How do I preview the site before launch and keep it closed with a “Coming Soon” page?

The site is either published or closed — there is nothing in between. But you can preview it while it is closed, from inside the dashboard.

Previewing

1. From Website Builder → Dashboard press Preview Storefront.
2. It opens exactly the page a visitor sees — Figure 1 — whatever the publish state.
3. Scroll to the bottom and read every section; what looks fine in the entry form can look broken on the front end.

Publishing and closing

1. Open Settings — Figure 2.
2. The Storefront Enabled switch makes the site available to the public.
3. If you turn it off, enable show a “Coming Soon” page so visitors see a respectable page rather than a 404.
4. The storefront status shows on the dashboard as Live or Offline.

Notes

• Open the preview on your phone too; most visitors will open your site on a phone.
• Do not publish while default text or placeholder images remain; a visitor has no way of knowing you are not finished.
• Review the site in both languages before publishing; the Arabic often gets filled in and the English forgotten.