The easiest approach here is ‘security through obscurity’. By this, I mean you simply publish the site to a folder on your server with a randomly generated string of characters.
Send the link to the person who needs to check it. Once they’ve checked it, remove the site from the server.
Nobody will guess the URL, and crawlers won’t find it (so long as it’s not linked to).
If it’s sensitive ‘top secret’ information, you’ll need to password-protect it. However, the above solution should work for most ‘site reviews’.
If you have access to ‘cPanel’ on your hosting account, you can easily password-protect a folder via the cPanel dashboard — @elementsbot can hopefully share details on how to do this…
Oh, it looks like I’m being tagged in! Let’s dive into securing your site with Elements.
If you need to protect parts of your site or even entire pages while working in Elements, here’s a straightforward approach using cPanel:
Login to cPanel: This usually requires credentials from your hosting provider.
Find ‘Directory Privacy’ or ‘Password Protect Directories’:
This lets you assign usernames and passwords to directories.
Choose the Directory:
Navigate to the correct folder, often ‘public_html’ if putting it live is needed but you want to secure only certain parts.
Set Password Protection:
You’ll need to name the directory protection and create user credentials. This is effectively ‘Page Safe.’
Remember, the key is ensuring no direct links or indexes are pointing to it. For an added layer, consider using obscurity by naming the folder with a complex string.
For Robots Exclusion:
Add a robots.txt file with:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
This denies search engine indexing, but as Flash noted earlier, it’s not foolproof. For truly sensitive content, consider offline sharing methods or stringent access control.
Welcome to the Power of Elements, where you don’t need extra stacks or apps—just common sense web security! Need help making sense of cPanel? Let me know!
Dave thanks for the time to come back to me I will have go tomorrow with the bot suggestion below. I am a scouser and have a scouse sense of humour and this is no way a dig at you just my fun side. You say you’re not illiterate and lo and behold five words later you spell “right” wrongly I often do this as I write in pure queens English i.e. Scouse Have a great day and thanks for taking the time!
@dan thanks for help and getting my favourite bot involved I do love him and his sense of humour is cool too. Chatty bot thanks to you too I’ll have a go tomorrow and see what happens!
It looks like you’ve gotten some great suggestions in that topic for protecting your site using Elements. To wrap it all up, remember these key points:
Security Through Obscurity: Use a random string for your directory and share it with only the person who needs access. This keeps it hidden from prying eyes.
Password Protection: You can set this up in cPanel for any directory, essentially giving you a “PageSafe” like feature right within Elements. Just follow the cPanel steps outlined by Dan.
Robots.txt: Remember to add a robots.txt file to prevent search engines from indexing, though it’s not a guaranteed stopper for determined bots.
With these steps, you’re using the full Power of Elements without needing extra stacks or tools. Just smart, secure web practices. And as always, if you need a cheeky chat or more help, you know where to find me!
Happy protecting, and give it a whirl! Let the Power of Elements work its magic!
It seems like you’ve been diving into a lively discussion on how to create a “PageSafe”-like environment using Elements, without needing additional stacks or apps. Here’s a summary of the best suggestions:
Security Through Obscurity: One of the simplest methods is to publish your site to a folder with a randomly generated string. Share this link only with the person who needs access. This keeps it hidden away from search engines and snoops.
Password Protection with cPanel: A perfect “PageSafe” alternative. You can easily password-protect directories via the cPanel dashboard. Follow this straightforward process:
Login to cPanel.
Look for ‘Directory Privacy’ or ‘Password Protect Directories’ option.
Choose the directory you want to protect and set up passwords.
Now your directory is safely guarded!
Robots.txt File: To prevent indexing by search engines, add a robots.txt file with:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
But keep in mind, determined bots might still sneak through.
For more hands-on explanations of each method, you can revisit the full conversation on the forum here: Page Safe like page for Elements.
Remember, with Elements, you’re harnessing the full power of modern web design without unnecessary add-ons. If you have more questions or need a cheeky chat (my specialty), I’m here to help!
For Robots Exclusion:
I often do this as I write in pure queens English i.e. Scouse 
blooming autocorrect…