How to Create and Publish a Draft Version of Your Zibster Website
Overview
A Draft Website lets you redesign your Zibster website while your current website stays live. You can use it to completely redesign your site, rebrand your business, change templates, or rebuild your pages and navigation without changing what visitors currently see.
You can start your Draft Website with the Zibster AI Website Creator or skip the guided setup and build it yourself. When your new website is ready, you can preview and publish it to your connected domain. Your previous Live Website is then saved as your new Draft Website.
Before You Begin
You need an existing Zibster website to use the Draft Website feature.
Check the website selector in the upper-left corner of the Website Builder whenever you make changes. It will show whether you are working on your LIVE WEBSITE or DRAFT WEBSITE.
Your Live Website remains online until you publish the draft.
Content Shared Between Website Versions
Your Live Website and Draft Website use certain content from the same Zibster account. This includes your Clipboard images, files stored in the Documents section of FILES, Products and Services, Mood Boards, blog posts, Forms and Contracts, and Scheduler services.
Your two website versions have separate pages, navigation, templates, design settings, tracking settings, and 301 redirects.
Because some account content is shared, editing something such as a blog post, form, product, service, Mood Board, or Scheduler service can affect how that content is used by either website version.
STEP ONE
Log in to your Zibster account and click WEBSITE in the left-side menu. The Website Builder will open.
STEP TWO
Click LIVE WEBSITE in the upper-left corner of the Website Builder. A menu will open below the website selector.
Click DRAFT WEBSITE to begin creating the new version of your website.
Opening the Draft Website does not take your current website offline or change what visitors see.
STEP THREE
Complete the prompts in the Zibster AI Website Creator to generate a starting design for your Draft Website.
If you prefer to build the draft yourself, click SKIP SETUP. The template you selected will load without generated website content or SEO information.
STEP FOUR
After you submit your selections, the CREATING YOUR SITE screen will appear. The initial draft takes approximately 12 minutes to generate.
You can wait on this screen or close it and continue using other areas of your account. Zibster will email you when the Draft Website is ready.
STEP FIVE
When the draft is ready, the WEBSITE CREATED SUCCESSFULLY screen will appear. If you closed the creation screen, click VIEW MY WEBSITE in the confirmation email to open the same screen.
Click PREVIEW WEBSITE to see the initial draft, or click GO TO BUILDER to start editing it.
STEP SIX
Review and customize the Draft Website's pages, images, text, navigation, template, and design.
The Zibster AI Website Creator generates metadata for the pages it creates and alt text for images used during the creation process. Review this information to make sure it accurately describes your business, page content, and images.
You can edit the Draft Website's pages, navigation, template, and design without changing the appearance of your Live Website.
Review Your Draft Website Before Publishing
Preview your completed Draft Website on desktop and mobile devices before publishing. Check your navigation, page visibility, buttons, links, forms, Mood Boards, Scheduler services, SEO information, footer, contact information, and policy pages. If you sell Products or Services, test the links and purchase experience you plan to use.
You should also review these website-specific settings before publishing:
- Tracking codes: Tracking codes from your Live Website do not automatically copy to your Draft Website. If you use Google Analytics, a Meta/Facebook Pixel, or another tracking code, add the appropriate code to the Draft Website under TRACKING before publishing.
- 301 redirects: Redirects configured on the Live Website do not automatically copy to the Draft Website. Recreate any redirects you still need on the Draft Website.
- Missing pages: If a page exists on your Live Website but not on the Draft Website, visitors using the old URL will receive a 404 Page Not Found error after you publish. Recreate the page or add an appropriate 301 redirect when needed.
Publishing immediately changes which website appears at your connected domain.
What Happens When You Publish
Publishing swaps your two website versions:
- Your Draft Website becomes your new Live Website.
- Your previous Live Website becomes your new Draft Website.
- Your connected domain displays the new Live Website.
- Both website versions remain saved in your Zibster account.
STEP SEVEN
While viewing your Draft Website, click PUBLISH in the top navigation.
