Title: Backstage – Customizer Demo Access Author: pixelgrade Published: October 5, 2018 Last modified: November 8, 2019 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/backstage/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=1952073) This plugin **hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress**. It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when used with more recent versions of WordPress. ![](https://ps.w.org/backstage/assets/icon-128x128.png?rev=1952073) # Backstage – Customizer Demo Access By [pixelgrade](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pixelgrade/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/backstage.1.4.2.zip) * [Details](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/#description) * [Reviews](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/#reviews) * [Installation](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/#installation) * [Development](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/) ## Description Allow your demo site visitors to easily access the Customizer without logging in. This way you can showcase your product’s customization experience as close to reality as possible. #### Secure Everything is setup in such a way that people who are up to no good can’t mess with your demo site data. We’ve put a lot of thought into this and we believe things are sound. #### Customizable We know that each of us has their own design sensibilities and particular technical setup. That is why we’ve made it _easy to integrate_ the plugin in a multitude of scenarios. You can change both the _frontend and the Customizer behavior_ of the plugin. For the frontend, you have several options: * For most the default HTML and CSS styling will be just fine. You can customize the button text. * You can choose to provide your own button HTML and CSS. * Or you can go all custom and handle the button yourself. When it comes to the Customizer guest experience, the plugin will introduce a _Back to Demo_ button (instead of the _Publish_ button) and _a notification_ for setting user expectations. You can customize the button text and the notification content and behavior. #### Compatible Backstage should work with _any type of Customizer options_ you have on your site: * WordPress core controls; * Colors and fonts controls; * Layout and behavioral controls like content width or blog layout. The plugin is compatible with any type of WordPress installation: * Works with **regular, single installations;** * Works with **Multisite setups;** you can activate the plugin **network-wide or per-blog.** The following **limitations** are inherent to the reality of having a sandboxed Customizer: * File uploads are not allowed; due to this, any controls that need file upload will not be allowed to be modified; * Any time a visitor leaves the Customizer, any customization is lost and when he or she enters again, all will start clean; #### For theme authors by theme authors The main audience of this plugin are **theme and plugin authors** that wish to showcase to potential customers the awesome customization possibilities provided by their product. Earn that extra confidence needed for your next sale by being fully open and letting your work speak for itself. **Made with love by [Pixelgrade](https://pixelgrade.com)** ### Translations You can translate Backstage on [**translate.wordpress.org**](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/backstage). ### Issues If you identify any errors or have an idea for improving the plugin, please open an [issue](https://github.com/pixelgrade/backstage/issues?stage=open). We’re more than excited to see what the community thinks of this little plugin, and we welcome your input! If Github is not your thing but you are passionate about Backstage and want to help us make it better, don’t hesitate to [reach us](https://pixelgrade.com/contact/). ### Credits * [CMB2](https://github.com/CMB2/CMB2) Metaboxes, custom fields library – License: GPLv2 or later * [CMB2 Conditionals](https://github.com/jcchavezs/cmb2-conditionals/) plugin for CMB2 – License: GPLv2 or later ## Installation Installing “Backstage” can be done either by searching for “Backstage” via the ` Plugins Add New` screen in your WordPress dashboard, or by using the following steps: 1. Download the plugin via WordPress.org. 2. Upload the ZIP file through the `Plugins Add New Upload` screen in your WordPress dashboard. 3. Activate the plugin through the `Plugins` menu in WordPress. 4. Head over to `Appearance Backstage` (or `Network Settings Backstage` if network- wide activated) and set it up. ## FAQ Is this safe to use in production? We believe so. To put our money where our mouth is, we use it in production on our own [demo multisite installation](https://demos.pixelgrade.com). We’ve strived to close off any endpoints that WordPress uses to save things (mainly the changeset logic specific to the Customizer experience). Without changesets how is the experience consistent with a real scenario? There is no point in showcasing a customization experience that is not consistent with the real one. We couldn’t agree more. That is why we’ve studied the Customizer JavaScript logic and found ways to maintain the same results without saving anything in the database. When I navigate in the preview window, customizations don’t