You can easily view your website without changing nameservers or DNS or waiting for DNS propagation to complete, using the built-in Website Preview feature. You can also use other methods.
- Using the Website Preview feature.
- Using a web proxy.
- By modifying the hosts file.
- Using a browser extension.
Website Preview allows you to:
- Verify migrations, develop and showcase the website to your customers before switching over nameservers/DNS, or if DNS propagation is not complete.
- Verify DNS records on third-party DNS. If you use third-party DNS (Cloudflare, QUIC.cloud, etc.) and can access your site via preview links but not directly via the domain, check that the DNS records are correct in your third-party DNS.
- Verify if the CDN is having an issue. If you use a CDN (Cloudflare, QUIC.cloud, etc.) and can access your site using preview links but not directly using the domain, the CDN configuration is likely incorrect or the CDN is experiencing an issue. Temporarily disable "Proxy" or bypass CDN until the issue is resolved.
Method 1: Website Preview
This feature is available to Web Hosting, Semi Dedicated Hosting, Reseller Hosting (cPanel), and Quasi Dedicated Server (cPanel). If you encounter any errors or are using a different service, refer to the other methods listed below.
- Go to cPanel > Website Preview.
- Click "Create" next to your domain name.
- Check if the website URL is correct.
- Click "Create a Preview URL" or "Go".
- Done! You should now be able to access the website.
Get the Server IP Address
- Log in to cPanel.
- The server IP address is displayed as "Shared IP Address" under "General Information" on the right sidebar.
Method 2: Using a Web Proxy
You can access your website using one of the following third-party web proxies:
https://hosts.clickhttps://skipdns.linkhttps://nfpreview.comhttps://pro.hosts.clickhttps://hosts.cx(no longer active)
While accessing a website using a web proxy seems convenient, it might not be appropriate in all cases. If you get errors, you can use the Hosts File method.
hosts.click:
- Go to
https://hosts.click - Enter the Server IP.
- Enter your domain name (e.g.,
yourdomain.comorwww.yourdomain.com, withouthttps://).
*Replaceyourdomain.comwith your actual domain. - Click Create a Preview URL.
- Click the preview subdomain.
- Done!
skipdns.link:
- Go to
https://www.skipdns.link - Enter the Server IP.
- Enter your website URL. (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.comorhttps://www.yourdomain.com). - Click Go.
- Click Open.
- Click Yes. Proceed with the proxy.
- Done!
nfpreview.com:
- Go to
https://nfpreview.com - Enter your domain name (e.g.,
yourdomain.comorwww.yourdomain.com, withouthttps://).
*Replaceyourdomain.comwith your actual domain. - Enter the Server IP.
- Click Create Preview Link.
- Click the preview link.
- Done!
Note:
These tools are third-party. MechanicWeb does not endorse their use and is not affiliated with them.
You can also access the site by modifying the hosts file.
Method 3: Modify the Hosts File
Microsoft Windows:
Perform the following steps to modify the /etc/hosts file on a Windows workstation:
- Open the Start menu.
- Type "Notepad" when the Start menu is open.
- Right-click Notepad and select "Run as Administrator."
- In Notepad, open the file
C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts:
Click File > Open
Select "All Files" next to "File name:"
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc
Select "hosts"
Click "Open" - Add the server IP address and your domain under the last entry in the file, for example:
1.2.3.4 yourdomain.com
1.2.3.4 www.yourdomain.com
or
1.2.3.4 subdomain.yourdomain.com
Note:
Replace [1.2.3.4] with the server IP address and [yourdomain.com] with your domain name. - Save the file.
- Reload your browser for the changes to take effect.
Note:
Your workstation's operating system will not remove your changes to the /etc/hosts file. Make sure to manually remove the domain name and server IP address in the /etc/hosts file after troubleshooting is complete, or to access your website from the current server.
Test If the Modification Is Working
- Open a Command Prompt on Windows (Start menu > Type cmd) or a Terminal on Linux and macOS.
- Type the following command:
ping www.yourdomain.com - The response should reflect your server IP:
PING www.yourdomain.com (1.2.3.4) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from www.yourdomain.com (1.2.3.4): icmp_req=1 ttl=58 time=1.40 ms
You should now be able to view your websites without changing your nameservers or DNS records.
macOS and Linux:
Perform the following steps to modify the /etc/hosts file if you are using macOS or Linux on your workstation:
- Open the /etc/hosts file on your workstation with your preferred text editor.
- Add the server IP address and your domain under the last entry in the file, for example:
1.2.3.4 yourdomain.com
1.2.3.4 www.yourdomain.com
or
1.2.3.4 subdomain.yourdomain.com
Note:
Replace [1.2.3.4] with the server IP address and [yourdomain.com] with your domain name. - Save the file.
- Reload your browser for the changes to take effect.
Method 4: Access Using a Browser Extension
You can access your website by installing a third-party extension to the Chrome web browser.
Google Chrome:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/livehosts/hdpoplemgeaioijkmoebnnjcilfjnjdihttps://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/virtual-hosts/aiehidpclglccialeifedhajckcpedom?hl=en
When accessing the website using the above extensions, the website might appear broken, or some functions might not work as expected. That is because the extension uses a different URL (e.g., http://127.0.0.1/www.yourdomain.com/) to access the website.
Mozilla Firefox:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vhost-simulator/#:~:text=Click%20the%20VHost%20icon%20in,Host%20in%20the%20Host%20field
Note:
These tools are third-party. MechanicWeb does not endorse their use and is not affiliated with them.
SSL Error When SSL Is Not Installed
If you get an SSL error (e.g., your connection is not private) when accessing the website, you can access it without installing SSL:
How to access a website when SSL is not installed?
How to install SSL certificates?