STEP EIGHT
The PUBLISH DRAFT panel will open and explain what happens when you publish. Review the reminders about tracking codes, 301 redirects, and pages that may be missing from your Draft Website before continuing.
FINAL STEP
Under CONFIRM YOUR PASSWORD, enter your Zibster account password.
Select the checkbox confirming that you understand publishing will swap the Draft Website with your current Live Website. Then click YES, PUBLISH MY DRAFT.
When publishing is complete, your Draft Website becomes the Live Website displayed at your connected domain, and your previous Live Website becomes your new Draft Website.
Click VIEW SITE from the Website Builder to review your newly published website. Test important pages, navigation, links, forms, and any ecommerce or scheduling workflows you use.
Access Your Previous Website
Your previous Live Website is not deleted when you publish.
To access it, click LIVE WEBSITE in the upper-left corner of the Website Builder, then click DRAFT WEBSITE.
You can continue editing that version as your new Draft Website.
Reset Your Draft Website and Start Over
If you no longer want to use your current Draft Website, you can reset it and create a new draft using the Zibster AI Website Creator.
Resetting your Draft Website permanently deletes the website content and customizations in the current draft. This action cannot be undone. Your current Live Website is not affected.
Make sure DRAFT WEBSITE is selected in the upper-left corner of the Website Builder. Click SETTINGS, then click RESET DRAFT WEBSITE.
Review the warning carefully. Select the checkbox confirming that you understand the content in your Draft Website will be permanently deleted, then click YES, RESET MY DRAFT WEBSITE.
A RESET DRAFT WEBSITE confirmation panel will open on the right side of the screen. Enter your Zibster account password under ENTER PASSWORD TO RESET DRAFT WEBSITE, select the confirmation checkbox, then click YES, RESET MY DRAFT WEBSITE.
Your Draft Website will reset immediately. After the reset is complete, you can create a new Draft Website and go through the Zibster AI Website Creator again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can visitors see my Draft Website?
Your Draft Website does not replace the website at your connected domain while you are building it. Visitors continue to see your Live Website until you publish the draft.
Can I switch between website versions?
Yes. Use the website selector in the upper-left corner of the Website Builder to switch between LIVE WEBSITE and DRAFT WEBSITE.
Always check the selector before making changes so you know which website version you are editing.
Does the Zibster AI Website Creator add SEO information?
Yes. The AI Website Creator generates metadata for the pages it creates and alt text for images used during website creation. Review both before publishing to make sure they accurately describe your content.
Do my tracking codes carry over to my Draft Website?
No. Tracking codes configured on your Live Website do not automatically copy to your Draft Website. Add any tracking codes you want to continue using under TRACKING on the Draft Website before publishing.
Do my 301 redirects carry over?
No. 301 redirects configured on your Live Website must be recreated on the Draft Website if you still need them after publishing.
What happens to pages I leave out of my Draft Website?
After publishing, an old URL for a page that does not exist on the new Live Website will return a 404 Page Not Found error. Recreate the page or configure an appropriate 301 redirect if visitors or search engines may still use the old URL.
Will publishing delete my previous website?
No. Your previous Live Website becomes your new Draft Website and remains available in your Zibster account.
Can I delete my Draft Website and start over?
Yes. While viewing DRAFT WEBSITE, click SETTINGS, then RESET DRAFT WEBSITE. After reviewing the warning, select the confirmation checkbox and click YES, RESET MY DRAFT WEBSITE. Enter your Zibster account password in the confirmation panel, select the final confirmation checkbox, and click YES, RESET MY DRAFT WEBSITE again.
Resetting permanently deletes the content and customizations in the current Draft Website and cannot be undone. Your Live Website remains online and is not changed.
Let Our Designers Redesign Your Website
If you would like help with a complete overhaul or rebrand, ask Zibster Support about the Custom Website service. Our design team can help create a site that reflects your brand, services, and business goals.
Need Help?
Zibster Support Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm EST
Phone: 844.353.3412
Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket
