How Bluehost WordPress Staging Site Works (2025 Guide)

Q: Is Bluehost staging free?

Yes, it’s included in most Bluehost plans like Choice Plus , Online Store , and Pro . Not available on the Basic plan.

If you’ve ever wanted to test new plugins, redesign your homepage, or make major content changes—but were afraid of “breaking” your live website—then you need a staging site.

With Bluehost’s built-in WordPress Staging Site feature, you can safely experiment, test, and preview changes without affecting your actual website.

But what is a staging site? And how does it work on Bluehost?

Let’s break it down clearly.

Table of Contents

What Is a WordPress Staging Site?

A staging site is a private, exact copy of your live WordPress website. Think of it as a “sandbox” version—a place where you can:

Make changes without affecting your real visitors
Test plugins, themes, or custom code safely
Fix bugs, update layouts, or run performance tests
Review your changes before pushing them live

You get the freedom to experiment—without fear of crashing your actual site.

💡 Once you’re happy with your updates, you can “publish” or “push” the staging site to replace your live website with just one click.

Why Is a Staging Site Important?

Here’s why every serious blogger, business owner, or developer should use a staging site:

✅ Safe plugin/theme testing – Try updates without risking errors
✅ No downtime for users – Your live site stays online and untouched
✅ Catch bugs before going public – Prevent broken links, layout issues, or speed drops
✅ Redesign or rebrand safely – Preview major visual changes before launching
✅ Ideal for WooCommerce – Avoid breaking your store during updates

👉 Bluehost makes this process easy:

🎯 Get Bluehost Hosting at $1.99/month + 1-Click WordPress Staging
Includes free domain, SSL, backups, and staging tools on most plans.

Don’t overpay for web hosting. Start with this trusted Bluehost pricing overview to know what you’re getting. Then use this official Bluehost coupon link to claim your exclusive discount.

How to Use the Bluehost WordPress Staging Feature in 2025

Bluehost simplifies the entire staging process with its built-in 1-click staging environment, available on most plans (including Choice Plus and higher).

Here’s how you can set up, test, and deploy changes using Bluehost’s staging tool:

🔹 Step 1: Log in to Your Bluehost Account

Go to bluehost.com and click on “Login”
Enter your credentials and access your hosting dashboard

🔹 Step 2: Open the My Sites Section

On the left-hand side, click on “My Sites”
Select the website you want to create a staging version for
Click “Manage Site”

🔹 Step 3: Access the Staging Environment

In the top menu, click on the “Staging” tab
Bluehost will display an overview of the current staging environment (if one exists), or an option to “Create Staging Site”

Click that, and Bluehost will clone your site and generate a separate staging version—typically at a subdomain like staging.yourdomain.com.

🔹 Step 4: Make Edits Safely

Now you can log into your staging WordPress dashboard and:

Install or update plugins
Change themes or layout settings
Add new pages, scripts, or design elements
Run performance tests or troubleshoot errors

💡 Any edits you make here will not affect your live site.

🔹 Step 5: Push Changes to Live Site (When Ready)

Once you’re confident in your updates:

Go back to the Bluehost staging dashboard
Click “Deploy to Live”
Confirm that you want to overwrite the live site with your staging version

Bluehost handles the merge automatically—your changes go live instantly.

👉 Don’t have staging yet?

💡 Start with Bluehost Choice Plus – Includes 1-Click WordPress Staging + Backups
Build and edit your site fearlessly with a secure test environment.

Conclusion: When and Why You Should Use Bluehost Staging for WordPress

Whether you’re updating a plugin, redesigning your homepage, or testing a major feature—using Bluehost’s staging environment is one of the smartest ways to protect your live site while evolving it behind the scenes.

Here’s why it matters:

✅ You can test safely without affecting users
✅ You’ll catch mistakes before they go public
✅ You can build confidently, knowing you can always roll back if needed
✅ Your site will remain online and error-free, even during major changes

In short: if you care about performance, stability, or user trust—you need a staging site.

And Bluehost gives you everything you need to set one up in a single click.

🔥 Ready to Build and Test Safely?

👉 Get Bluehost Hosting at $1.99/month + Free Staging + Backups
Includes:

Free domain for 1 year
AI-powered site builder
Daily backups + 1-click WordPress staging
Free SSL, CDN, and malware scanning

Launch your site confidently—and upgrade it safely as you grow.

Read Detailed Review of Bluehost Hosting Services

FAQs: Bluehost WordPress Staging Feature

What is a staging site in Bluehost?

A staging site is a private copy of your live website where you can test changes, plugins, or redesigns without affecting your real visitors.

Is Bluehost staging free?

Yes, it’s included in most Bluehost plans like Choice Plus, Online Store, and Pro. Not available on the Basic plan.

Can I use staging for WooCommerce?

Absolutely. Staging is ideal for eCommerce sites—you can test product pages, checkout flows, or updates without risking your store’s stability.

Does Bluehost create a subdomain for staging?

Yes. The staging site is usually hosted at a subdomain like staging.yourdomain.com, which is only visible to you unless published.

How Bluehost’s WordPress Staging Site Works (And Why You Need It)