Note (October 2026): Bluehost now runs staging through the Bluehost Portal and its WordPress plugin rather than the cPanel screens shown below; the current steps are in the updated section further down.
A WordPress staging site is a private copy of your live site for testing changes safely. You can create one in three ways: use your host’s built-in staging tool (such as Bluehost’s or SiteGround’s), install the WP Staging plugin, or copy the site manually with Duplicator. Test, back up, then deploy the changes to live.
Key Takeaways
- A host staging tool is the simplest option and usually includes a deploy button back to the live site.
- WP Staging clones a site for free; pushing changes to live requires WP Staging Pro.
- Duplicator builds a copy from an archive and installer file and suits users comfortable with databases.
- Back up before deploying, because a full deploy overwrites the live database and files.
- Keep the staging copy private or noindexed so search engines do not see a duplicate site.
So it has been quite some time since you launched your WordPress website but, now you feel like making some changes to it. It is never too late to improve a website, as long as the changes do not break it for the people already using it. A broken layout, contact form or checkout can cost leads and sales, which is why changes are safer to test away from the live site first.
Now that is when a staging website comes to your rescue. If you are looking to create a new staging website, but not sure of where to start from, you are just at the right place. Here we have three different ways in which you can create a WordPress staging website for testing.
What Is A Staging Website?
Before proceeding, let us first understand what a staging website is. A WordPress staging website acts as a “duplicate” or a “mirror” site to your original one so that you can safely make changes to it.
Once you are satisfied with the modifications, you can deploy them onto your live website. This way, you are playing safe with your original website while modifying it side-by-side.
Also, a lot of users install WordPress on their local host and then, push it live on the servers. In some cases, the website might work fine on local host but not on the live servers. Thus, a staging website comes handy because it’s on your host’s servers and runs on a similar configuration as your live website.
How to Create a WordPress Staging Website?
Well, there are multiple ways to create a staging website for WordPress and, all of them are quite easy to implement. Let us have a look at all of them one-by-one.
Method 1: Choose a host with website staging feature
The easiest and the most convenient way to create a WordPress staging site is by going for a host that enables you to do so. The two plugin-based methods below also work, but a host’s staging tool runs on the same server as the live site and needs no extra plugin.
Many WordPress hosts include a staging tool, but it is often limited to higher-tier plans; SiteGround, for example, says its staging tool is available on its GrowBig and GoGeek plans. Hence, choose your host wisely! Bluehost documents a built-in staging tool in its help center, managed through the Bluehost plugin, with three deploy options; Bluehost says the staging site is not publicly accessible.
Here are the steps that you need to follow to create a staging website on Bluehost.
- In the older cPanel-based Bluehost interface shown in these screenshots, you logged in to your Bluehost cPanel and clicked on the “Staging” option on the right side of the panel. As of October 2026, Bluehost’s help center describes a newer route through the Bluehost Portal and the Bluehost plugin, covered in the updated steps further down this page.
- The Bluehost’s staging site wizard will open up. Click on the “Create Staging Site” button to continue.
- This will create a staging environment for your website. Once done, you will see a success message with a link to your staging website.
- Click on “Go to Staging Site” button to continue. This will take you to the admin area of your WordPress staging website. Now you can work freely over this site and modify it accordingly without worrying about your original website.
- Once you are satisfied with the changes made, and wish to deploy them on the original website, visit the Staging page again in your BluehostcPanel.
- In the older interface, you scrolled down to the Deployment Options section and clicked on the “Deploy Files and Database” button to deploy the changes.
- Click on “Yes, Let’s Deploy” button to continue. Bluehost will now start pushing your staging website to the original one.
You can then visit your website to check with the modifications.
Method 2: Creating WordPress Staging Website Using Plugins
Just in case your host doesn’t provide staging feature, you can use plugins for the same. WP Staging is a freemium plugin that lets you create a staging website within a few minutes. All you have to do is install the plugin and click on “Create New Staging Site” to create the clone site.
Once done, you can work on the staging website, which has its own WordPress dashboard in a subdirectory such as example.com/staging-site; according to the plugin’s WordPress.org listing, only administrators can access the cloned site. You can customise the clone website according to your needs while your original one remains unhindered. The plugin is also SEO-friendly: its WordPress.org listing says it applies login protection and no-index handling so the copy stays out of search results.
The free version creates the clone, but pushing changes from staging to the live site is a WP Staging Pro feature, as are migration to a new host or domain and multisite support.
Method 3: Creating WordPress Staging Website Manually
To create a staging website manually, install the Duplicator plugin on your live site. Duplicator is a backup and migration plugin that packages a site into a single backup made of an archive plus an installer file. Uploading both to a separate location, such as a subdomain, and running the installer rebuilds the site and its database there as a test copy.
