How To Set Up A Live Test Server For Wordpress

One of the easiest ways to learn WordPress is to setup a live test sever before you build your WordPress site.

A testing environment is going to make your life so much easier in the long run because it allows you the freedom to test WordPress Themes and Plugins without interfering with your main site.

In this regard, I am referring to a WordPress site that is hosted on purchased hosting.  I am not referring to the free WordPress sites available on WordPress.com.

When you are buying hosting, one thing to look for is a hosting service that allows you to operate multiple sites and multiple SQL databases.

Wordpress uses an SQL database as it's 'back end' so the more sites your host will allow for your money the better off you are going to be.

If you are stuck on a hosting plan that only allows one website and one SQL database you may like to consider another hosting company or service, as this will allow you to setup a live test server without incurring additional hosting fees.

Your website host most likely has a range of domain names available for registration which include the more obscure extensions that aren't widely used.  With some hosts, these domain names don't cost as much as top level domains and will do the trick for your test server.

You don't really need a domain name to setup a test server, but stay with me on this - there is an advantage to running it with a domain name which will become apparent later in this hub.

Now that you've got a host that allows multiple sites and multiple SQL databases, you can log into your hosting control panel - e.g. cPanel, and create a new domain using the domain name that you just bought. 

Once that is resolving (you can test it by uploading an under construction page) you can install WordPress. 

When you install WordPress on your hosting account, you don't want it indexed by the search engines, so make sure you select non indexed during the setup phase.

This will ensure that normal visitors can find the site (e.g. if you want to view the front end) but search engines will not make the listing available in it's search results.

If you want to keep your live test server private, you can install the Maintenance Mode Plugin.

This fantastic Plugin puts up a page that tells normal site visitors that the site is down for scheduled maintenance.

However, when you are logged into WordPress, you can see your site.  This is great if you are testing themes or Plugins - you can view your WordPress site as a site visitor would see it, but other visitors to the site can only see the Maintenance Mode page.

Essentially you could build a complete site on a test server and export your content to your real site when you've written all your content, decided on a template and tested and evaluated all the Plugins you want to use.

Before I discovered the maintenance mode Plugin, I used to put an "Under Construction" HTML page on my WordPress site to keep visitors from seeing the new site until it was ready.

The frustration with doing it this is that when you go to "view site" in the WordPress control panel, your Under Construction page comes up, and you can't see the rest of the site at all. I'd have to keep taking the page down to see it. This is really painful.

The Maintenance Mode Plugin solves this problem. If you are logged into WordPress the 'view site' link allows you to see the whole site where as other visitors who aren't logged in can't see any of it.

Once I built my first good WordPress site I was itching to do others. Learning how to run multiple sites on the one hosting plan, and running a live test server that no one can see is a god send in terms of learning how things work, and working through the development phase of a site.

This is also why I suggested buying an el cheapo domain name for your test server. It also gives you practice in setting up multiple sites on the one hosting plan.

Once the WordPress addiction takes hold of you, you'll find yourself well on the way to building lots of sites, either for yourself, friends or clients. You'll also save yourself lots of money on hosting fees.