Learn to stage a WordPress website using Softaculous in cPanel

Staging a WordPress website allows you to create a copy of your live site where you can safely test changes before applying them to the live site. Softaculous in cPanel offers a simple way to set up a staging environment. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Access cPanel

1. Log in to Your cPanel Account:

Use the credentials provided by your cloud hosting provider to log in to cPanel.

2. Locate Softaculous:

In cPanel, scroll down to the Software section.

Click on Softaculous Apps Installer.

Step 2: Access WordPress Installations

1. Open Softaculous:

In Softaculous, click on the WordPress icon.

2. View Your Installations:

Click on the Installations tab (usually represented by a box icon or under the "All Installations" section).

This will list all the WordPress installations on your account.

Step 3: Create a Staging Environment

1. Choose the Site to Stage:

Locate the WordPress site you want to create a staging environment for and click on the Create Staging icon (usually represented by a "Clone" or "Staging" button).

2. Configure Staging Settings:

Choose a Domain or Subdomain: Select the domain, subdomain, or directory where you want to create the staging site. For example, you could create a subdomain like staging.yourdomain.com.

Directory (Optional): If you're staging the site in a directory, enter the directory name (e.g., staging).

3. Advanced Options (Optional):

You can customize the database name or set up advanced options if needed.

Check or uncheck the options related to WordPress plugins, themes, and database tables according to your preferences.

4. Create the Staging Site:

Once you've configured the settings, click on Create Staging.

Softaculous will begin duplicating your site to the new location. This might take a few minutes, depending on the size of your site.

Step 4: Access and Test the Staging Site

1. Access the Staging Site:

Once the process is complete, Softaculous will provide a link to the staging site. Click on the link to access it.

Log in to the staging site using the same credentials as your live site.

2. Test and Make Changes:

You can now test updates, plugins, themes, and other changes on the staging site without affecting your live site.

Step 5: Push Changes from Staging to Live (Optional)

If you're satisfied with the changes on your staging site, you can push them to your live site using Softaculous.

1. Return to Softaculous:

Go back to the Softaculous Installations tab.

2. Locate the Staging Site:

Find your staging site in the list and click on the Push to Live button.

3. Confirm the Push:

Softaculous will ask you to confirm the operation. You may also configure additional options before proceeding.

Click Push to start the process. Softaculous will replace the live site with the changes from the staging site.

Step 6: Finalize and Test the Live Site

1. Verify the Live Site:

After pushing the changes, visit your live site to ensure everything works as expected.

2. Cleanup (Optional):

If you no longer need the staging site, you can delete it through Softaculous to free up space on your server.

Tips:

Backup Your Site: Before staging or pushing changes, always create a full backup of your live site.

Test Extensively: Use the staging site to thoroughly test all aspects of your site, including plugins, themes, and custom code.

By following these steps, you can easily create and manage a staging environment for your WordPress site using Softaculous in cPanel. This ensures a safe and efficient workflow for making changes to your site.