What is HubSpot Content Staging and how do you use it?

When redesigning your website, you need a safe environment to make changes without affecting your live site. HubSpot's Content Staging tool provides exactly that, a dedicated space where you can create, test, and perfect your website updates before publishing them.

While Content Staging is incredibly useful for page-by-page updates, it's important to understand both its capabilities and limitations to use it effectively. Let's explore exactly what Content Staging offers and how to make the most of it.

What is Content Staging in HubSpot?

Content Staging is a feature available in HubSpot Content Hub Professional and Enterprise that lets you redesign and relaunch website pages in a separate environment. Think of it as a safe testing ground where you can work on your website updates without affecting your live site.

Any content you create or modify in Content Staging is hosted on a separate domain (your-domain.sandbox.hs-sites.com) until you're ready to publish. This separation means you can safely experiment with new designs, test different layouts, and perfect your pages before making them live.

How to access Content Staging in HubSpot

Getting started with Content Staging is straightforward.

1. In your HubSpot account, navigate to Content > Website Pages.
2. From there, click the More Tools dropdown menu in the top right and select Content Staging.
3. Once inside, use the Domain dropdown menu to select where your pages will be hosted.

What can you do with Content Staging?

Content Staging offers three primary ways to work on your website pages, each suited to different scenarios.

Stage a clone of an existing page

When you want to update a page while preserving some of its existing content, staging a clone is your best option. This approach creates an exact duplicate of your live page, allowing you to maintain the content you want to keep while updating the design. One significant advantage of this method is that all page analytics carry over when you publish, maintaining your historical data.

Stage a blank page to replace an existing one

Sometimes you need a fresh start while keeping the same URL. This option lets you create a completely new page design that will replace an existing page. It's perfect for complete page overhauls where you want to maintain the URL structure but completely reimagine the content and design. Like cloned pages, this method also preserves your page analytics after publishing.

Stage a detached clone

Sometimes you want to use an existing page as a starting point but don't want to replace it when publishing. This is where detached cloning comes in. When you choose to stage a detached clone, you'll create an exact copy of an existing page that, when published, creates a new page rather than replacing the original.

This approach is particularly useful when you want to create similar but distinct pages. For example, you might clone a high-performing product page to use as a template for a new product, or duplicate a successful landing page for a different campaign. The detached clone maintains all the elements that made the original page effective while allowing you to create something new.

Create a new staged page

When adding entirely new content to your website, you can create a new staged page from scratch. This gives you a blank canvas to work with and complete freedom to create new content. It's ideal for expanding your site with new sections or creating landing pages for specific campaigns.

When should you use content staging?

Content Staging is particularly valuable during several key scenarios in your website's evolution. It's most useful during complete website redesigns, where you're updating multiple pages simultaneously. The tool shines when you need to test new page designs before going live or when implementing new branding across your website.

It's also excellent for creating and testing seasonal or campaign-specific pages, allowing you to prepare and perfect your content well in advance of launch dates.

When not to use Content Staging

While Content Staging is a powerful tool for website redesigns, it can be overkill for simpler content updates. Understanding when not to use Content Staging is just as important as knowing when to use it.

Simple page creation

For straightforward new pages, HubSpot's standard CMS page editor provides everything you need. The built-in preview functionality lets you see exactly how your page will look before publishing, making Content Staging unnecessary. This is particularly true for basic landing pages or simple content pages where you don't need extensive testing or stakeholder review.

Minor page updates

When making small changes to existing pages, such as updating text content, swapping images, or tweaking layouts, using Content Staging adds unnecessary complexity to your workflow. HubSpot's standard page editor includes versioning and preview capabilities that are perfectly suited for these routine updates. You can make changes, preview them, and publish when ready, all within the standard editing interface.

Quick content fixes

For time-sensitive updates like correcting typos, updating contact information, or making minor design adjustments, going through Content Staging would slow down your process. The standard page editor lets you make these changes quickly while still allowing you to preview them before they go live.

Remember, Content Staging is designed for significant website changes and redesigns. For day-to-day content management and minor updates, stick with HubSpot's standard editing tools to maintain an efficient workflow.

Limitations of Content Staging

While Content Staging is powerful, it's important to understand its limitations:

• Unlike some content management systems, it doesn't offer complete website duplication
• Changes must be managed on a page-by-page basis
• Global elements require separate management
• Multi-language content isn't supported
• Blog pages can't be redesigned directly
• Changes to templates and global content affect live pages

Content Staging vs Sandbox in HubSpot

Understanding the differences between Content Staging and HubSpot's various sandbox environments helps you choose the right tool for your needs.

Content Staging

Content Staging is specifically designed for website content updates. It allows you to create a complete duplicate of a page, including all its existing content, imagery, and design elements. This makes it perfect for redesigning pages or testing new layouts while maintaining all your actual content. You can make changes, preview them, and when ready, publish them to your live site.

Developer Sandbox

Developer sandboxes serve a different purpose entirely.

While they're excellent for HubSpot website developers who are testing new templates, modules, and custom functionality, they don't automatically include your website's content. Although there are methods to move coded files into developer portals, you can't easily stage and test pages with your actual content. This makes them better suited for development work rather than content-focused updates.

CRM Sandbox

CRM sandboxes are primarily focused on testing CRM configurations and processes.

These environments are designed for testing sales pipelines, workflows, and other CRM functionality before implementing changes in your production environment. They're not designed for website content staging or development work.

This distinction is crucial because it highlights why Content Staging is so valuable for content teams. It's the only environment that lets you work with complete, content-filled pages in a staging environment, making it ideal for website redesigns and content updates.

Making the most of Content Staging

Planning your website updates

Planning is essential when using Content Staging for your website updates. Start by mapping out your entire website structure and creating a comprehensive content inventory. This helps you understand exactly which pages need updating and how they interconnect. Take time to document your current site architecture and plan how your new design will improve user journeys and conversions.

Managing global elements

Global elements require special attention during the staging process. Before making any changes to templates or shared content, create clones of these assets. This extra step prevents unwanted changes from affecting your live site and gives you the freedom to experiment with new designs. Pay particular attention to navigation menus, footers, and any shared modules that appear across multiple pages.

Testing your staged pages

Testing should be rigorous and methodical. Use the preview functionality to check how your pages appear across different devices and screen sizes. Pay particular attention to interactive elements, forms, and any custom functionality you've implemented. Content accuracy is equally important – review all text, images, and links thoroughly before considering any page ready for publishing.

Publishing strategy

When it comes to publishing, timing and strategy are crucial. Rather than publishing pages individually, use the batch publishing feature to push multiple updates live simultaneously. This maintains consistency across your site and provides a better user experience. Choose low-traffic periods for major updates, and always have a rollback plan ready in case you need to revert any changes.

Moving forward with your HubSpot website redesign

While Content Staging has its limitations, it's an invaluable tool for managing website updates in HubSpot. Success comes from understanding its capabilities and limitations, then working within them to create an effective website update strategy.

Content Staging is just one of many intuitive tools that make HubSpot CMS powerful for website creation and management. From the drag-and-drop editor to smart content rules, HubSpot CMS makes it easier to create and maintain websites that drive results.