{"id":2398,"date":"2025-07-24T10:10:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T10:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/?p=2398"},"modified":"2025-07-24T10:12:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T10:12:26","slug":"create-staging-for-installations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/create-staging-for-installations\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create Staging for Installations?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When managing a live website, making changes directly to your production environment can be risky. Whether you&#8217;re adding a new plugin, editing design, or changing core code, one mistake can lead to downtime or data loss. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to <strong>create staging<\/strong> for your installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A staging environment acts as a clone of your live website, allowing you to test changes in a safe, isolated environment before pushing them live. This tutorial will guide you through how to <strong>create staging<\/strong> using the Softaculous installer in cPanel \u2013 a quick and effective way to test updates without affecting your actual site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Staging Environment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>staging environment<\/strong> is a separate copy of your website that mirrors your live site. It allows developers and website administrators to test themes, plugins, updates, or custom code without disrupting the user experience of the production site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of Creating a Staging Site:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoid downtime due to unexpected issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test plugin\/theme compatibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experiment with new features safely.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prevent broken layouts and performance issues on the live site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prerequisites to Create Staging in cPanel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before proceeding with the staging setup, ensure you meet the following requirements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your website is installed using <strong>Softaculous<\/strong> (usually via <a href=\"https:\/\/cpanel.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cPanel<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You have sufficient disk space on your hosting account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You are hosting with a provider that supports Softaculous staging features (like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/\">Hostrago<\/a><\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-by-Step Guide to Create Staging for Installations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow these steps to create a staging copy of your website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Log into cPanel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by logging into your <strong>cPanel account<\/strong>. You can do this by navigating to <code>yourdomain.com\/cpanel<\/code> and entering your credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Open Softaculous Apps Installer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once inside cPanel, scroll down to the <strong>Software<\/strong> section and click on <strong>Softaculous Apps Installer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Go to \u2018Installations\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the top right corner of the Softaculous dashboard, click on the <strong>&#8220;Installations&#8221;<\/strong> icon. This will list all scripts installed using Softaculous (e.g., WordPress, Joomla, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" src=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-1024x494.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Click\" class=\"wp-image-2399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-1024x494.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-300x145.webp 300w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-768x370.webp 768w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-1536x741.webp 1536w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-2048x987.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">tep 4: Click the \u2018Create Staging\u2019 Icon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Find the installation you want to create a staging copy of. You\u2019ll see a few icons next to it \u2014 click on the one labeled <strong>&#8220;Create Staging&#8221;<\/strong> (usually looks like two overlapping files or a \u2018clone\u2019 icon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-1024x352.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Add a subheading\" class=\"wp-image-2397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-1024x352.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-300x103.webp 300w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-768x264.webp 768w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-1536x527.webp 1536w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Add-a-subheading-2048x703.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Fill in the Staging Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You will be redirected to a form to fill in the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Choose Protocol<\/strong>: Select either <code>http:\/\/<\/code> or <code>https:\/\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choose Domain<\/strong>: Choose the domain where staging will be created<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Directory<\/strong>: Set the directory where staging site should be placed (e.g., <code>staging<\/code>, <code>dev<\/code>, or <code>test<\/code>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-1024x518.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Click here to create staging\" class=\"wp-image-2401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-1024x518.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-300x152.webp 300w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-768x388.webp 768w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-1536x777.webp 1536w, https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Click-here-to-create-staging-2048x1035.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <strong>Create Staging<\/strong> once the form is filled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens After Creating Staging?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your staging environment is ready, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Test plugin\/theme updates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apply code changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check compatibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run performance tests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After thoroughly testing, you can <strong>push the changes to live<\/strong> using the <strong>Push to Live<\/strong> option in Softaculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Push Staging Site to Live?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To push your tested staging version to your live site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Return to the <strong>Softaculous Installations<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the staging installation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on the <strong>Push to Live<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm your action and Softaculous will overwrite the live site with staging.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/how-to-restore-home-directory-backup\/\">How to Backup and Restore a Website in cPanel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/activate-and-manage-auto-ssl\/\">How to Manage AutoSSL in WHM\/cPanel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/hacked-cpanel-account-troubleshooting\/\">How to Troubleshoot a Hacked cPanel Account<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a staging environment is one of the smartest decisions you can make when managing a website. It gives you the freedom to innovate, test, and improve without risking your live website. With <strong>Softaculous<\/strong>, the entire process becomes just a few clicks away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/\">Hostrago<\/a><\/strong>, we empower developers and businesses with tools like 1-click staging, automated backups, and lightning-fast web hosting services so your website always runs at its best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want to build smarter, safer websites?<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/contact-us\/\">Get Hosting with Staging Support<\/a> \u2013 starting at just \u20b9XX\/month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When managing a live website, making changes directly to your production environment can be risky. Whether you&#8217;re adding a new plugin, editing design, or changing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[654,658,655,660,659,657,656],"class_list":["post-2398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress","tag-clone-website","tag-cpanel-website-staging","tag-create-staging","tag-safe-website-testing","tag-softaculous-staging","tag-staging-environment","tag-wordpress-staging"],"menu_order":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2398"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2402,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398\/revisions\/2402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}