Test your website before the move
Put your website on WebOké already and view it exactly as it will appear once it's live, while your current site keeps running as usual. No hosts file, no DNS changes: your browser only asks our nameservers for your domain's address.
Two ways to test your website
You can preview your website at WebOké in two ways before moving the domain name over. Both show you the version hosted with us, while your current site stays online as usual. The difference is in how you access it and how realistic it is.
1Preview in your browser
You type in a domain and the website opens immediately in a new tab, with a WebOké bar above it. In that bar, you can also type in a different domain. You don't need to set anything up, and it works on any device. Handy for quickly checking the site or showing it to your client.
2Via the proxy setting
You set up your browser once. After that, you simply open your own domain and see the site exactly as it will be after the move, just like with a hosts file. The best way to test thoroughly: logging in, forms, webshop.
| Preview in your browser | Via the proxy setting | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Nothing, you're ready right away | Set up once in your browser or computer |
| Devices | Any device, including phone and tablet | Mainly on the computer |
| Sharing with your client | Yes, with the Share button in the bar | No, everyone sets it up themselves |
| Address in the address bar | A preview address on webokeproxy.eu | Just your own domain |
| Certificate warning | No | Yes, until the move |
| How realistic | Almost real: parts tied to your domain may differ | Exactly as it will be after the move |
| Best for | Quick checks and showing someone | Thorough testing |
Which website would you like to preview?
Good to know
- While previewing, your website runs under a different address. Parts tied to your own domain may therefore behave differently: reCAPTCHA, Google Maps, paying through a payment provider, and logging in with Google or Facebook. If you want to test that, use the proxy setting instead.
- Logging in to WordPress or a webshop usually works fine. If it doesn't, use the proxy setting instead.
- Anyone with the link can view the site, for 14 days. Search engines don't index preview addresses.
How does previewing in your browser work?
Your browser goes to our preview address on webokeproxy.eu. Our server fetches the page from the WebOké server where your website is hosted: it only asks our own nameservers for the address, just like the proxy setting. It then adjusts the links on the page so that when you click through, you stay on the preview address, and it adds the WebOké bar above it.
In the bar, you can see which address you're viewing and which IP address the site comes from. You can type in a different address or domain, refresh the page, share the link, or open the current site with one click to compare.
Which website do you want to test?
A warning about the certificate is normal
As long as your domain hasn't moved to us yet, we can't create an SSL certificate for it yet. That's why your browser warns you about https. Choose to continue to view the site; after the move your site will automatically get a valid certificate. Some sites don't allow clicking through (HSTS). In that case try it with http:// before your domain.
How it works
- Put your website in your package at WebOké (for example via FTP or File Manager).
- Fill in your domain name below. You'll get a personal address for your browser's proxy setting.
- Paste that address into your browser once. Go to your domain: you'll now see the version at WebOké. All other websites keep working as usual.
- Done testing? Turn the setting off again, or leave it as is: after 14 days everything automatically switches back to direct.
How exactly does this work?
The problem
A domain name always points to one place. When someone types in your domain, the computer first asks your domain's nameservers: "what address is this website on?". As long as your domain is still with your current provider, those nameservers give the address of the old server. Even if you've already set up the website completely at WebOké, everyone, including you, will simply see the old site.
Web builders usually solve this with the hosts file: a hidden system file in which you manually enter "this domain is at that address". That works, but it's cumbersome, you need administrator rights, and it's not something you want to have a client do. If you forget to change it back, you'll see the wrong site later.
What the proxy does
A proxy is a relay station: your browser doesn't request the website itself, but has proxy.weboke.nl do it instead. Our proxy doesn't ask your current provider's nameservers for your domain's address, but only WebOké's nameservers. They already know where your website is with us, even if the move hasn't been completed yet. This way you end up at the new version, exactly as if you had edited the hosts file.
Your browser only uses the proxy for the domains you add here. This is arranged by the address you get (an "automatic proxy configuration script"): it's a list of your domains. For all other websites, your browser simply goes direct, as usual. With the Current site button, the proxy looks up your domain the normal way again, so you can quickly compare the old and new versions.
What does and doesn't happen
- Nothing changes to your domain or your DNS: visitors to your website won't notice anything.
- The proxy only goes to websites hosted at WebOké, and only for the domains you add yourself here.
- With https, the connection between your browser and the website stays encrypted; the proxy can't read along.
- After 14 days it stops automatically. Your browser will then go everywhere directly again, even if you forget to turn off the setting.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as editing my hosts file?
Yes. Your browser asks our nameservers for your domain's address instead of your current provider. The difference is that you don't need to change anything in system files, and you can turn it off again with one click.
Will visitors to my website notice this?
No. Only your browser views the site through us. Everyone else simply sees the current site, until you move the domain name.
Can I also log in to WordPress?
Yes. You see your site exactly as it runs with us, so managing WordPress or another CMS also works.
Can I let my client use this?
Definitely. The easiest way is Preview in your browser: send your client the link using the Share button in the bar, and your client will see the site right away, even on a phone. For the proxy setting, send your client to this page or send the address you get here.
Which method should I choose?
Do you want to quickly check that everything looks right, or show the site to someone? Choose Preview in your browser. Do you want to thoroughly test everything, like logging in, forms, payments, or a webshop, exactly as it will be after the move? Choose the proxy setting.
Why doesn't my domain work?
The domain needs to be in a package with WebOké. If it isn't yet, or if the DNS zone with us points to a different server, we can't show the site.
What do you store about me?
Only what's needed to make the proxy work and prevent misuse: the domains you add or preview, the IP address you use to create an address or preview address, the IP addresses you use the proxy with, and which web addresses have been requested through the proxy. The link to your IP address disappears after 48 hours, your addresses 30 days after they expire, and the proxy's log files after 6 weeks at the most. We don't share anything with others. You can read more in our privacy policy.