How to Grant Secure Access to a Not Live WordPress Site During Development

When developing a WordPress site, you often need to collaborate with multiple developers and grant access to the website owner so they can review the progress themselves. However, granting access to a site that is not live yet without proper precautions can compromise your project’s security.

The good news is that securing your staging site and sharing it safely with clients, collaborators, or stakeholders is a pretty straightforward process.

Let’s dive into the best practices to securely grant access to a WordPress site that is not live yet.

Key Takeaways

• Use staging environments to test and collaborate without risking your live site.
• Secure access with tools like password protection, user roles, or live links.
• Platforms like WP Engine and SiteGround offer built-in staging options.

Why Secure Access Matters

Sharing access to a WordPress site that isn’t live is important for receiving stakeholder feedback, allowing other developers to make authorized changes, and testing and debugging it.

However, you also need to be very careful about who you grant access to and how you do it since anyone inexperienced in managing WordPress sites could compromise their credentials or provide access to others via their own account.

That’s why there’s a well-established process for granting access to WordPress sites that aren’t live yet.

How to Grant Secure Access to Your Staging Site

Here’s the step-by-step guide on how to grant secure access to your WordPress site.

Step 1: Set Up a Staging Environment

A staging environment is an isolated copy of your WordPress site, perfect for testing and collaboration. Many hosting providers offer easy-to-use staging features, including:

• Local: A local WordPress development application with live link sharing.
• WP Engine: Managed hosting provider with a dedicated staging environment.
• SiteGround: Hosting provider with easy staging tools for testing changes.

To set up a staging environment, follow these steps:

1. Log into your hosting dashboard.
2. Locate the staging option (commonly under site management).
3. Create a staging site with one click or follow the prompts to set it up.

Step 2: Protect Access with Passwords

Once your staging site is ready, secure it with password protection.

Most hosting providers include options to add an HTTP authentication layer (httpass) to your staging site. If not, plugins like SeedProd or WP Password Protect offer user-friendly solutions.

How to Enable Password Protection:

• On Flywheel:
  1. Navigate to your staging site settings.
  2. Enable the “Password Protection” toggle and set a password.
• On WP Engine:
  1. Open the “Environment” tab for your staging site.
  2. Enable the “Password Protection” feature and choose your credentials.

Step 3: Share Secure Live Links

If you’re developing locally, tools like Local by Flywheel allow you to share a secure live link:

1. Open your site in the Local app.
2. Click on the “Enable Live Link” button.
3. Copy and share the secure URL with your collaborators.

For remote teams, this option provides instant access without deploying to an external server.

Step 4: Use WordPress User Roles for Access Control

Avoid granting full admin access unless necessary. Instead, assign user roles that match the collaborator’s needs:

• Subscriber: For basic viewing privileges.
• Editor: For content collaboration without backend access.
• Custom roles: Use plugins like User Role Editor for tailored permissions.

Step 5: Use Plugins for Advanced Staging Needs

If your hosting provider doesn’t include staging features, plugins can fill the gap:

• WP Staging: Create a staging site within your existing WordPress installation.
• All-In-One WP Migration: Easily duplicate sites for staging and testing.

Grant Secure Access to Your Stakeholders and Collaborators

Securely granting access to a non-live WordPress site ensures seamless collaboration while protecting your project.

Whether you’re using staging tools or plugins, following these best practices will help you maintain control and confidence throughout development.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll keep your work safe and your clients impressed.

If you found this post useful, read our blog and developer resources for more insights and guides!