Viewing your website at WebOké before transferring the domain name

Have you already put your website on WebOké, while the domain name is still with your current provider? Then when you type in your domain, you'll still see the old site. With the free tool Test your website before moving you can view the new version with us even before you move, without changing anything in your DNS. Your current site stays online as usual and you don't need an account for it.

There are two ways: viewing in your browser (nothing to set up, works on any device and you can share the link) and the proxy setting (set up once, after that you see your site on your own domain exactly as it will be after the move). Below you'll first read the differences and then how to use each method, with screenshots and short videos for Windows and Mac.

Which method do you choose?

Method 1: viewing in your browser

1. Go to Test your website before moving and choose the Viewing in your browser tab.
2. Enter your domain name and click Open. The domain must already be in a package with WebOké; the move itself doesn't need to be done yet.
3. Your website opens immediately in a new tab, at an address ending in .webokeproxy.eu.

At the top there's a bar from WebOké. In it you can see which website you're viewing, which IP address it's coming from, and until when the link will work (14 days). In the address field of the bar you can type in a different page or even a different domain that's with WebOké. With Share you copy the link, for example for your customer, and with Current site you open the site as it's currently online, to compare. If you click through on your site, or if your site redirects to another domain with WebOké, you'll stay in the preview view.

Good to know: during the preview, your site runs under a different address. Elements tied to your own domain, such as reCAPTCHA, Google Maps, paying via a payment provider, and logging in with Google or Facebook, may therefore behave differently. Logging in to WordPress or a webshop usually just works. If you want to test everything exactly as it will be after the move, use method 2.

Method 2: via the proxy setting

With this method, you simply open your own domain and see the version with WebOké, as if you had edited the hosts file. On the tool's page, choose the Via the proxy setting tab and follow the steps below.

Why am I still seeing the old site?

A domain name always points to one place. Your computer first asks your domain's nameservers which address the website is at. As long as the domain is with your current provider, they give the address of the old server. Web builders often solve this with the hosts file, but that's cumbersome and not something for a customer.

What does the tool do?

Your browser requests the website via our proxy, proxy.weboke.nl. It looks up the address of your domain only at WebOké's nameservers. This way you end up at the version hosted with us, exactly as if you had edited the hosts file. Only the domains you add in the tool go via the proxy; all other websites just go directly as usual.

Step 1: get your personal address

1. Put your website in your package with WebOké, for example via FTP or File Manager in DirectAdmin.
2. Go to Test your website before moving and enter your domain name. The domain must already be in a package with us; the move itself doesn't need to be done yet.
3. You'll get a personal address starting with https://proxy.weboke.nl/pac/. Click Copy. You'll paste this address into your computer's proxy setting in a moment.

Do not paste the address into your browser's address bar: it won't do anything there. It belongs in the proxy setting, as shown below.

Wifi, network cable, or USB network: which connection?

Your computer can be online via wifi, or via a network cable. That cable sometimes plugs directly into your computer, but often into a USB network adapter or a docking station. This matters for where you put the setting:

• Windows: the proxy setting applies to wifi and the cable at the same time, including via a USB adapter or dock. So you only set it up once.
• Mac: each connection has its own proxy setting. Set it up for the connection with the green dot (Connected) under System Settings > Network. This could be Wifi, but also Ethernet, USB 10/100/1000 LAN, Thunderbolt Ethernet, or the name of your dock. If you later switch connections, for example from wifi to your dock at the office, set it up for that connection as well. If you see multiple green dots, turn it on for all of them.
• Firefox (Windows and Mac) has its own proxy setting, separate from the connection. This is the easiest way if you switch often or use a VPN.

Step 2 on Windows (Chrome and Edge)

Chrome and Edge use the Windows proxy setting. Watch the video, or follow the steps with the screenshots.

Step 2 on a Mac (Safari and Chrome)

Safari and Chrome use macOS's network settings. Choose the connection you're currently online with: the one with the green dot. Below, first wifi, then a network cable or USB network adapter.

Via wifi

Via a network cable, USB network adapter, or dock

If you're connected to the network with a cable, the green dot will be next to Ethernet, USB 10/100/1000 LAN, Thunderbolt Ethernet, or the name of your dock. The steps are the same, except at step 4 you choose that connection. The Details… button will be right next to the connection.

Step 2 in Firefox

Firefox has its own proxy setting. It works the same way on Windows and Mac, for every connection and even with a VPN.

1. Open Firefox and go to Settings (the menu with the three lines in the top right).
2. Type "proxy" in the search field at the top and click Settings next to Network Settings.
3. Choose "Automatic proxy configuration URL."
4. Paste your address in the field and click OK.

Step 3: view your website

Open your domain in a private window (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+N, Mac: Cmd+Shift+N) or reload the page with Ctrl+Shift+R (Mac: Cmd+Shift+R). You'll now see the version with WebOké. On the tool's page, use the With WebOké and Current site buttons to switch between the new and old versions, and see which IP address each domain's site is currently coming from.

A certificate warning is normal

As long as the domain hasn't been moved to us yet, we can't create an SSL certificate for it. Your browser will therefore warn you at https. Choose to proceed in order to view the site. After the move, your site will automatically get a valid certificate. If the site won't let you click through, try it with http:// in front of your domain.

Still seeing the old site?

• Your browser often still shows a cached version. Reload with Ctrl+Shift+R (Mac: Cmd+Shift+R) or use a private window.
• On the tool's page you can see when your computer last fetched the address. If it says it hasn't been fetched yet, check whether you entered it in the proxy setting and not in the address bar.
• Mac: is the setting applied to the connection that currently has the green dot? If you switch from wifi to cable or a dock, you need to set it there too.
• Chrome and Edge: go to chrome://net-internals/#proxy (or edge://net-internals/#proxy) and click Re-apply settings, or close the browser completely and restart it.
• Using a VPN? Then your computer often ignores the Windows or macOS proxy setting. In that case, use Firefox.

Stopping

Done testing? Turn off the setting in the same place: in Windows, the "Use setup script" toggle; on Mac, "Automatic Proxy Configuration" (for every connection where you turned it on); in Firefox, choose "Use system proxy settings" again. You can also click Stop testing in the tool. After 14 days it stops automatically: your browser will then go everywhere directly again.

The screenshots and videos are recreated and may differ slightly depending on the version of Windows or macOS.