Can I selectively publish specific content in Webflow without it affecting the entire website or new navigation?
TL;DR
- Use the Webflow.io staging domain to preview changes by publishing only to it and not the custom domain.
- CMS items publish instantly to both staging and live, so use visibility filters like a "Draft" switch to hide them without unpublishing.
- Avoid publishing global design changes prematurely by keeping them unpublished or hidden using display settings or draft pages.
Webflow currently does not support selective publishing of individual pages or CMS items to the live (custom domain) site. However, there are a few ways to manage partial updates depending on whether you're working with a staging domain or specific CMS content updates.
1. Use the Staging Domain for Previews
- You can publish only to the Webflow.io staging domain (e.g.,
your-site.webflow.io) before pushing changes live. - This allows you to test new pages, navigation, or layout changes without affecting your live site.
- To do this, click Publish → Uncheck your custom domain, and only select the Webflow.io domain.
2. CMS Items Can Be Updated Individually but Are Always Published
- When editing a CMS item, clicking Publish on that item will immediately send it live on both the staging and custom domains.
- There’s no way to schedule or isolate CMS item publishing within Webflow’s native tools—publishing one CMS item may trigger republishing of styles or the sitemap, depending on the changes.
3. Avoid Full Site Design Changes Until Ready
- Design changes like modifying navigation, global styles, or symbols will be published site-wide once you publish to the custom domain.
- To manage larger updates without affecting the live site, keep them unpublished and use the staging domain to share previews.
- Optionally, use duplicate Pages and display:none or draft settings to hide in-progress content.
4. Workarounds for Version Control
- You can duplicate a page, make edits, and publish the original version only until the new version is ready.
- For CMS content, consider adding a "Draft" or "Hidden" switch using a boolean field to control visibility via collection filters, though the entry will still be technically published.
Summary
You cannot selectively publish one page or CMS item to your custom domain without republishing the entire site. The best workaround is to use the Webflow.io staging domain for previews or manage visibility through CMS filtering, while avoiding live site publication until all changes are confirmed.