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Previewing Dev and Production

While you are logged in as an administrator, you can look at your site in either branch: the dev version with your current work, or the production version your visitors see. You switch between them from the WordPress admin bar.

The Builderius Admin Bar Item​

On the front end of your site, the admin bar has a Builderius item. Next to the name it shows which version you are looking at: [dev] or [live].

Screenshot showing the Builderius item in the admin bar with the dev version selected

Hover the item to open Select to preview:

  • Development site version - the dev branch, with everything you saved
  • Live site version - production, exactly what visitors see

Click the one you want. The page reloads in that version, and the label in the admin bar changes to match.

Screenshot showing the admin bar item with the live version selected

Previewing Production While Logged In​

This is the quickest way to check what the public sees without logging out:

  1. Open any page of your site
  2. Hover Builderius in the admin bar
  3. Choose Live site version
  4. Browse the site. The label now reads [live]
  5. Switch back to Development site version when you are done

Your choice is remembered, so you stay in that version as you move from page to page. It only changes what you see.

Who Sees What​

WhoSees
Visitors, logged outAlways production
An administrator, logged in, [dev] selectedThe dev version
An administrator, logged in, [live] selectedProduction

A new login starts on [dev].

Jumping Into the Builder​

On a page in the dev version, the same menu has an Edit link with the name of the template used on that page. It opens the builder on that template, in a new tab.

Before You Publish​

Check the label first. If it reads [dev], you are looking at unpublished work, and it is easy to mistake that for the live site.

A good habit before publishing:

  1. Look through your pages in [dev] to check the new work
  2. Switch to [live] to remind yourself what visitors see now
  3. Publish, then check again in [live]

Common Issues​

  • I do not see the Builderius item: It shows only when the admin bar is visible, and only for logged-in administrators
  • A client says they cannot see my changes: They are looking at production. Publish, or, if they have an administrator account, ask them to log in and select the development version
  • My changes are gone: You are probably looking at [live]. Switch back to [dev]

Next steps: