Create a WordPress staging site with Softaculous
Clone your live site to a staging copy, test changes safely, then push the result back — and the merge choices that decide what actually moves.
A staging site is a copy of your live site where you can test updates, plugins and theme changes before they reach visitors. Softaculous creates and pushes one back in a few clicks. Applies to shared and reseller hosting on cPanel.
Create the staging copy
Create the subdomain first if you are using one — Softaculous will not create it
for you. In cPanel, go to Domains → Create a new domain and add
something like staging.example.com.
Then:
- Log in to cPanel and open Softaculous.
- Go to Installations.
- Find the live installation and select Create Staging.
- Choose where the staging site lives — a subdomain such as
staging.example.com, or a subdirectory. - Select Create Staging.
Use a subdomain rather than a subdirectory. A subdirectory staging site
shares the live site's .htaccess and SSL certificate, and the two can
interfere; a subdomain is cleanly separated.
Stop search engines indexing the staging copy, or it will compete with your live site in search results. In the staging site's dashboard, go to Settings → Reading and tick Discourage search engines from indexing this site.
Work on the staging site
Log in with the same credentials as the live site. Update plugins, install themes, update WordPress core, edit pages — none of it touches the live site.
Push changes to live
-
In Softaculous, select the staging installation.
-
Select Push To Live.
-
Choose what to merge:
Option Moves Files only Themes, plugins and uploads — no content Full database Everything, including all posts and settings Database structure only Table definitions, not their contents Database data only Table contents, not their structure -
Select Push to Live.
Choosing what to merge
This is the decision that matters, and it depends on what changed on your live site while you were working on staging.
Files only is right for most work — plugin and theme updates, template edits — on a site that receives orders, comments or form submissions. It moves the code and leaves live content alone.
Full database overwrites the live database with the staging copy. Every order, comment, user registration and form submission received since you created the staging site is lost. Never use it on a WooCommerce store or any site taking submissions unless you have deliberately frozen the live site.
Use Full database only when the changes are themselves content or settings — a rebuilt page structure, reconfigured plugins — and the live site has been quiet.
Back up first
Take a JetBackup snapshot, or download a full cPanel backup, before pushing. A push is not reversible from Softaculous.
See Restore from a backup and Download a backup of your account.
Verify
- The live site loads and looks right, logged out and in a private window.
- Recent orders or comments are still present, if you pushed files only.
- Clear your caching plugin and CDN — the old version will otherwise be served from cache and look like a failed push.