31-Aug-2026 — copy a live site into a sandbox via Full duplicate ref #371
What's new
Clone → Full duplicate now copies the source group's database into a new hosted environment, then deploys Fly and sets a hostname in one Create sandbox action. You can put the sandbox on a staging host under the group's own domain, on a platform hostname, or on a name you type. Files stay on the live S3 bucket by default. Mail, Walks Manager publish and inbox connections are disconnected on the copy so it cannot act as the live site.
Attach a custom domain first checks whether this Cloudflare account manages the hostname. If it does not, the screen names the current DNS host and waits for confirmation before requesting a certificate or changing Site URL. The prompt uses the group's own domain when one is known from this environment or its live sibling, rather than a generic example. Remove subdomain sits on the environment subdomain row only.
At a glance
- Full duplicate copies the source database into a new environment
- One Create sandbox action covers database, Fly and hostname
- Hostname can be staging on the group domain, a platform host, or a custom platform name
- The sandbox shares the live S3 bucket unless you tick copy files
- Mail, Walks Manager publish and live inbox connections are disconnected on the copy
- Existing members can sign in with their current passwords
- Site URL rows show whether DNS is Cloudflare or another provider, with the public nameservers
- Attach a custom domain no longer fails just because the zone is not in this Cloudflare account
- Attach checks DNS management first and asks before continuing when the hostname is not in this Cloudflare account
- The attach prompt shows the group's own domain when one is known
- Remove subdomain is only on the environment subdomain hostname row
- Same group, fresh site and Contributor Environment are unchanged