--- title: "How to preview your website" updated: 2026-07-02 --- # How to preview your website > **Notice** > > This article covers the Website Builder, which is continuously evolving based on customer feedback. Some details seen here may differ from what you see in-app. Before publishing, you can preview your website to check your design and catch anything that needs adjusting. The Website Builder gives you a few ways to do this, and none of them make your changes visible to readers. Your site only updates for visitors when you click **Publish to live site** and [publish either an individual page or a full website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055410040727) experience for your visitors.  --- ## Check desktop and mobile views on the canvas While editing, use the **Device View** toggle in the **Preview toolbar** at the bottom of the canvas to switch between **Desktop** and **Mobile** layouts. This lets you confirm your design adapts correctly to different screen sizes as you work. ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/41662293417111) This view is live on the canvas, not a separate preview mode. Any edits you make on the canvas while in Mobile view are applied to your design. > **Note** > > Always check both desktop and mobile before publishing. Some layout adjustments may be needed for each. --- ## Preview your draft site You can open a full preview of your draft site (how your site will look when published) from two places in the builder: - **From the Preview toolbar**: Click **Preview** in the toolbar at the bottom of the canvas. ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/41662293418519) - **From the publish options**: Click the arrow next to **Publish** in the top-right corner, then click **Preview draft site**. ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/41662293419415) Both options save your most recent changes and open your draft site so you can review it before committing to a publish. ### Previewing dynamic pages For dynamic pages such as your **Post** page, a page selector will appear when you click **Preview**. Choose the specific entry you want to preview (for example, a particular post), then click on **Preview**. The draft site will open on that page.  ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/41662293420311) --- ## What you see in preview vs. what goes live A preview is not always a perfect match for your published site, because of two things worth knowing: **Placeholder data**: If the placeholder data toggle is turned on in your builder **Settings**, your preview will show sample content rather than your real posts. Turn the toggle off to see how your actual content will appear. For more, see [Replacing placeholder content and template text on your website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055524289687). **Template text**: If your published site (or preview) shows generic copy from your template (for example, "The Atlas Collective" or a placeholder tagline), that text is baked into the template and won't auto-update from your publication settings. You need to replace it manually by clicking directly on the text in the builder and typing your own copy. See [Replacing placeholder content and template text on your website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055524289687) for step-by-step instructions. --- ## Website dashboard thumbnail When you navigate to [**Website**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder_v2) from your account's left panel, the **Website overview** section at the top shows a thumbnail of your published site alongside key details like your domain, last published date, and page count. ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/41662293425943) This thumbnail reflects your current **live site**, not your draft. To open the builder and make changes, click **Edit website** in the top-right corner of the overview. For a full breakdown of the dashboard, see [Website dashboard overview](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/39272606231575). --- ## Frequently asked questions about previewing your website Why does my preview look different from my published site? The most common cause is placeholder data being enabled. Go to **Settings** in the left icons menu and turn off the **Placeholder Data** toggle to see how your real content will appear. See [Replacing placeholder content and template text on your website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055524289687). My latest changes aren't showing on my live site after previewing. Why? Previewing does not publish your changes. To make updates visible to readers, click **Publish** in the top-right corner and select **Publish to live site**. For full steps, see [How to publish your website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055410040727). I'm getting a 404 error on a page I previewed. What does that mean? A 404 error on a live page usually means the page hasn't been enabled in the **Pages** panel before publishing. Verify your pages are enabled and then republish. See [How to publish your website](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34055410040727) for more.