What Deploy preview means
Hosts like Netlify and Vercel create deploy previews for pull requests so you can review changes before they go live. They are a lightweight alternative to a permanent staging site.
Why it matters for your website
Deploy previews let you see changes on a real, working copy of the site before they go live. That catches broken layouts and typos before customers ever see them. They also make feedback easy, since anyone can click a link instead of describing changes in an email.
Example
Before launching a new pricing page, a SaaS startup's developer shares a preview link. The founder spots a wrong price on mobile and it gets fixed before going live.
Tips
- Review every preview on a phone as well as a desktop.
- Share preview links with the person who requested the change for sign-off.
- Block search engines from indexing preview URLs.
Common mistakes
- Approving changes from screenshots instead of clicking through the live preview.
- Letting previews connect to live payment or email systems, causing real charges or messages.
Questions about Deploy preview
What is Deploy preview?
A temporary copy of your site built from proposed changes, with its own link.
Are deploy previews public?
The links are usually hard to guess but often viewable by anyone who has them. Many platforms let you add password protection if needed.
Do deploy previews cost extra?
It depends on your hosting platform. Many modern hosts include them, though build minutes or team features may have limits.
