Step 1: Stage Your WordPress Site

There are several ways to stage a WordPress site, but one of the best ways is to create a subdomain or subdirectory on the primary domain. You can also use a separate domain altogether. Make sure to use a separate database from the live site and to copy the files and database from the live site to the staging site using a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration or WP Clone.

Step 2: Make Changes and Test

Once your staging site is set up, you can make changes and test them without affecting the live site. This allows you to ensure that everything works as expected before pushing your changes live.

Step 3: Clean Up Files When Changing Domain Names

If you need to change the domain name when pushing your changes live, you may need to clean up some files. This is because WordPress stores the domain name in several places in the database and in some files. Here’s what you need to do:

• Edit the site URL and home URL in the WordPress database
• Edit any hardcoded links in your theme or plugin files
• Update any third-party services that may have the old domain name

Sites Elevated Can Help

If you’re not comfortable with staging a WordPress site or cleaning up files when changing domain names, Sites Elevated can help. We offer managed WordPress hosting with backups, which means we can perform all of these tasks for you. With our hosting service, you can focus on your business while we take care of the technical details.

Conclusion

Staging a WordPress site is an essential step in the development process, and cleaning up files when changing domain names is crucial to ensure that everything works as expected. With Sites Elevated’s managed WordPress hosting with backups, you can rest assured that your site is in good hands.