Install WordPress parallel to the already active site

This guide details how to work on a WordPress site with a development environment.

Preamble

• The process can be used at the beginning of a staging process, i.e. the creation of a new version of your website online, on a development or testing environment:
  • This allows website owners to test features, security updates, plugins, themes, WordPress updates and content changes, without the risk of causing interruptions or problems on the live site.
  • Once the tests have been performed and the modifications have been validated on the staging copy, it is possible to deploy them in production (on the live site) by using automated deployment tools or by making the changes manually.
• For additional assistance contact a partner or launch a call for tenders free of charge — discover also the role of the host.

Simple method

To install and prepare a new WordPress site with Infomaniak installer without overwriting your current website:

1. Install WordPress on a second location

Be aware of this other guide in order to create the new site (in parallel to the old sitedomain.xyz) by assigning it a domain name of the form new.domain.xyz e.g. and installing WordPress via Infomaniak Web Applications.

At this stage, the main site (domain.xyz) remains untouched and you can work quietly on the new site new.domain.xyz Both operate in parallel.

2. Replace the old site with the new one

Once the new site is complete, you can delete the first site in order to reuse its domain name on the new site:

1. Removethe old site to make the domain name available and be able to reuse it.
2. Add domain.xyz in alias of the new.domain.xyz.
3. Reverse the alias with the main domain.
4. Remove (untie/delete) new.domain.xyz become aliases.
5. As a precaution check the main URL of the WordPress site via the Web Applications dashboard on the Infomaniak Manager, so that it matches the new name, not the subdomain you chose.

Advanced method

To work on a WordPress site existing without changing its public version, it is recommended to proceed in 3 steps:

1. Duplicate the existing site
2. Then work on its copy
3. Change the target directory of the production site to the production environment directory and change the URLs of the pre-production site to the domain name of the production site by means of a WordPress extension or via phpMyAdmin.

1. Duplicate the site on a second location

1. Be aware of this other guide in order to create the new site (in parallel to the old sitedomain.xyz) by assigning it a domain name of the form new.domain.xyz e.g. and installing WordPress via Infomaniak Web Applications.
2. Copy your existing site and paste it on the second newly created WordPress site, using a WordPress extension.

2. Edit duplicate site

1. At this stage, the main site (domain.xyz) remains untouched and you can work quietly on the new site new.domain.xyz Both operate in parallel.
2. It is recommended to install a WordPress extension (There are dozens of them.) dedicated to the maintenance of the second site.
3. If you change the structure of your site and the URLs of your articles/pages will change, you can use a free extension like Redirection to automatically create redirections. This will prevent your visitors from falling on 404 pages as long as the engines re-index your site or if external sites link to your site.

3. Replace target

1. When you have completed the redesign of your site, all you have to do is to modify the target directory from the site in production to the production environment directory and modify the URLs of the pre-production site according to the domain name of the site in production thanks to a extension.
2. If you are using a cache extension like WP-Rocket, W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache, it will be necessary to completely clear the entire cache or disable and then reactivate the plugin.
3. If you have continued to modify your site in production during the redesign of your site, it will be necessary to recover your changes (articles, media, pages, etc.).
4. After the user checks (missing images, erroneous links, etc.), you only have to disable the maintenance mode of your site and admire the result.