get applied? Sometimes, WordPress themes will come with custom JavaScript that will bind to _click events_ and stop their propagation. Due to this, the Customizer (not our’s) logic can’t catch that click and go the proper way of refreshing the preview window. We really have not way around that. Can I choose to hide certain Customizer sections or panels? The plugin doesn’t provide this functionality as it is quite difficult to map it to a set of configuration options. But it should be quite straight forward to code a function that “removes” panels, sections or controls when the special pseudo-guest user is logged in. I am a developer. Can I easily change how things work? We are also developers (and designers, and marketers, and support people…) just like you. We know how important it is that plugins get coded in an open, thoughtful manner that is friendly towards those that have custom requirements. The plugin provides _actions and filters_ in all the right places allowing you to _introduce custom logic_ just about anywhere, if the need arises. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c0ced2ad5a0c50ec3a0903b1d1946b4309a9b5e4ed01ff7f8d40bc710f49e3e? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[I’m so glad I found this… (Not Anymore) !!!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/im-so-glad-i-found-this/)󠁿 [nick6352683](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nick6352683/) August 28, 2021 Works like a charm, and more importantly the visitors don’t need to log in, and as big bonus, their changes are always discarded and never saved. Job well done ! UPDATE: 8/27/21 After reporting issues both here in on Github about 2 weeks ago, resulting in no proof of life from the developers. As a consequence of their lack of actions (not even a simple communication), I’m changing my rating from 5 to 1, until the plugin becomes usable again. What a shame… ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c46bd1621a96e804ac0843c62284abac6b3fa8edbd45d063c486c8eecbe83b51? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[A “must” for theme authors!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-must-for-theme-authors/)󠁿 [Pavel Ciorici](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ciorici/) May 18, 2019 Really great and useful plugin! Thanks for making it available for free! I tried it, and works as expected. Easy-to-use and even offers multiple ways to customize small details. [ Read all 2 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Backstage – Customizer Demo Access” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ pixelgrade ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pixelgrade/) * [ vlad.olaru ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/vladolaru/) [Translate “Backstage – Customizer Demo Access” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/backstage) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/backstage/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/backstage/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/backstage/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/backstage/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.4.2 * 2019-11-08 * Prevent aggressive sanitization for custom code fields. #### 1.4.1 * 2019-11-07 * Allow POST method also for REST API endpoint. #### 1.4 * 2019-11-06 * Added support for injecting custom CSS and JS in the Customizer. * Added support for UTF-8 characters in the button text. * Added support for extra query arguments to the REST API endpoint. * Made sure that settings data in conditionally hidden fields is persistent so you wouldn’t lose you custom code. #### 1.3 * 2019-10-08 * Added new settings and logic for enabling a REST API endpoint to fetch the secure customizer access link. * Update CMB2 dependency to latest version (2.6.0). #### 1.2 * 2019-10-07 * Improved behaviour when working within multisite settings and the plugin is activated on a per site basis. * Improved security checks to prevent edge-cases on multisite installations. * Added upgrade routines for smoother plugin updates. * Tested with WordPress 5.2.3. #### 1.1 * 2018-12-10 * Added frame busting when in an iframe because the Customizer doesn’t play well when opened in an iframe. * Tested with WordPress 5.0. #### 1.0 * 2018-10-05 * Initial release ## Meta * Version **1.4.2** * Last updated **6 years ago** * Active installations **100+** * WordPress version ** 4.9.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **5.3.0** * PHP version ** 5.4.0 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/) * Tags * [customizer](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/customizer/)[demo](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/demo/) [theme preview](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/theme-preview/) * [Advanced View](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/backstage/advanced/) ## Ratings 3 out of 5 stars. * [ 1 5-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 1 1-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/?filter=1) [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ pixelgrade ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pixelgrade/) * [ vlad.olaru ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/vladolaru/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backstage/)