How to Setup a Development Environment
A “dev” or staging site’s main purpose is to allow the web developer to build out and ensure that all elements deployed are working as intended before they are published to the live website. By using a staging site and testing everything before deploying to a live website, you will also be able to show a client build progress with a private link, as opposed to their website’s permanent domain.
Operating Spaces
Step 1 - Cloudflare
- Open Cloudflare and Log in
- Select help.gromarketing.site
- Click DNS icon
- Add record
- Type: CNAME, Name: xyz, Target: @
- Click Save
Step 2 - cPanel
- Visit cpanel.help.gromarketing.site and Sign in
- Click Subdomains
- Enter Subdomain (same as Cloudflare)
- Domain should be help.gromarketing.site
- Document Root will create a permanent folder where the website will live. Folder name should be short but recognizable without hyphen, spaces, special characters or capitalizations.
Note: The Name / Subdomain will become the subdomain for the dev site – example: xyz.help.gromarketing.site (see below). This is temporary and should be a simple, easy to remember and easy to type (for your own sake). Once development ends and the website goes live, this subdomain will be deleted.
Step 3 - Installatron
- From cPanel's home, click Installatron
- Choose a recently built website, then click the Clone button
- In the Destination section, select the newly created HTTPS dev Domain - example: https://xyz.help.gromarketing.site
Remove "blog"
Be sure to delete blog in the Directory (Optional) field - a development website does not need to be created inside another folder.
- In the Setting Management section, click Let me manage these settings.
- Update all relevant information - Administrator Username, Administrator Password, Administrator Email, Website Title, Website Tagline
- Under the Automatic Backup section - Select 1 daily, 1 weekly, 0 monthly
- Click Clone
Don't Forget - Update Site Title
After being redirected back to Installatron's home screen, find the newly cloned site, click on the wrench to the right, and update Installatron's Title (see final screenshot above) to be something relevant.
All Done!
Installatron will begin the cloning process, and will redirect back to Installatron's home screen when complete. The new development site is now setup and ready to access via subdomain xyz.help.gromarketing.site/wp-admin.
