Hi Kira!

Sure you can easily create a staging area for your website using our BoldGrid backup plugin Total Upkeep!  you can clone your live site to a staging environment, allowing you to build and test your new design with the Crio and other tools before making it live. Here’s a step-by-step guide, sorry it’s so extensive:

Step 1: Install and Configure Total Upkeep

If you haven’t already installed Total Upkeep, follow these steps:

1. Install the Total Upkeep Plugin:
   • Go to Dashboard → Plugins → Add New.
   • Search for Total Upkeep by BoldGrid.
   • Click Install Now and then Activate.
2. Configure Backup Settings:
   • Go to Total Upkeep → Settings.
   • Configure backup options, such as Backup Storage (local or remote like FTP/SFTP) and Scheduling if needed.

Step 2: Create a Full Backup of Your Live Site

Before creating a staging site, always create a full backup of your current site to ensure you have a restore point in case something goes wrong.

1. Create a Backup:
   • Go to Total Upkeep → Dashboard.
   • Click Backup Site Now.
   • Make sure to include both the database and files in the backup.
2. Verify the Backup:
   • After the backup is complete, go to Total Upkeep → Backups.
   • Ensure the backup is listed and accessible in the Backups section.

Step 3: Clone Your Site to a Staging Environment

Now that you have a backup, you can create a staging site by cloning your live site. Total Upkeep makes it easy to create a staging site by using the Clone/Restore feature.

1. Create a Subdomain for Staging:
   • Go to your hosting cPanel or hosting dashboard.
   • Create a new subdomain (e.g., staging.yourdomain.com).
   • Make sure the subdomain points to its own empty directory in your hosting file manager.
2. Clone to the Staging Subdomain:
   • Go to Total Upkeep → Backups.
   • Locate your most recent backup and click on Restore or Clone.
   • Choose the Clone Option.
   • Enter the URL of the staging subdomain (e.g., staging.yourdomain.com).
   • Provide the FTP/SFTP details of your staging subdomain. This includes:
     • FTP Host (e.g., ftp.yourdomain.com).
     • FTP Username and Password.
     • Path to the staging subdomain (e.g., /public_html/staging/).
3. Start the Cloning Process:
   • Click Start Clone.
   • Wait for the process to complete. This might take a few minutes depending on the size of your site.
4. Verify the Staging Site:
   • Once the cloning is complete, visit your staging subdomain (staging.yourdomain.com) to confirm that your site has been successfully cloned.
   • The staging site should look exactly like your live site but will be completely separate, allowing you to make changes without affecting the live environment.

Step 4: Update the Staging Site Design

With the staging site set up, you can now experiment with your new design using the Crio SuperTheme and BoldGrid Post and Page Builder.

1. Switch to the Crio SuperTheme:
   • Go to Dashboard → Appearance → Themes.
   • Activate the Crio SuperTheme on your staging site.
2. Redesign the Navigation Bar and Footer:
   • Use BoldGrid Customizer to update the Header, Navigation Menu, and Footer.
   • Create new layouts, and add new elements without worrying about disrupting your live site.
3. Preview Changes and Test Functionality:
   • Preview your changes and test all links and functionality to ensure everything works as expected on the staging site.

Step 5: Push Staging Changes to the Live Site

Once you’re satisfied with the new design, you can migrate the staging site back to the live site using Total Upkeep:

1. Create a Backup of the Staging Site:
   • Go to Total Upkeep → Dashboard on your staging site.
   • Create a new backup of the staging site.
2. Restore the Staging Backup to the Live Site:
   • Go to your live site.
   • Go to Total Upkeep → Backups and choose the Restore from URL option.
   • Provide the URL of the staging backup (e.g., http://staging.yourdomain.com/wp-content/updraft/backup-file.zip).
   • Restore the backup, and your live site will now reflect the new design.
3. Verify the Live Site:
   • Visit your live site and thoroughly test all pages to ensure the new design and changes have been applied correctly.

Important Tips for Working with a Staging Site

• Use a Maintenance Plugin: If you want to limit access to the staging site, use a maintenance mode plugin to block public access.
• Set Up Password Protection: Use your hosting’s password protection feature to secure the staging site.
• Sync Changes Regularly: If your live site changes frequently (e.g., new posts, products, or comments), make sure to re-sync the data between live and staging before pushing the new design live.

Thanks Kira!

Let us know if you have any questions or need more help with this!

I’m happy you found that information useful Kira!

So, ideally you would create a staging domain separately from the original domain.  It could just be a simple sub-domain you create from the primary domain (e.g., staging.yourdomain.com).

You’ll create the staging site Totally Separately on the staging domain and then use Total Upkeep to migrate the full site from the staging area to the live domain.

I hope this helps!