In this tutorial we will be showing you how to easily start a WordPress sandbox of your existing website. In web development, a sandbox stands for a testing environment that isolates untested code changes and outright experimentation from the production environment. It also protects “live” servers and their data from changes.
Sandbox is an awesome WordPress plugin that allows you to create same exact copy of your website (available only to site admins) on your existing web hosting account. It builds a testing environ that is completely independent of your website and that’s hidden from visitors, bots and search engine spiders etc.
Great for small websites, for testing core, plugin and theme updates as that sometimes conflict brings your website on knees. Or when you have to test a theme without having to prematurely activating in your website and there are many other reasons.
The plugin is free and easy to use. It allows you to creates a sandbox i.e. testing purpose website in just two easy clicks and your entire testing website is generated on your existing hosting provider.
It saves you from copying down to a complex local test setup or testing new ideas dangerously on a live website.
How To Use Sandbox Plugin?
Start by backing up your website. Then install and activate Sandbox plugin.
Upon activation visit your admin area Dashboard -> Sandbox page and click ‘Add New‘ button.
Give your sandbox a shortname, name, description and then click ‘Create‘ button. These parameter are used for differentiating it from other sandboxes as you can create multiple sandboxes.
After you click ‘Create‘ button, it takes a while, depending upon the size of your website and then a message is displayed as the sandbox is being created. Now finally click, ‘Activate My SandBox Website‘.
Only your web browser can get to sandbox installation and for returning to your main live website, simply click the link visible in the notice at the top of the admin interface.
You can anytime visit sandbox of your website by clicking ‘Activate‘ button on Dashboard -> Sandbox page.