Building a test site for a WP domain now hosted on GoDaddy
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I want to move a site from GoDaddy to WP.com at some point. It will use the Pro plan.
I need to work on the site in WP before I move it from GoDaddy so the site needs to remain live on GoDaddy for a bit.
How do I create a test site for the domain without compromising the live site?
WP.com: Unknown
Jetpack: Yes
Correct account: YesThe blog I need help with is: (visible only to moderators and staff)
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An addendum to the message I posted about building a test website:
This GoDaddy hosted site went down for the upteenth time on April 28th and after working on it with 11 people the site is active but the WP functions are not working properly.
I am hoping that exporting the site over here will show if the WP features that worked fine last week are still intact and will work properly outside of GoDaddy.
Thanks.
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Hi there, you can get your site set up here before switching your domain over. :)
When you sign up for a new site, we give you a free subdomain (*.wordpress.com) that you can use to start building your new site.
Here’s a guide that will help you migrate your site to WordPress.com:
https://transferto.wordpress.com/Note that you will need a Pro plan when you want to connect or transfer your domain to the site: https://wordpress.com/pricing/
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Thanks macmanx.
This is what has me confused. When I go to https://transferto.wordpress.com/ I see that the GoDaddy incarnation of the site I plan to move to WP.com is already listed among my WP sites at that page.
I tried to initiate a process to set up a test site. I didn’t pay because I wasn’t convinced I would get the appropriate result. Seems I was right! Now I have a warning on the https://wordpress.com/settings/manage-connection/ page. Jetpack diagnosed a connection problem and wants me to either sync the sites or disconnect from WP.com. I must have done something wrong.
I did get an email from WP telling me that my site needs a name, etc. I also see that WP has created a mysite.wordpress site and is urging me to upgrade from my free domain.
Fortunately, the GoDaddy site is still up, despite the problems GoDaddy created over the weekend.
So, how do I set up a test site with the pro package from the start, get rid of the Jetpack warning, and check the test site at my leisure? I don’t mind paying while I’m working on it, but I need the other site up until I’m ready to launch the new one.
I also need to work on it with the pro package. Is that possible? The free package doesn’t have as many features as the pro package. For example, the free WP template I use on the site now doesn’t have as many color options.
Also, perhaps you can also address another question: Right now I am hosting the site at GoDaddy, which means I have folders that contain information I do not integrate into the WP site itself. The folders holds images used by other sites.
Would you happen to know if I can create a folder in WP that will allow me to store image files with one stable path name? Right now image file names in my WP sites include the dates I uploaded the image.
Perhaps I can create a second media folder in WP for images that will generate a standard path for all image in it, using their numbers as the distinguishing element of the name?
For example, the path I currently use for my images is: my_site.com/DB/image#.jpg. The image# changes for each image and the rest of the path is fixed. This means a path is able to direct to a specific image number in the DB folder.
In wordpress now the url of the image includes the date the image was uploaded into the media folder. One I just uploaded is https://my-site.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image#.jpg.
An image loaded on April 4, 2021 is http://my-site.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image#.jpg. I need a path that does not add the date loaded. Is this possible?
Thanks again.
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Hi there,
To get started we recommend that you first upgrade your site to the Pro Plan. As you mention, you will need those features to help you get set up, as well you need the upgrade to use our migration tool.
This is what has me confused. When I go to https://transferto.wordpress.com/ I see that the GoDaddy incarnation of the site I plan to move to WP.com is already listed among my WP sites at that page.
This is because your GoDaddy site has the Jetpack plugin installed on it, which adds our cloud-based WordPress.com features to your site hosted there. To do that you need a WordPress.com account to connect to, and this is why you can see both your GoDaddy site and your WordPress.com site under the same login
Jetpack diagnosed a connection problem and wants me to either sync the sites or disconnect from WP.com. I must have done something wrong.
