How to Set Up a Temporary URL to Access Your Website

What is a Temporary URL?

A temporary URL allows you to access your website before updating your domain’s DNS settings. This is useful when migrating a website, testing a new site, or troubleshooting issues without affecting the live domain.

When Should You Use a Temporary URL?

• You have recently migrated your website and want to test it before updating DNS records.
• Your domain’s DNS propagation is still in progress.
• You need to preview your site without pointing the domain to the hosting server.

Methods to Access Your Website Using a Temporary URL

Method 1: Using cPanel’s Temporary URL

Many cPanel hosting providers offer a temporary URL format like:

http://server-ip/~cpanel-username/

Steps:

1. Find your Server IP
   • Log in to cPanel.
   • Look for the Server Information section.
   • Note down the Shared IP Address or Server IP.
2. Access Your Website via Temporary URL
   • Open a browser and enter:

     http://YourServerIP/~YourCpanelUsername/

   • Example: If your Server IP is 192.168.1.1 and your cPanel username is user123, then your temporary URL would be:

     http://192.168.1.1/~user123/

   • You should now see your website.

Note: Some hosting providers disable temporary URLs for security reasons. If it doesn’t work, try the next method.

Method 2: Modifying Your Hosts File (Local Method)

You can modify your hosts file to force your local computer to resolve the domain to the new server.

Steps for Windows Users:

1. Open Notepad as Administrator.
2. Go to File → Open and browse to:

   C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

3. Select All Files in the file type dropdown and open hosts.
4. Add a new line at the bottom:

   YourServerIP YourDomain.com

   Example:

   192.168.1.1 example.com

5. Save the file and restart your browser.
6. Now, visiting example.com will load your website from the new server.

Steps for Mac/Linux Users:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type the following command to edit the hosts file:

   sudo nano /etc/hosts

3. Add this line at the bottom:

   YourServerIP YourDomain.com

4. Press CTRL + X, then Y, then Enter to save.
5. Flush DNS cache with:

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
   ``` *(Mac)*

   sudo systemctl restart nscd

6. Now, visiting example.com will load your website from the new server.

Troubleshooting Temporary URL Issues

• 404 Errors: Ensure the correct cPanel username is used in the URL.
• Styling Issues: Some websites rely on absolute URLs; check .htaccess or site settings to allow temporary URL access.
• Blocked by Host: Contact your hosting provider if they have disabled temporary URLs for security reasons.

Conclusion

Setting up a temporary URL helps test your website before making it live. If your hosting provider supports it, the server IP with ~username method is the easiest. Otherwise, modifying your hosts file provides a reliable way to preview your site.