Checking a page before it goes live
A page can be viewed in three ways, and each one shows something different.
| View | Shows | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Preview | The current draft, rendered by the site exactly as it will appear | A panel inside the CMS |
| View live page | The published version on the public site | A new browser tab |
| Draft view | The draft version of every page, while browsing the public site | The public site |
Preview
Preview is in the â‹® row menu on Pages and in More actions on the edit screen. It opens the current draft in a panel that slides in from the side. Open in a new tab, inside that panel, shows the draft at full browser width, which is the accurate test of a layout.
Sharing a draft by link
A draft can be sent to someone who has no account. The preview address carries a signature, and the signature is its only credential: anyone with the address can read the draft without signing in.
- In Pages, or on the page's edit screen, select Preview.
- In the panel that slides in, select the share icon at the top right. Its tooltip reads Share this draft.
- In the window that opens, copy the address from the Link field with the copy button beside it. The confirmation Link copied appears.
- Send the address by email, message or ticket.
The window states how long the link lasts. The default is 60 minutes, counted from the moment the window was opened; the developer can change it. After that the link stops working. To send a new link, repeat the steps.
A preview page is never indexed by search engines and never cached, so sharing one does not make an unpublished page public.
View live page
View live page opens the published version on the public site. If the page has unpublished changes, it shows what visitors currently see, not what is being edited.
Draft view on the site
Draft view is useful for reviewing a whole section of the site. While you are signed in to the panel, every public page shows a banner at the top. With draft view switched off, the banner reads Viewing the published site. Drafts are hidden.
- On any page of the public site, while signed in, open the banner's More actions menu (the ⋯ button).
- Select Show drafts.
The site then serves you the draft version of every page as you browse. Each page with an unpublished draft shows You are viewing a draft. in the banner, because the draft and the published version otherwise look alike. The banner also has a Publish button, for editors permitted to publish. If someone else saves a page you have open, the page reloads automatically, so the draft on screen is never out of date. To switch back, select Show published in the same menu.
While a page with an unpublished draft is on screen, the banner's More actions menu also contains Share this draft. It produces the same link as the panel's preview. On a device with a system share sheet, selecting it opens the share sheet; otherwise it copies the address and shows Link copied. The menu also contains Edit this page, which opens the page in the panel.