Shine Pages Knowledge Base - Help Center | How to Create a Playground Page to Test New Features

How to Create a Playground Page to Test New Features

A safe space to click around, experiment, and try new widgets on a demo or test page, without anyone seeing a work in progress.

ShinePages Support

Last Update منذ ٩ أيام

Want to try out a new widget or play around with a new section on your page without worrying about visitors seeing a work in progress?

A playground page is a private space on your site where you can click around, experiment, and test new widgets or block/row/column features freely, without risk to your live pages.**

What is a playground or test/demo page?

It's simply a page that exists on your site but isn't linked to from anywhere and isn't included in your sitemap. Since nothing points to it, only you (and anyone you share the direct link with) will ever see it. Consider it your test page, demo page, playground page.

BEFORE YOU START

If you have not recently created a backup copy of your site - we recommend you take this opportunity to do so (even though as mentioned above - creating a Playground Page and using it to test widgets and layouts will not affect your website overall.** That said, it's simply a good practice to periodically create a backup site.) See this article on how to How to duplicate or clone a website

Step 1: Create your page

You have two options:

Duplicate an existing page you already like the layout of, so you're testing new features on a familiar starting point (see article HERE)
Create a brand new blank page if you'd rather start with a clean slate (see article HERE)

Either works. Choose whichever makes experimenting easier for you.

Step 2: Remove it from your sitemap

This is the step that actually makes the page private. In your page settings, turn off sitemap inclusion so search engines won't index it. (see article HERE)

Step 3: Don't link to it anywhere

Don't add this page to your navigation menu, footer, or link to it from any other page on your site. As long as nothing points to it, it stays private.

Step 4: Explore

This page is now yours to experiment on. Add new widgets. Click into Block, Row or Column settings you've never touched before. Try a layout you're not sure about. Have fun! *
Tip: Consider naming your page something clear like "Playground" or "Test Page" so you always know which one it is when you're navigating your site.

**Important Note: Any changes made to GLOBAL STYLING will affect ALL pages of your site - NOT just your 'playground' page. Any changes made to the BLOG will affect your website's Blog. The Playground page is for testing new widgets, creating new page layouts and using the Block, Row or Column settings on a page only.

When you're ready

Once you've built something you love, no need to recreate it from scratch. You can copy and paste entire blocks, or individual widgets, straight from your playground page onto any live page on your site. Everything, including your styling, comes with it. (see article HERE)

Keep your playground page around for future testing, or delete it any time.

SEE ALL OF THE UPDATES HERE

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