Staging vs Production
Staging is a private copy of the website or app, kept as close to the live one as possible, where the team and the owner check a change. Production is the live version real customers use. Changes go to staging first, so mistakes rarely reach paying customers.
Staging
Staging is a private copy of a website or app, kept as close to the live one as possible, where a change is checked before it reaches customers.
Production
Production is the live version of your website or app, the one real customers use with real data. Any fault there costs sales, so it changes only after testing.
The team and the owner, behind a password
Real customers and the public
Invented or scrambled test data
Real customers and real orders
Test mode, emails only to the team
Live charges and real customer emails
Fixed before anyone outside notices
Lost sales and complaints until it is rolled back
| Who sees it | The team and the owner, behind a password | Real customers and the public |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Invented or scrambled test data | Real customers and real orders |
| Payments and email | Test mode, emails only to the team | Live charges and real customer emails |
| If something breaks | Fixed before anyone outside notices | Lost sales and complaints until it is rolled back |