The preview panel shows your Develop version — updated as Webster applies changes. This is not your public Production site until you publish.
Develop preview (HMR)
Webster runs a hot-reload preview so most edits appear within seconds:
- Layout and copy updates refresh automatically
- Failed patches keep the last working preview visible
- You can interact with forms and navigation in preview mode
Preview uses example data where needed (demo products, sample users). That data stays in Develop and is not copied to Production on publish.
Desktop and mobile
Use the view toggle above the preview:
| View | What you see |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Full-width browser frame |
| Mobile | Phone-sized frame for responsive layout |
For mobile app projects, preview may include an iPhone-style frame and options to open on a device via Expo when configured.
Preview vs Production
- Preview = safe sandbox for iteration
- Production = live URL visitors use after Publish
Always check both desktop and mobile before publishing customer-facing sites.
For mobile app projects, see Mobile apps for device frames and Expo web preview details.
Troubleshooting
- Stuck on Preparing / “Preview failed to start” — use Retry preview first (reclaims the sandbox and resyncs the workspace). That is the supported recovery path.
- Blank preview — wait a few seconds after a phase completes; then Retry preview if it stays blank
- Old content — hard-refresh the browser tab only as a cache tip (stale Preparing HTML); also confirm you are not viewing Production
- Error overlay — describe the issue in chat; undo if needed (Undo & redo)