However, this process is troublesome for beginners and, thus, the earlier mentioned methods are preferable and easier.
These were three ways to create a WordPress staging website. The process is considerably smoother if you have a host that features a staging website and if not, WP Staging plugin is the best available alternative. If you are comfortable working with databases and your hosting control panel, the manual Duplicator method gives you a copy without paying for a host feature or a Pro plugin.
However, if you wish to escape all of this, you can hire a digital marketing agency and let them take care of the rest.
How to Create a Bluehost Staging Site Today
Bluehost’s current help article (checked October 2026) describes staging through the Bluehost Portal and the Bluehost WordPress plugin, not the cPanel screens shown above. The steps are:
- Log in to the Bluehost Portal and click Websites in the left menu.
- Click Manage Site next to the website, then click Staging in the Overview tab. This opens the Manage WordPress tab of the Bluehost plugin.
- Scroll to the Staging Site section and click Create staging site.
- Select Not currently editing and click Proceed to switch into the copy. The dashboard then shows “Staging Environment” in the top-left corner.
- When the changes are ready, return to the Staging Site section, pick a deployment type and click Deploy Site, then switch back to the production site.
Bluehost offers three deployment types: Deploy all changes overwrites both the database and the files on the live site, Deploy files only moves themes, plugins and media, and Deploy database only moves database tables and settings. A Clone to Staging button refreshes the staging copy with the current live site.
Which WordPress Staging Method Should You Use?
The right WordPress staging method depends on what your host includes and whether you need one-click deployment back to the live site.
| Method | Cost (as of October 2026) | Push to live | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host staging tool (e.g. Bluehost, SiteGround GrowBig/GoGeek) | Included in plans that offer it | Yes, built in (Bluehost: all, files only or database only) | Most site owners; no plugins to manage |
| WP Staging plugin | Free to clone; push needs WP Staging Pro | Pro only | Hosts without staging; quick clones in a subdirectory |
| Duplicator (manual copy) | Free (Lite); built-in staging is a Duplicator Pro feature | Manual: repeat the package-and-install process | Users comfortable with databases and file uploads |
According to the WordPress.org plugin directory (checked October 2026), WP Staging has more than 100,000 active installations and Duplicator has more than 1 million.
Best Practices for a Safe Staging Workflow
- Back up the live site first. Deploying a full staging copy overwrites the live database and files, so a fresh backup is the only quick way back if something goes wrong.
- Watch for live data that changed after cloning. A database deploy replaces the live database with the staging one, so new orders, comments or form entries made on the live site after the clone can be overwritten. On busy stores, deploy files only, or refresh the staging copy just before you work.
- Keep the copy out of search results. In WordPress, Settings > Reading has a “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” box that adds a noindex, nofollow robots meta tag. WordPress notes it does not block access and that it is up to search engines to honor the request, so password or login protection is safer.
- Label the environment. Since WordPress 5.5, the WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE constant in wp-config.php can be set to local, development, staging or production (the default). Setting it to staging lets plugins that read it behave differently on the copy.
- Test the changes that carry risk. Plugin and theme updates, PHP version changes, checkout and contact forms, and caching settings are worth checking on staging before deploying.
If you are still choosing a host, our SiteGround hosting review and Hostinger review cover plan features, and the beginner’s guide What is web hosting? explains the basics. For more ways to manage a site safely, see these WordPress tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a WordPress staging site?
A WordPress staging site is a private copy of a live website used to test updates, design changes and new plugins before they reach visitors. Once the changes work, they are deployed to the live site, either with a host’s deploy button or a plugin such as WP Staging Pro.
Can you create a WordPress staging site for free?
Yes. The free WP Staging plugin clones a site into a subdirectory, and the free Duplicator plugin can build a copy manually. Pushing changes back to live with one click needs WP Staging Pro or a host that includes staging.
Does a staging site hurt SEO?
A staging site only causes problems if search engines index it as a duplicate of the live site. Bluehost says its staging copy is not publicly accessible, WP Staging applies no-index handling, and WordPress’s “Discourage search engines” setting adds a noindex tag.
How do you push a staging site to live?
On a host with staging, use its deploy option; Bluehost, for example, lets you deploy all changes, files only or database only. With WP Staging, the push feature is part of the Pro version. Back up the live site before deploying.
What is the difference between a local site and a staging site?
A local site runs on your own computer, while a staging site runs on your host’s servers with a configuration similar to the live site. That is why something that works locally can still fail live, and why staging catches server-specific problems.
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