Title: Rebuilding Site – help with basic stuff
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Rebuilding Site – help with basic stuff

 *  [DavePlank](https://wordpress.org/support/users/daveplank/)
 * (@daveplank)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/)
 * I have a wordpress site that someone else did for me.
    I want to rebuild it using
   a bought theme but leave the old site in place until the new one is ready to 
   go. What do I do – I think I read I should put the site under development in 
   a separate subdirectory until it is ready but I don’t really know what that means–
   while I did a lot of content and page building last time I didn’t do any of the
   techy stuff. can someone point me in the right direction here?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [RichardWPG](https://wordpress.org/support/users/richardwpg/)
 * (@richardwpg)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732704)
 * Do you have the most recent backup? If you have the backup, it’ll be a lot easier.
 *  Thread Starter [DavePlank](https://wordpress.org/support/users/daveplank/)
 * (@daveplank)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732763)
 * I have backup but i don’t understand how that helps this issue!? i just want 
   to build something new without disrupting existing site. sorry if i seem stupid
   but I’m just trying to be careful and have never had explained the process of
   making a site “live”
 *  [loughcorrib](https://wordpress.org/support/users/loughcorrib/)
 * (@loughcorrib)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732824)
 * If I understand your question correctly.
 * Go in to your wpfolder wp-content/themes is your original theme there if so add
   your new theme here. Then should be a simple call from admin panel to call new
   theme.
 * HAVE A BACKUP OF OLD SITE FIRST.
 *  [govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
 * (@govpatel)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732826)
 * You can install a Preview Themes plug in and only you as admin will be seeing
   the changes with the same content. Your visitors will still see the old theme
   as is.
    [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/preview-themes/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/preview-themes/)
 *  [loughcorrib](https://wordpress.org/support/users/loughcorrib/)
 * (@loughcorrib)
 * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732839)
 * Dave,
    Sorry meant to add create a folder ie [http://www.example.com/test/wp](http://www.example.com/test/wp)
 * put wp in here and test it then change url when you are happy with it

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Rebuilding Site – help with basic stuff’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [update site](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/update-site/)

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 5 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [loughcorrib](https://wordpress.org/support/users/loughcorrib/)
 * Last activity: [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rebuilding-site-help-with-basic-stuff/#post-2732839)
 * Status: not resolved

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