Get started

This is an archived copy of the SandyWP docs. It is kept online as a fallback and may be out of date. The maintained documentation lives at docs.sandywp.com.

Welcome to SandyWP

SandyWP gives you disposable WordPress sandboxes real WordPress installs, ready in seconds. Spin one up to test a plugin, reproduce a bug, demo a theme, or experiment, then let it clean itself up.

Create your first sandbox

The fastest way to try SandyWP is straight from the homepage no account needed:

  1. Go to the SandyWP homepage and click Create a free sandbox.
  2. Optionally pick a name and stack (WordPress + PHP version), or just submit the form.
  3. Wait while a worker provisions the database, files, route, TLS, and admin user. Most of the time it took 1 second, or at most 15 seconds if you restore from template
  4. Click Open wp-admin you land inside the dashboard already logged in.
Guest sandboxes (no account) expire after 7 hours, and you can run one at a time. Create a free account and your sandboxes last a full week, you can run several at once, and you unlock templates, cloning, Git deploys, and more.

Create an account for more

Signing up is free and takes the limits off. With an account you get a dashboard where you can create and manage multiple sandboxes, choose how long each one lives, and reach every tool SandyWP offers. Sign up with email and password or with Google.

GuestFree account
Active sandboxes1 at a time2 at a time
Lifespan7 hours (fixed)Up to 1 week (your choice)
Tools (File Manager, DB, PHP, Git, Clone, Templates)—Included
Permanent sandboxes—Paid plans

What you can do

Once a sandbox is ready, everything happens from your dashboard. A quick tour:

FeatureWhat it's forGuide
Open wp-adminOne-click magic login no passwords to copyOpen wp-admin →
Lifespan & permanenceControl when a sandbox expires, or keep it foreverLifespan →
File ManagerBrowse, edit, upload, and download files in the sandboxFile Manager →
DatabaseOpen a database manager in one clickDatabase →
PHP settingsSwitch PHP version and tune php.ini valuesPHP settings →
Git deploymentDeploy a plugin, theme, or folder from a git repoGit deployment →
TemplatesSave a configured sandbox and reuse it laterTemplates →
WebhooksGet a signed callback when a visitor opens one of your public demosWebhooks →
BlueprintsDefine a repeatable WordPress setup as a reviewable JSON BlueprintBlueprints →
Clone a siteCopy an existing WordPress site into a sandboxClone a site →
Push a local sitePush a local WordPress install (Cove, LocalWP, MAMP…) live with sandywp pushPush a local site →
Slack appDeploy a plugin ZIP or git branch by mentioning @SandyWPSlack app →
GitHub PR previewsCreate an exact-commit WordPress preview from a trusted pull request comment.GitHub PR previews →

Automate it

Everything the dashboard does runs through one HTTP API, so you can drive SandyWP from scripts, CI, or your own tools. Authenticate with a personal API key, then use the CLI for day-to-day terminal use or the HTTP API directly.

Next steps