This is also why we recommend upgrading to the Pro Plan first. This public support forum is for free sites, and we don’t have much experience with correcting Jetpack connection issues. However, your upgrade will come with priority support (24/7 email + live chat Mon-Fri) and the Pro support team will be able to assist you with this connection issue.
Essentially we can walk you through it (after you upgrade) much faster.
In wordpress now the url of the image includes the date the image was uploaded into the media folder…. I need a path that does not add the date loaded. Is this possible?
To clarify, this is how images on your site are now? E.G. they use a custom file path instead of the standard WordPress image URL permalink structure? If yes, are you doing this manually somehow? Or are you using a plugin to help you with this?
Or do you instead mean that (after you migrate) you are curious to know if there is a way to change the image permalink format on the new site you set up here? I’m having trouble understanding what you have set up currently so any additional info (plus the URL to the GoDaddy site) would help us to take a closer look, thanks!
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Thanks, Jerry.
I totally confused! There doesn’t seem to be a way to contact jetpack until I pay. I’m happy to pay but I don’t want the site pointed at WP.com yet. Do you have an email I can use to contact them?
There are two options on the “Use a domain I own page”
First: Transfer your domain
Recommended
Manage your domain directly on WordPress.com
Learn more
We’ll renew your domain for another year
Manage everything you need in one place
Private domain registration and SSL certificate included for free
Included in Pro plan
$18.00/yearSecond: Connect your domain
Keep your domain with your current provider and point it to WordPress.com
Learn more
Keep your current provider
SSL certificate included for free
Included in Pro planWhich one do I choose if I don’t want the site pointed to WP yet?
I already imported a file into the free domain and lost menus, theme settings, etc. I guess the folks at Jetpack and tell me how to correct this once I figure out how to get on that track.
I guess it is best to talk about the images once I get Jetpack support.
Again, thanks for your help. BTW, how should I have known this forum was just for signing up for free sites?
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Hi again,
In this case, given that you are having some connection issues I would recommend that you start a new (empty) site by following the steps here: https://wordpress.com/start/
For starters choose the free domain that is offered (the one with ‘wordpress.com’ in the URL) and then proceed to set up the site, adding the Pro plan when that option is presented.
Once you have the empty site created and upgraded you will be able to access priority support (I recommend the live chat option) and from there we can work out your connection issue and then help you to migrate the contents of your GoDaddy site onto the empty site you created here.
E.G.: instead of migrating during the site setup process (which is currently not working in your case) you will be setting up the site first, and then migrating once it is set up. Our process can handle that just fine.
Again, thanks for your help. BTW, how should I have known this forum was just for signing up for free sites?
Happy to help. There is not a special way you would know this, but at the moment you have a free account, which is why this is your only option. I do think it will be a big help to have our pro support team walk you through this however, given the questions you have and the need to troubleshoot your current site.
Hope that helps. Please let us know if you have any more questions.
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Thanks Jerry.
I created the free domain I have now at https://wordpress.com/start/. It was assigned to me when I didn’t complete my checkout.
This is way too confusing for me so I signed up for the Pro through the option that says I will need to change the DNS myself. I hope this means nothing will change with the current site.
I hope the more than ten alerts I have now received from Jetpack means I can get some help. The emails are alerting me that things aren’t working with my site. The good news is that seems possible to reply to the alert emails.
Fingers crossed!
Thanks.
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Just after I hit send I got an email saying that Jetpack couldn’t connect to mysite so I guess I picked the wrong option.
I am getting about four email alerts a minute now. Not exactly what I would call fun.
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Hi!
We can absolutely help you continue sorting this out here in the forums.
However, as a WordPress.com Pro plan subscriber, you now have access to our livechat support team. And contacting them will likely be a faster way of helping you get your site up and running:
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Thanks. I found the contact in one of the many email alerts I’ve received today. I sent a message and hopefully someone will contact me soon.
But I’m making progress since I’ve I’ve bookmarked the contact link.
FWIW, the import offered through the Pro Plan failed and free site went down too.
Thanks again for jumping in.
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