# Instance Details
Open instance details by clicking the instance name in list view or Manage Site in tile view.
The details page combines technical status, daily actions, and advanced management tools in one place. If an instance is still provisioning, some widgets may temporarily show limited data.
# Live/Staging Instances
At the top left of the page, switch between Live and Staging environments. If staging does not exist yet, a "+" button is displayed. After staging is created, it appears as a dedicated Staging tab.
PanelAlpha supports one staging instance per live instance.
# Create staging
To create staging, click the "+" button (or the staging action in the top action menu).
The modal includes the Domain field. Its behavior depends on the plan configuration for staging domains:
- Site Domain Subdomain: PanelAlpha prepares the staging domain as a subdomain of the live site domain (for example
staging.example.com). - Fixed Subdomain: PanelAlpha prepares staging under an admin-defined fixed domain.
- Any domain allowed: the domain can be entered manually.
In setups where staging is created on the same hosting account, PanelAlpha performs a pre-check showing:
- WordPress disk usage
wp-content/uploadsusage- Available disk space
In the same modal, you can use Skip uploads directory to speed up cloning and reduce disk usage. If available disk space is too low, this option is enforced automatically.
If your hosting setup marks staging as billable, the modal shows a warning about extra charges.
After confirmation, staging is created asynchronously and appears in the staging tab once finished.
# Retry or cancel failed staging
If staging creation fails, you can:
- Try: rerun staging creation for that failed staging entry.
- Cancel: remove the failed staging entry (including files/database cleanup request).
# Push to live
When you are on a staging instance, you can use Push to Live.
Before showing the final form, PanelAlpha compares database changes between staging and live. The push modal allows you to choose:
- Overwrite files
- Push full database
- Push structure changes in tables
- Push tables with changed data
The push runs as an async operation, and status is tracked for both environments.
# Push to staging
When you are on a live instance with an active staging environment, you can use Push to Staging.
This action is useful when quick changes were made directly on live and you want to sync them back to staging.
The same push scope options are available:
- Overwrite files
- Push full database
- Push structure changes in tables
- Push single tables with changed data
# Domain
Directly below the Live/Staging buttons, you will find the instance name. Use the Edit button next to it to rename the instance. Use the downward arrow to switch directly to another instance without returning to the main list.
Below the name, you can see the full site domain. Click it to open the website in a new tab.
On the right, you can use Change Domain and manage assigned tags. Use Add More to attach additional tags.
For clarity in daily operations, keep:
- a descriptive instance name
- a correct primary domain
- at least one meaningful tag (for example
ProductionorStaging)
# Actions
Actions available from the instance list are placed in the top-right corner:
- Share Instance
- WP Admin (SSO)
- Preview
- Staging — opens staging actions (Create Staging, Push to Live, Push to Staging) depending on the current environment
- Copy
- Update
- Cache
- Delete Instance
Some actions (for example Update) may be temporarily disabled while installation is in progress.
# WP Admin (SSO)
Click the WP Admin button to log in to the WordPress admin panel using Single Sign-On (SSO). This lets you access the WordPress dashboard directly without entering credentials.
SSO is powered by the Control Panel Connection must-use plugin, which is automatically installed on every PanelAlpha-managed instance.
If DNS propagation is still in progress, PanelAlpha displays a warning with two options:
- Log in with Temporary URL — uses a preview URL that bypasses DNS; recommended when the domain is not yet pointing to the server.
- Log in directly — opens the WordPress admin using the instance primary domain.
When DNS is correctly configured, clicking WP Admin logs you in directly without showing the modal.
# Menu
Instance details are grouped into sections accessible from the menu:
On the far right, use the button to open the related hosting area.
# Site Details
The default section is Site Details. Here you can:
- View the site preview thumbnail. On hover, you can:
- Click "Visit Website".
- Click "Refresh Thumbnail".
- Use Preview Site (temporary URL) when DNS propagation is in progress:
- The Preview Site button is visible when the preview integration is enabled and propagation is not finished.
- Click Get Temporary URL to generate a temporary address.
- Copy the temporary URL or open it directly in a new tab.
- Check installation details:
- WordPress version
- WooCommerce version Both values are checked automatically so you can see if updates are available and apply them with one click.
- Review Security details:
- Check the backup schedule and create backups if needed.
- Set the SSL Certificate for your domain.
- See Loading Speed — view how fast your website loads on desktop and mobile platforms.
# Instance analytics
At the bottom of the page, graphs provide detailed insights into your website's performance:
- Traffic data — visits to your website over time
- Unique Visitors — individual users who accessed your site, excluding repeated visits
- Average Session Time — how long visitors typically spend on your website
- Bandwidth usage — data transferred to and from your website
You can adjust the time frame by selecting Last Week, Last Month, or Last Year.