Theme Test Drive WordPress plugin allows you to safely test drive any theme on your blog as administrator, while visitors still use the default one. It happens completely transparently and they will not even notice you run a different theme for yourself. Best part is you can even set the testing theme options (if it has them) in the Admin panel while you are testing the theme.
Since version 2.0 Theme Test Drive features instant theme preview using a website thumbnail service.
You can also preview any theme by adding "?theme=xxx" to your blog URL. For example http://www.myblog.com/?theme=Default (theme name is case-sensitive!)
For all questions about the plugin please visit my WordPress forums.
Download
Installation & Usage
- Upload the plugin folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ folder.
- Go to the Plugins page and activate the plugin.
- Use the Options page to set the theme you want to test drive.
The selected theme will be visible only to blog administrator. Other visitors of the site will always see the default theme.
Note: if you use WP-Cache plugin, you might need to disable it (or setup to exclude pages)
Changelog
v2.6: Added user access level
v2.0:
- Instant theme preview using a live thumbnail preview
- Added "?theme=xxx" to your URL's to preview the desired theme. Example http://www.myblog.com/?theme=Default
Nov 29th, 2007 v1.0
* Initial release
Visit my other interesting WordPress Plugins or my WordPress theme Amazing Grace.
If you are looking for WordPress consulting services feel free to contact me
269 Comments
Hiya, I just wanted to say that this is an amazing plugin, saves me preparing a sandbox and moving over db-data just to see a preview ;)
Cheers!
Can't get the Test Drive to work in 2.7.
It won't install themes (it unpacks, then nothing);
after uploading a theme manually, Test Drive won't activate it (it says it does, but it doesn't);
There are no Theme options available for admin (tried the blue-grace theme)
Is this a competability problem?
Hi!
This plugin was perfect with wordpress 2.6.5 but now, on 2.7, it crush all wordpress administration control panel when activated...
Please fix this ...
Thanks a lot :D
Nice plugin. Thank you so much.
Wow..that was too fast. Thanks for awesome support!
Fixed it!
With the latest version, it seems, we can't choose the theme to install. There is a drop down box but nothing which will enable Theme Test Drive to use the theme on our blog? Pls fix this.
Nice plugin - but I have a question (of course)
I used the them editor to tweak the stylesheet of one of the themes I was test driving, changing some text from right-aligned to left-aligned in the header portion of the stylesheet. (I even remembered to save my changes). However, when I view the theme using test-drive, it appears as though the stylesheet was unchanged.
I should be able to do this, right? (Edit a them and the test the edits via test-drive). Any idea as to what I am doing wrong.
@Petra Weiss - Theme test drive are found udner "Design" menu on your blog admin panel
@Mike - if two themes use the same name for sidebar, moving widgets would cause the change
@W - I love users auto-figuring-out what to do :)
This is my most used plugin ever. Thank you so much!
I must be stupid, but I did upload the plugin and activated, and I cannot find anywhere the "options" you are talking about.
Have you got any other, clearer instructions on how to get this theme to display?
I am using this plugin and running a theme call LaunchPad while I am developing my site. If I have the plugin enabled and LaunchPad as the theme from everyone to view, I select the real theme from your panel, but the issue is when I am developing pages, the write panel does not list page templates?
Thanks,
Kevin
Hi Vladimir, first of all, great plugin! Is very, very helpfull in the design process.
The only thing is that I have a problem: when I configure the wordpress to be in spanish, I can't access to the blog admin. The wordpress show me: "No tienes autorización para acceder a esta página" (You do not have sufficient permissions to access this page)
Any ideas of what that could be? You want that I do some test?
Please let me know.
Thanks in advance.
Also, I did see one other comment about widgets being messed up, but no response. Thanks!
Nice plug in. I was thinking I could configure everything in the theme test drive before i commit. I had portrait press live to my viewers which is one column on the right.
I then installed your theme and did the test drive on it. I then went to widgets and started moving widgets from the one column to even split them among the 2 columns in yours. Once I was done, I turned off test drive and my theme that was active to users was messed up bad as all the widgets were moved there too!
Is this how it works? I kind of expected movement of widgets to be independent among the two themes. My thought was I could test drive a second theme, set it up exactly how I want it, then do a live switch.
I am WP theme coder and since long time was looking something like this, thanks for giving such a wonderful plugin. Now I can show preview to my client without disturb the blog.
Cheers!
This is something I have been looking for sometime now. Thanks. :)
Hey,
I was using your plugin and now I cannot delete any theme from my blog. No matter what I do, they just re-appear. Any ideas?
I really enjoy your plugin, but have found a limitation. I am testing and tweaking a theme that uses quite a few custom page templates. When I manage pages with your plugin activated, the Page Templates field doesn't appear with the templates in the theme I'm testing. If I upload the templates to the directory of the theme visitors see, then they appear. Is this something you could check in to?
Thanks for the great plugin regardless though.
Solution: Use WP english version :D
and version WP 2.6.1
First, sorry my english
When I active the plugin, i don't acess to control panel. My WP is in spanish without others addons.
Thank for the plugin!
thanks again vladimir!
2.6.1 fixed my issue :)
i just screamed "YEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" with joy whilst my girlfriend tried to silence me...
honestly, you just made my day.
im obsessive and compulsive about my site :)
Cheeers!
Pete
Thanks Vladimir!
the plugin is activated now, (2.6) although i still have the number 1 next to plugins (suggesting that there is an update to be installed).
as far as I know, this was not there until your plugin wanted to be updated. I dont know if your plugin is the cause of this, but perhaps it might be.
can you suggest anything to me that may get wordpress to realise that all plugins are up to date, and non need updating?
thanks again for your advice!