View your site before pointing the DNS (temporary domain name)

Q: How do I test the site under its real name with the hosts file?

To test your site under its real domain name before switching the DNS, you can force the mapping on your local machine only, by adding a line to your system's hosts file: 192.0.2.10 exemple.ch www.exemple.ch The address 192.0.2.10 in this example is fictitious. The IP address to enter is that of your hosting server: it is the value of your domain's A record, in the DNS manager of the Apanel console. This method bypasses the limits of the temporary address (the site is called by its real name) and affects only your machine. Remember to remove the line once the switch is complete.

The temporary domain name allows you to view your site hosted at SwissCenter before the final domain name points to our servers. It is useful for preparing a site or verifying a migration without interrupting the live production site.

In short: in Hosting management, the Misc informations box shows the Temporary domain name: open this address in your browser to view your site before pointing the DNS. It is reserved for testing.

Prerequisites

A web hosting in your Apanel console, with your site already published on it.

What you need to know before you start

Point of attention	Explanation
Reserved for testing	Do not share this address with your visitors and do not reference it: it changes if your account is moved to another server.
The SSL certificate does not match	The certificate is issued for your domain name, not for the temporary address. A security warning at this stage is normal.

Where do I find the temporary domain name?

Log in to your Apanel console.
Select the relevant domain, then open Hosting management.
In the left-hand column, the Misc informations box shows, on the Temporary domain name line, an address in the format 408769.web24.swisscenter.com (an account number, followed by the server hosting your site).
Open this address in your browser: it displays your site as it is published on our servers.

The same box also provides other useful technical details: Username, FTP server name, E-mail SSL server name and DNS servers.

How do I test the site under its real name with the hosts file?

To test your site under its real domain name before switching the DNS, you can force the mapping on your local machine only, by adding a line to your system's hosts file:

192.0.2.10    exemple.ch www.exemple.ch

The address 192.0.2.10 in this example is fictitious. The IP address to enter is that of your hosting server: it is the value of your domain's A record, in the DNS manager of the Apanel console. This method bypasses the limits of the temporary address (the site is called by its real name) and affects only your machine. Remember to remove the line once the switch is complete.

Troubleshooting

The site displays poorly under the temporary address: a CMS stores its address in the database. When accessed via a different address, it may redirect to the final domain or load its styles from it. The content is present: it is the application that insists on its official address. Use the hosts file described above instead.

Going further

Force WordPress to use the main domain instead of the temporary URL, to switch WordPress from the temporary address to your domain.
Point your domain to SwissCenter (name servers), to point your domain to our servers once the site is ready.
Adding or editing a DNS record (A, CNAME, MX, TXT), to read or change the IP address in the A record.
Understanding DNS propagation delay after a change, to understand the waiting time after the switch.