A WordPress preview link is a temporary web address that loads your site from our server without using the site's real DNS. You can check a migrated site, a new build or a staging copy in a normal browser before you change a single DNS record, and without editing your hosts file. This guide covers how to create one, how to lock it down, and when a link can't be created.
When to use a preview link
- You migrated a site to WP Aligned and want to check it before pointing DNS at us.
- You built a new site and want a client to review it on the real domain's content before launch.
- DNS looks wrong and you want to know whether the server and WordPress are fine. See WordPress White Screen or Site Down? Check Domain and DNS.
- You can't or don't want to edit the hosts file on the computer you're testing from.
A preview link doesn't change DNS, the site's settings or its content. It's a second way to reach the same site.
How a preview link works
The preview address looks like p-3d8cc1a0eee9e8dc.wpcpreview.com. When someone opens it, the preview service connects to the server that hosts the site and asks for the site's real domain, ignoring public DNS. It rewrites links and redirects in the response so the visitor stays on the preview address.
Every preview link also:
- Sends an
X-Robots-Tag: noindex, nofollow, noarchive header on every response.
- Serves a
robots.txt that disallows all crawlers.
That keeps preview copies out of search results. It is not access control. Anyone who has the address can open it unless you add a password.
Automatic and manual preview links
- Automatic: when a new hosting service is provisioned with a real customer domain, one preview link is created for it. Services on a temporary hosting domain don't get an automatic link.
- Manual: you create these yourself, for example for a staging domain or a migrated site.
Both appear in the same list in your client area.
Create a manual preview link
Before you start, the domain you want to preview must already be added to your hosting account, for example as the primary domain or an addon domain in cPanel.
- Log in to your client area at
my.wpaligned.com.
- Open My Preview Links in the top menu. You can also open a hosting service and choose Manage Preview Links.
- Under Create a Manual Preview Link, pick the hosting service that owns the site from Hosting service.
- Enter the domain in Site domain, for example
staging.example.com.
- Select Create Preview Link.
The new link appears under Your Preview Links, and a confirmation shows the full address. Copy it and open it in a browser.
You never enter an IP address. The server is read from your hosting service.
Why a link can be refused
- "A temporary or preview hostname cannot be used as the site domain." Temporary hosting addresses and preview addresses can't be previewed. Add the real domain to the hosting account first.
- The domain doesn't belong to the selected service. The domain must belong to the cPanel account of the hosting service you picked. Check you chose the right service.
- A limit was reached. By default you can have 5 active links per hosting service and 25 per account, and you have to wait 10 seconds between manual links. Remove links you no longer need.
Choose which preview domain new links use
Under Agency Preview Domain you choose the domain for new links: the default, wpcpreview.com, or your agency's own preview domain. Custom preview domains are approved and activated by our support team, so only approved domains appear in the menu. Your choice applies to new links. It doesn't change links that already exist.
Pause, protect or remove a link
Use the Controls column in Your Preview Links.
- Pause turns a link off without deleting it. Resume turns it back on. A link can also be paused by the system if its hosting service or preview domain approval is no longer active, and you can't resume it yourself until that's fixed.
- Protect adds a password. Enter it twice and select Protect. The browser asks for the username
preview and your password. Passwords must be 12 to 128 characters. Use Remove Password to take protection off.
- Remove deletes the link. The address stops working.
Password-protect any preview that shows unreleased work, and remove links when the project is done.
Verify the preview works
- Open the preview address in a private window.
- Confirm the page shows the site you expect, and that links you click stay on the preview address.
- Check the response headers:
curl -sI https://p-3d8cc1a0eee9e8dc.wpcpreview.com/ | grep -i x-robots-tag
You should see x-robots-tag: noindex, nofollow, noarchive.
Things to know when testing
- Cached pages: if you change something and don't see it, purge the cache from the LiteSpeed Cache plugin and reload the preview.
- Hard-coded URLs: the preview rewrites links in pages, scripts and redirects, but a URL stored in a plugin or page builder setting may still point at the real domain. If a form or an API call leaves the preview address, check for a hard-coded URL.
- Not for final DNS testing: a preview link doesn't test your DNS records, certificates for the real domain or email. Test those after the DNS change.
When to contact us
Open a ticket if:
- A link shows
Preview origin unavailable or a 502 error for a domain that belongs to the service and has a working site.
- A link says This link needs attention. Please contact support.
- You need a custom agency preview domain approved.
Include the domain, the preview address and the time you tried it. See Need Help?.
FAQ
Do I need to edit my hosts file?
No. The hosts-file method in the DNS guide does the same job on one computer. A preview link works from any browser and can be shared with a client.
Will search engines index a preview link?
No. Every preview response carries a noindex header and the preview host serves a robots.txt that blocks crawlers. Add a password if the content must stay private.
Can I preview a site on a temporary hosting domain?
No. Add the real domain to the hosting account first, then create the link.
Can I use my own domain for preview links?
Yes, an approved agency preview domain. Ask our support team to approve it, then choose it under Agency Preview Domain.
