Share a draft by link

Before a site is published, ⋯ → Share a link in the builder makes a link you can send to a client, a colleague or a friend. Press Copy link in the notice that appears.

What the recipient sees #

• The link opens a private copy of your site that runs in their own browser, as a visitor: no admin bar, no editing, no login. A slim bar at the top says it is a shared draft made by someone else and not checked by InstaWP, and asks them not to enter passwords or payment details.
• The page shows a progress bar while the copy loads: the first open downloads the WordPress runtime, which is cached afterwards, and then the site itself.
• Links and menus work. Forms show but do not store or send entries; the copy carries none of your form entries.
• Whatever they change stays in their tab and disappears when they reload.

Shared copies are not listed by search engines.

Keep it current, or stop it #

The copy is a snapshot of the site when you shared it. After more edits, the ⋯ menu offers:

• Copy share link to send the same link again;
• Update shared copy to replace the snapshot behind the same link;
• Stop sharing, after which the link says the draft is no longer available.

Deleting the site removes its shared copy. Links do not expire on their own.

Limits #

• The copy can be up to 200 MB. Sites with unused themes are trimmed automatically, so most are far smaller.
• A browser keeps at most 10 share links at a time; a browser that has not signed in may be asked to pass a quick browser check before its first share.
• A link found to be abused can be reported and taken down.
• Sharing is for drafts. A published site has a real address to share instead; see Publish to InstaWP.