Wix Blocks: Creating and Managing a Test Version

4 min read
Wix Blocks is open to all Wix Studio users. To get access to Blocks, join Wix Studio.
After you create your Blocks app, use the Wix Blocks testing feature to test its functionality on a site. This is why a Test version is useful: 

If you're building an app that wasn't installed on a site yet: 
  • Test your new app, or a new version of your app, before you install it on a live site.
  • Do your quick testing during the development cycle: create multiple versions without impacting the version number of your app.
If your working on an existing app, that was already installed on one or more sites: 
  • Test a version of your app without impacting live sites where an existing version is installed.
  • When you are ready, build a new version in Blocks and it will be available for installing on sites. 
Note
When a test version is installed on a site and you build another version it in Blocks, the changes will affect both the Wix Editors (after refreshing) and the live site (after refreshing).
Important
You can only have one version installed on a site. If you install the test version it overwrites the live version that you installed previously (this is why we recommend to install a test version on a test site). 

Step 1 | Create a Test Version in Blocks

To create a test version:
  1. Click Build. If you have never built this app, complete the name and description fields. 
  2. Select Test Version
  3. Click Build again. 
To update your test version after more changes: 

  1. Build and select Test Version again.
  2. The app now automatically updates on any editor (just refresh!) and live site where it's installed.
Automatic test version after first build
Note that when you build your app for the first time, even if you never clicked Test, Blocks creates a first test version for your package. This is true only for the first time. After that, you must click Test Version to update your test version. 

Step 2 | Install your test version in your Editor

  1. Go to your site in your Editor.
  2. Click the App Market app market icon icon in the top menu. 
  3. Click Custom Apps.
  4. Click Available Apps and select the app you want to install. 
  1. Hover over the More Actions more actions icon to find your test version and select it. 
  2. Click Install App
When you install a test version it is clearly labeled in your list of installed apps.

Step 3 | Publish a site with the test version

After you've installed the test version in the editor, it's time to publish your site. Note that the test version only comes into effect when the site is published - nothing will happen before publishing. You can choose whether to publish the site or a test version of the site (recommended). This allows you to check the behavior of the test version discreetly without impacting the live site. 
To publish a test site: 
  1. Click the arrow to the right of the Publish button and from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click Create Test Sites
Then, click Create New Test Site to confirm that you want to discard the previous test site, if there is one, and create a new one.
When you create the test site, the editor provides its URL.
When you are done testing your app, you can build a major or minor version in Blocks and install it on your site.

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