You can install a copy of wordpress in folder and work on the theme you want to modify and once you have it the way you want all you will need to do is copy the theme in themes folder of your live site and activate in admin panel.
Thanks for the quick response! Just to go back a step, where do I create this folder? How do I copy the theme?
Thanks again.
If you using Cpanel then log in Cpanel
Click on file manager
click on public_html folder your will see your live wordpress files and folder here.
create a folder here and install another wordpress in that folder for your test site.
To go to your test wordpress
http://yourdomainname.com/folder
If you want to copy the theme you using in test site
Browse to themes folder of live wordpress click name
on right you will see menu click copy
On right click on public_html icon
click on wp-content folder
and click on themes name
now if you check you will have copy of theme in your test site.
Thanks so much! I will try this in the next few days and report back.
Thanks!
hi there – i’m trying to do the same thing using godaddy and filezilla. i’ve created a new directory but now what?
Are you installing wordpress first time do you have one running
i used godaddy’s one-click install for the main hosting account, and i created a folder called “staging”, but i don’t know how to get wordpress installed in the separate folder. also, from what i can see using filezilla, i don’t have a folder called public_html.
Go Daddy has html is same as public_html
using filezilla you need to upload wordpress files and folders in staging folder you created.
create a database and keep a note of database name,user name,password and Db_host
Run install program
yourdomainname/staging and follow instructions from the install program.
if you’re just creating a new theme, rather than have a separate installation of WP, the Thene test-drive plugin might be worth looking at
Hi again —
I’m building my test site and I have a few questions…
1. How do I copy the current content on my site onto my test site so that I can see what my current site looks with the new layout?
2. Once I’ve designed my test site to my liking how do I move these changes to my existing site?
Thanks!
You can install this plugin to test your a theme make changes to theme that only you can see as admin and visitors see the activated theme.
Theme Test Drive
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/theme-test-drive/
Thanks for the response however I’m looking to do more than just see themes. I want to be able to manipulate the layout without readers being able to see changes (ex. change categories, try different plug-ins etc) and I think Theme Test Drive only allows you to see what your site would like with a different theme.
then you will need install another wordpress or install a server locally and just upload theme
Thanks govpatel for your continued responses.
I’ve already created a new folder called “test” and installed wordpress there.
I’m trying to figure out if i can upload my current site to this new folder so i can manipulate it there.
I have backup “sql” files of my current site. Is there a way to upload these sql files to my “test” site with the new wordpress install?
yes there is if you are familiar with database go to test site database and drop the tables and import the backup sql file
once you have all tables you need to change the urls in wp-options table one of them is on first page 1 or 2 and 2nd one is 2nd page 37 or 38
you need upload theme you have on your live site in test site as well.
