Setting up a test site while keeping current index page active

Have a look at a plugin called Maintenance Mode. It essentially allows you to put up a ‘under construction/undergoing maintenance/coming soon’ type page to anybody not logged in. If you are logged in however, you see the site as normal. When you deactivate the plugin, the real site will go live.

I’m not sure if that would work. He runs a video production service and the current static page links to his list of services and corporate profile. If we keep a plugin up saying it’s under maintenance, he won’t have anything to show potential clients in the meantime.

The message doesn’t have to say under maintenance…?

I tried downloading the plugin on my own WP installation and editing the maintenance page settings as per your suggestion. But my index page has not changed.

I altered the maintenance page to match the image currently on my friend’s main page, and copied the html coding. Nothing has happened, even though the plugin is activated.

If the plugin is active and you’re logged in, you won’t see a difference – you’ll be able to develop the site as normal. If you log out though (as a regular visitor would be), you should see the ‘maintenance’ page instead.

I see now. I logged out of my own WP installation, and saw the placeholder page the way it should be. This is just what I needed.