How to Preview Your Website Before Changing DNS Settings

You've spent hours migrating your website to a new server. Everything should work perfectly. But what if it doesn't? What if the database connection fails? What if images don't load? What if your entire site breaks the moment DNS points to the new server?

Most people discover these problems after switching DNS, when their site is already down and users are complaining. By then, it's too late—you're in full panic mode, trying to roll back or fix issues under pressure.

Why You Need to Preview

1. Catch Broken Functionality

File paths might be different. PHP versions might differ. Database credentials might be wrong. API endpoints might not be configured. You'll find all these issues during preview, not during downtime.

2. Verify SSL Certificates

Your new server needs a valid SSL certificate for HTTPS. Preview lets you verify SSL works correctly before exposing your site to users. Use our SSL Checker to validate certificate setup on the new server.

3. Test Performance

The new server might be slower or faster than expected. Preview gives you a chance to test load times, optimize configurations, and ensure performance meets expectations before going live.

4. Avoid Costly Downtime

Every minute of downtime costs revenue. Preview eliminates surprises and ensures your migration is seamless, with zero user-facing issues.

Method 1: Use Our Host Preview Tool (Easiest)

The fastest, simplest method—no technical setup required. Our Host Preview tool lets you view any website as if it were hosted on a specific IP address.

How It Works

1. Enter your domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com)
2. Enter the new server IP address
3. Click "Preview" and see your site instantly

Our tool creates a temporary proxy connection, showing you exactly what visitors will see when DNS points to the new server. Test all pages, check functionality, and verify everything works perfectly.

Method 2: Edit Your Hosts File (Advanced)

If you prefer a technical approach or need persistent preview access, editing your hosts file is the traditional method. This overrides DNS locally on your computer only.

Step 1: Find Your New Server's IP Address

Get the IP address from your new hosting provider. It looks like: 192.168.1.100 or 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Step 2: Edit the Hosts File

On Windows:

1. Open Notepad as Administrator
2. Go to File → Open
3. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\
4. Change file type filter to "All Files"
5. Open the file named hosts

On Mac/Linux:

Step 3: Add Your Preview Entry

At the bottom of the file, add a new line:

Replace 192.168.1.100 with your new server's IP and yourdomain.com with your actual domain.

Step 4: Save and Test

Save the file, close it, and flush your DNS cache:

Now when you visit yourdomain.com in your browser, you'll see the version on the new server—before DNS has changed for anyone else.

Method 3: Use Browser Extensions

Several browser extensions let you override DNS for specific domains without editing system files:

• LiveHosts (Chrome): Override DNS per domain
• Host Switch Plus (Firefox): Manage multiple host overrides
• Virtual Hosts (Chrome/Firefox): Switch between environments easily

These extensions make testing convenient because you can toggle overrides on and off without editing files.

What to Test During Preview

Critical Functionality Checklist

Check for Common Issues

• Absolute URLs: Hardcoded old domain references break preview
• Mixed content: HTTP resources on HTTPS pages cause warnings
• File permissions: Wrong permissions cause 403/500 errors
• Database credentials: Wrong config breaks dynamic content
• PHP/software versions: Incompatible versions cause errors

When You're Ready to Switch DNS

After thorough testing and confirming everything works perfectly on the new server, you're ready for the actual DNS change:

1. Lower DNS TTL: 24 hours before switching, reduce TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes)
2. Update DNS records: Point A record to new server IP
3. Monitor propagation: Use our DNS Propagation Checker to track global updates
4. Verify functionality: Test from multiple locations once DNS propagates
5. Keep old server running: Maintain for 24-48 hours in case rollback needed

Conclusion

Never change DNS blindly. Previewing your website on the new server before switching DNS is not optional—it's essential risk management. Use our Host Preview tool for instant, zero-configuration testing, or edit your hosts file for persistent local preview.

Either way, test thoroughly, fix all issues, and only make the DNS change when you're 100% confident. Your users will never know you migrated servers—and that's exactly the goal.