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SnugStage User Guide
A walkthrough of the SnugStage dashboard and Options screens — creating a staging copy, reviewing and syncing changes back to live, and the Pro features that lock staging down and keep you notified.
Overview
SnugStage clones your live Joomla site — database and files both — into a separate staging copy, so you can build and test changes without any risk to what your visitors see. When you're ready, SnugStage shows you exactly what's changed before anything syncs back to live, takes an automatic backup first, and lets you roll that back in one click if something isn't right.
This guide walks through the two screens you'll use day to day — the Dashboard, where you create, sync, and roll back — and the Options screen, where staging behaviour, access protection, and notifications are configured.
01 The Dashboard
This is where every staging action happens. A fresh install with no staging copy yet looks like this:
Clones your live site's files and database into a new staging copy.
Opens the sync review — see Syncing Changes to Live.
Pick specific tables or files to push, instead of everything.
Removes the staging copy and frees the disk space it used.
Restores the automatic backup taken immediately before the last sync.
The Activity Log at the bottom records every create, sync, and rollback as it happens. Along the top: Options opens the settings screens covered below, Clean Cache clears Joomla's cache, and the badge on the right shows whether the site is running Free or SnugStage PRO.
02 Setting Up Staging
Before creating your first staging copy, it's worth checking the Staging tab under Options — these settings control how a copy is built and how cautious SnugStage is when syncing back.
stg_cache and log folders are excluded by default — add anything else you don't want duplicated onto staging (large media libraries, third-party cache directories, etc.).03 Syncing Changes to Live
Clicking Push staging to live never syncs blind — it opens a review first, showing exactly what SnugStage found different between staging and live before anything is touched.
- Review the counts. The badges at the top show how many tables and files changed, and the list below itemises each one.
- Choose what syncs. On Pro, toggling "Only sync selected items" lets you tick individual tables/files rather than syncing everything staging picked up — plain full-mirror sync on Free.
- Check "Rows found only on live." These exist on live but not in your staging copy — either new activity on live since staging was created, or something you removed in staging. Nothing here is deleted unless you explicitly tick it.
- Type
SYNCto confirm (if Require typed confirmation is on), then Start. SnugStage takes an automatic backup immediately before applying anything.
If a sync doesn't look right afterwards, Roll back last sync on the dashboard restores the automatic backup taken in step 4 — no need to manually re-create staging from scratch.
04 Protecting Your Staging Copy Pro
A staging copy is reachable at its own URL — the Staging Access tab under Options locks that down so it isn't left open to the public while you work.
.htpasswd file; treat it like any other saved credential.These fields are visible but locked (greyed out, and "Protect staging URL" is forced off) on the Free plan — upgrading to Pro unlocks them for editing immediately, no reinstall needed.
05 Getting Notified Pro
Rather than checking the Activity Log yourself, SnugStage can tell you the moment a job finishes.
06 Licence & Permissions
Two more tabs round out the Options screen, alongside Staging, Staging Access, and Notifications:
Tips & Reminders
- Both your live and staging admin panels show a permanent colour-coded banner at the top of every page, so it's always obvious which one you're looking at — green for live, amber for staging.
- If a staging copy exists and its URL isn't protected, the live-site banner will say so directly — that's your cue to visit Staging Access and turn protection on.
- Every new install includes a one-time, no-card 14-day trial with every Pro feature unlocked, so you can try Selective Sync, Rollback, Staging Access, and Notifications before deciding to buy.