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In this tutorial, we use the cPanel dashboard available to users on one of Hosted.com’s cPanel Web Hosting plans and show you how to live test a website safely and without the public having access t view it while you are testing.

How To Live Test A Website

You will first create a placeholder index page, i.e. a “Coming Soon’ or ‘Under Construction’ page that will block the public viewing of your website while it’s tested live on the hosting server.

The default pages that all servers will initially look for and display on screen when accessing your website are as follows (in order of priority):

  • index.htm
  • index.html
  • Index.php
  • default.htm

1. Create an Under Construction Page

  • Login to your cPanel.
  • Select “File Manager” under Files and locate the Root Folder (if it is the primary Domain, use public_html).
How To Live Test A Website And Keep It Hidden From Public View - cPanel File Manager
  • Click “New File”. Name it appropriately e.g. underconstruction.html.
  • Click “Create New File”.
How To Live Test A Website And Keep It Hidden From Public View - cPanel File Manager Dashboard

2. Edit the ‘Under Construction’ Page

  • Select the filename and click “HTML Editor”.
How To Live Test A Website And Keep It Hidden From Public View - HTML Editor
  • Create the page and ensure that you include all your relevant contact information and a short paragraph about your company/products.
  • Click “Save”.

3. Change the Default Index Page in .htaccess

The .htaccess file is a hidden text file within your Hosting Account that can modify the usual behavior of your website.

  • In File Manager, click “Web Root” (addon Domains use the dropdown and select the correct Domain name).
  • Ensure “Show Hidden Files” is ticked.
  • Click “Go”.
  • Right-click the .htaccess file.
  • Select the “Edit” option and paste the following code at the beginning of the page – use your filename e.g. underconstruction.html.
#Alternate default index page
DirectoryIndex underconstruction.html
  • Click “Save”.
  • Test online to ensure you have done this correctly.

4. Additional .htaccess Info

As an extra precaution, add additional filenames to the above code. The server will check them from left to right. Refer to below example:

Alternate default index page
DirectoryIndex underconstruction.html index.htm index.html index.php default.htm

Additional Information:

Benefits Of Using A Placeholder Page When Testing

Implementing a ‘Coming Soon’ or ‘Under Construction’ page while testing your website is a strategic and effective way to manage visitor expectations, capture interest, collect valuable user data, test website functionality, and build anticipation for your upcoming website launch or updates. Other benefits include:

Maintain Professionalism

While your website is being updated or developed, it gives visitors the impression that it is well-maintained and professional. A well-designed placeholder page communicates that your website is being worked on and will soon be ready, which is better than displaying an incomplete or error-prone website.

Manage Expectations

By telling visitors that your website is currently under development and not completely operational, you can manage their expectations.

Collect Visitor Information

You can use the page to collect visitor information such as email addresses through a subscription form or newsletter signup. This allows you to build a mailing list of interested users who can be notified when your website goes ‘live’, or updates are available.

SEO Benefits

Before your website is ready, you can start generating organic traffic and getting early exposure from search engines by launching a ‘Coming Soon’ page with pertinent keywords and metadata. It enables search engines to index your website and ensure it appears early in search results.

Social Media Promotion

The ‘Under Construction’ page can serve as the main hub for marketing and social media promotion. Provide behind-the-scenes content and progress reports, and give your audience sneak peeks to pique their interest and create a buzz before the official launch.

Log into Hosted.com Account

1. Go to the Hosted.com Login website page.

How To Login To Hosted.com - Login in to Hosted.com Account

2. Enter your Email and Password and click the “Sign In” button.

Access cPanel via Your Hosted.com Account

3. You will see the Hosted.com Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview on the right and Open Support Tickets below.

How To Login To Hosted.com - Hosted.com Dashboard

4. Click the “Manage Service” dropdown and select your hosting package – our example uses the WordPress Hosting plan.

Access phpMyAdmin via cPanel Dashboard - Manage Services WordPress

5. Click the “Manage” button to the right of the domain name you want to access.

Access phpMyAdmin via cPanel Dashboard - Manage WordPress Domain

6. The display will now show Product Information, Quick Manage, Resource Usage and Site Statistics for that domain name.

7. Under “Product Information”, scroll down to “Control Panel”, which will display cPanel to the right, and click on the “Login” button.

Access phpMyAdmin via cPanel Dashboard - cPanel Login

10. The cPanel Dashboard will now be displayed.

Access phpMyAdmin via cPanel Dashboard - cPanel Dashboard

To Login to cPanel Online

1. Visit your cPanel URL, either supplied to you through your web host or attained through other sign-up methods.

2. Enter your Username

3. Then enter your Password and click “Log in”.

How To Login To cPanel - cPanel Login
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