolutionize your WordPress development journey. Say goodbye to tedious manual setups and hello to effortless staging with InstaWP.
FAQs
What is WordPress Staging?
Staging in WordPress implies crafting a sandbox where developers can safely test changes, updates, and new features before applying them to the live website. For agencies developing more features/pages for a client’s live site, staging is the best place.
Why is Staging Necessary for WordPress Sites?
Staging ensures that any modifications or updates to a website are thoroughly tested in a controlled environment, preventing potential disruptions to the live site.
How Does Staging Benefit Website Owners?
Staging environments allow website owners to experiment with changes without risking the integrity of their live site, ensuring a seamless user experience for visitors.
Is WordPress Staging Only for Developers?
No, staging environments are beneficial for anyone managing a WordPress site, including business owners and agencies, as they provide a safe space for testing without impacting the live site.
How Does InstaWP Simplify WordPress Staging?
InstaWP streamlines the staging process with features like one-click staging setup, seamless live site integration, and advanced backup options, making it easy for users to create and manage staging environments.
Can Staging Environments Be Used for E-commerce Sites?
Yes, staging environments with features like 2-way sync (e.g., InstaWP) are ideal for e-commerce sites, allowing owners to test product updates, pricing changes, and new features without affecting the live customer experience or risking order data.
What Are the Different Types of Environments in WordPress Development?
WordPress development involves various environments like development, staging, testing, preproduction, and production, each serving a specific purpose in the website development lifecycle.
How Does 2-Way Sync Enhance WordPress Staging with InstaWP?
InstaWP’s 2-way sync feature enables bidirectional communication between staging and live environments, ensuring seamless synchronization of changes and simplifying the staging-to-live deployment process.