It is a good idea to use a brand new WordPress installation to test and deploy major changes. The problem is that creating one locally or in the cloud requires some technical expertise (and time). If you lack one or both of these resources, you can use tools like TasteWP or InstaWP.
WordPress University previously introduced TasteWP, which provides more free time and space than InstaWP. However, for now, we have to say that InstaWP is a tool with more comprehensive features. InstaWP also received seed funding from Automattic (the parent company of WordPress), and its development iterations are very active, making it highly recommended and worthy of our use. Let’s get to know InstaWP together!
InstaWP is a tool that allows you to complete a brand new WordPress installation in seconds. With just one click of a button, you have a one-time WordPress site that can be used for testing plugins, versions, and general development work. You can even get preset templates and configurations to save your time.
Everyone can use InstaWP to quickly launch new WordPress instances, from temporary website owners and freelancers to institutions and businesses. And the option to share installations means you can provide others with a reusable technology stack to start their WordPress projects.
In this hands-on InstaWP review, I will reveal more information about this tool and show you how to use it to enhance your WordPress workflow.
Article Catalog
InstaWP Overview
InstaWP hands-on practice
Create a new WordPress site
Create presets (configurations and templates)
Using tools to access and manage sites
InstaWP integration
InstaWP pricing
summary
InstaWP Overview
InstaWP is very flexible because it allows you to create a site according to your needs. It can be a blank WordPress installation, or you can build your own template to automatically configure settings or pre install certain elements.
Consider InstaWP installation as a temporary WordPress site where you can test new plugins or try different settings before implementing them on a live website.
Other use cases for WordPress installation include:
Establish a customer website. You can use installation to create a customer site and access it from anywhere. InstaWP even allows you to share real-time links for customers to view.
Allow potential customers to test your plugin or theme. If you sell your own theme or plugin, you can pre install it to make it easy for potential customers to test in a sandbox environment.
Provide white label testing. If you are a WordPress developer or agent, you can use your own custom domain to provide brand testing.
InstaWP hands-on practice
Okay, now it’s the interesting part. Let’s take a look at how to create a sandbox website using InstaWP.
Firstly, I will create a blank WordPress installation to demonstrate the basics to you. Then, I will introduce some advanced features of InstaWP, such as building configurations or templates.
Create a new WordPress site
Firstly, visit the InstaWP website to register for a free account. After completion, click the “New Site” or “Add New Site” button in the “Sites” tab to create a brand new WordPress installation. From the pop-up window that appears, you can choose the configuration of your site, including the site name, PHP version, WordPress version, and default configuration.
Another option is to use templates to build the site – I will discuss this later in this article.
This is all the work required to create an effective WordPress installation.
You can log in by clicking the Magic Login button or using the credentials sent to you via email.
The newly installed features are the same as any other self hosted WordPress site in the WordPress administrator. You can add users, install plugins, etc.
Create presets (configurations and templates)
When creating a site, you can set presets in InstaWP to save time. These presets include:
to configure
This option allows you to create presets for technical content such as WordPress configuration, PHP version, WordPress version, etc. You can also pre install specific themes or plugins.
Go to the Configuration tab in the InstaWP dashboard and select one of the settings to create a new configuration.
There are four options for setting: General, PHP, WordPress, and Faker. I chose WordPress because it is the most flexible and allows you to add plugins and themes to pre installations.
There is no limit to the number of configurations you can create – each configuration is displayed in the sidebar of InstaWP. From there, you can choose any configuration when building a new WordPress site:
Template
It can be used to save existing WordPress sites as templates. Then you can use this template to create new websites, whose configuration will be similar to the original website.
To create a template, launch the dropdown menu for the site you want to use as a template, and then click the ‘Save as Template’ option.
You can choose to create private or shared templates. The default options allow you to configure the following:
Template name and description. This is to ensure that you remember to install.
Instant template. This is aimed at end users – it will automatically create a site without the need for manual operations based on templates.
Enable sharing. Enabling this option will allow others to create WordPress sites by clicking on links. If you make a living by developing plugins or themes, this should come in handy; You can allow potential customers to test the website before making a purchase.
I used a shared template that provided some additional options. For example, I can choose to ask people to enter their email so that I can use the test site as a list building tool. I can customize the email I send and add my own brand.
All templates are displayed in the ‘Templates’ tab. Then, you can choose from them when creating a new site.
Using tools to access and manage sites
InstaWP provides various tools for managing sandbox sites, which you can access through the “Sites” tab. These include:
Code editor. This provides an in browser code editor where you can edit WordPress cores, themes, and plugins. This allows you to quickly edit without using FTP, although this option is also available.
Open the database. Open the website’s database in Adminer to fully understand the root file.
Site migration. Click on the dropdown menu to provide options such as migration. You can use the integrated migrateGuru integration to migrate to real-time hosting.
Website booking. This allows you to create a permanent installation that remains active until you manually delete it. It ensures that the website does not automatically expire.
Site export and domain mapping. You can export the site as a zip file for local development (in LocalWP). In addition, you can add a white label to the sandbox site by mapping a custom field that reflects your company name.
InstaWP integration
InstaWP provides some convenient integrations for other tools. These include:
Mailchimp integration. You can draft an email and send it directly to your clients in Mailchimp.
Chrome integration. InstaWP’s Chrome extension can help you quickly test new themes or plugins. Add the launch button to the WordPress.org plugin page or theme – click once to create a new site pre installed with the extension.
InstaWP pricing
InstaWP has both free and paid plans.
The free plan offers the following:
Create up to 5 activity sites
Restore up to 3 sites per month
Develop a preset template
Keep the website for 2 days (after which they will expire)
Get 500 MB of storage space for your account
The paid plan starts at $9 per month and provides you with the following services:
Higher website creation restrictions
Longer expiration time
The option to keep sites (which can make them permanent)
Custom Domain Name
Site cloning
FTP and SSH access
More disk storage space in MB units
Team Visit
Please note that InstaWP offers a 20% discount for annual plans.
Generally speaking, a free plan should be sufficient for most users. You can use InstaWP to test some things and then implement them on your WordPress website.
However, those who provide website creation services would be better off in one of the advanced plans. Ask potential customers to test your plugin or theme to enhance their confidence in your development.
summary
Overall, I believe InstaWP is a great tool for creating disposable WordPress websites.
By using tool plugins to complete heavy workloads, you can focus on testing themes and plugins to ensure that you only install the best ones.
If you are building a customer site, you can also use InstaWP for your workflow:
Using templates and configurations to save time when working on multiple projects
Accessing databases or editing code in a browser to save time
Add white labels to the domain to provide brand experience for your customers
If necessary, migrate to real-time hosting or pull down the site to LocalWP
InstaWP is built specifically for teams that want to deliver better products faster. It even has features such as shareable links, where you can add links on the login page and people click on them to create their website. Therefore, although it is not the first tool to provide one click WordPress installation, it does offer more features than similar products, especially in terms of templates, tools, and configurations.
Therefore, whether you are a WordPress developer, designer, agency, or enterprise, you can use InstaWP to accelerate your workflow and allow customers to experience your product, thereby giving them confidence in their purchase.
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