If your live site has changed since you created your staging copy, your staging site may be out of date. Syncing refreshes your staging site with a fresh copy of everything on your live site, so you are always testing against the latest version.
When to sync
You should sync your live site to staging when:
- Your live site has new content — new blog posts, updated pages, or fresh images that were added directly to your live site
- Customers have been active — form submissions, orders, or comments have been made on your live site
- You are starting a new round of testing — before making more staging changes, it is good practice to start from the latest version of your live site
- It has been a while since you created the staging copy and your live site has changed significantly
How to sync live to staging
1. Open your Web60 dashboard
Sign in to your Web60 dashboard and click on your site name.
2. Go to the Staging section
Click Staging in the left sidebar.
3. Click Sync Live to Staging
Click the Sync Live to Staging button.
4. Confirm the sync
A confirmation dialog will appear. Confirm that you want to proceed. This replaces everything on your staging site with a fresh copy of your live site.
5. Wait for the sync to complete
Web60 copies all files and the entire database from your live site to staging. This takes a few minutes depending on the size of your site.
What happens during a sync
When you sync, Web60 replaces your entire staging site with a fresh copy of your live site. This includes:
- All pages, posts, and media files
- Your theme and theme settings
- All plugins and their settings
- Your WordPress configuration
- Your entire database, including any form submissions or orders
After the sync, your staging site is an exact copy of your current live site.
Important warning
Anything that only exists on staging will be overwritten. If you have made changes on your staging site that you have not yet pushed to live, those changes will be lost when you sync.
Before syncing, take a moment to:
- Check if you have unpushed staging changes — if you do, consider pushing them to live first, or make a note of what you changed so you can redo it
- Write down any staging-only work — if you were testing something on staging, note what you did so you can recreate it after the sync if needed
Sync vs. creating a new staging site
Syncing and creating a new staging site achieve the same result — you end up with a staging copy that matches your current live site. The difference is:
- Sync updates your existing staging site in place
- Create new deletes your existing staging site and creates a fresh one
In most cases, syncing is quicker and simpler. You only need to create a new staging site if you have deleted your existing one.
Need help?
If you have any questions about syncing your live site to staging, visit our support page and we will be happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
Will syncing delete my staging changes?
Yes. Syncing replaces everything on your staging site with a fresh copy of your live site. Any changes that only exist on staging will be overwritten. Make a note of any important staging-only changes before you sync.
How often should I sync?
Sync before starting a new round of testing, or whenever your live site has changed significantly since you created the staging copy. There is no need to sync regularly if your live site has not changed.
Can I sync staging back to live instead?
Yes, that is the Push to Live feature. Syncing goes from live to staging, while pushing goes from staging to live. They are two separate actions.
Last updated: 31 March 2026