# Share a Preview Link

> Source: https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/share-a-preview-link

A preview link opens your saved changes on the real website, in the reviewer's own browser, **before you publish them**. Use it to get feedback or sign-off from colleagues, clients and approvers.

> [!TIP]
> Preview links only work once your developer has set up a preview site for Agility. If you've never seen a preview of your website from Agility, start with [Previewing Content](/docs/editors/previewing-content).

## Before you copy: save your changes

A preview link shows the **last saved version** of your content. **Copy Preview Link** doesn't save for you, so click **Save** first. Anything you've typed but not saved won't be in the preview.

## Copy a link from a content item or page

<!-- screenshot: preview-split-dropdown-page -->

1. Open the content item or page you want to share and click **Save**.
2. In the bar at the top of the editor, click the **arrow** next to the **Preview** button.
3. Click **Copy Preview Link**.
4. You'll see *Preview URL copied to clipboard*. Paste the link into an email, a chat message or a comment.

What the link opens depends on what you copied it from:

| You copied it from | The link opens |
| --- | --- |
| A **page** | That page on your preview site. |
| A **component** on a page | The page the component sits on. |
| A **content item**, such as a blog post | The page your developer set up to show that kind of item. |
| A **content list** | The page your developer set up to show that list. |

> [!NOTE]
> The **Preview** button only appears once an item has been saved at least once. If you've just created something, save it first.

## Copy a link from Web Studio

<!-- screenshot: webstudio-deployment-copy -->

If you're already working in **Web Studio**:

1. Go to the page you want to share in the preview.
2. At the top left, click the website address to open the list of sites.
3. Click the **copy** icon next to the site. You'll see *URL Copied to Clipboard*.

The link opens the page you were looking at.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Use the copy icon. Don't type out the address you can see at the top of Web Studio. That address leaves out the part of the link that turns preview on, so it would show the published page instead.

The site in that list may be called **Production**. In normal Web Studio view, the copy icon still gives you a preview link. If you've switched Web Studio to **Live** mode, it copies the public link to the published page instead.

## What the person you send it to will see

- **No sign-in.** They don't need an Agility account. The link itself lets them in.
- **Your saved changes, on the real site.** They see the page as it will look once it's published.
- **The newest version whenever they refresh.** You don't need to send a new link after more edits. Save, and ask them to refresh.
- **Other unpublished changes too.** The link switches their browser into preview mode for the **whole website**, not just your page. As they click around, they'll see every saved change that hasn't been published yet, including other people's. This usually lasts until they close their browser.

## Preview link or live link?

| | Preview link | Live link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How to get it | **Copy Preview Link**, or the copy icon in Web Studio | **View in Live Mode** in the same menu |
| What it shows | Saved changes that aren't published yet | Only what's published |
| Who can open it | Anyone you send it to | Anyone. It's your public website |
| Use it for | Getting feedback or sign-off before you publish | Sharing a page that's already live |

## Keep preview links to the people who need them

**Anyone who has a preview link can open it**, including anyone it gets forwarded to. **Preview links don't expire**, and they show *all* unpublished content on your site, not just the page you shared. So:

- Send preview links to the people reviewing the work, not to public channels.
- Don't paste them anywhere public, such as social media, a support forum or a public ticket.

All preview links for your site share one key, so you can't switch off a single link. If a link has gone somewhere it shouldn't, ask your developer to **change your instance's Security Key** (in **Settings › API Keys**) and update your website with the new one. Every preview link shared before then stops working. Links you copy afterwards work as normal.

## Troubleshooting

| What you see | Why | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A message saying **Deployment Configuration Required for Preview**, or no **Preview** button at all | Your site doesn't have a preview site set up yet | Ask your developer to set one up. Send them this: *"Please mark one of our deployments as the Preview Deployment in Settings › Sitemaps. See [Setting Up Preview](/docs/developers/setting-up-preview)."* |
| The link opens the **home page** instead of your content item | No preview page has been set up for that list | Ask your developer: *"Please set the Item Preview Page for the [list name] list, in the list's Developer Settings."* |
| The reviewer sees the **old** version | The changes weren't saved, or their page was loaded before you saved | Click **Save**, then ask them to refresh. |
| The reviewer sees the **published** page, or a "page not found" for something new | The link was retyped or shortened, or it was copied in Web Studio's **Live** mode | Copy the link again with **Copy Preview Link** and send it unchanged. |
| The reviewer is asked to **sign in** to something that isn't Agility, or sees an "unauthorized" error | Your preview site has extra protection in front of it | Ask your developer whether reviewers outside your team can open the preview site. |
| Nothing happens when you click the copy icon in Web Studio | Agility couldn't work out a link for that page | Close Web Studio, open the page in the editor, and use **Copy Preview Link** instead. |

## Related

- [Previewing Content](/docs/editors/previewing-content): all the ways to preview, and when to use each
- [Previewing in Web Studio](/docs/editors/previewing-in-web-studio)
- [Live Commenting & Collaboration in Web Studio](/docs/editors/live-commenting-and-collaboration-in-web-studio): for reviewers who do have an Agility account
- [Setting Up Preview](/docs/developers/setting-up-preview): for your developer

---

## Related pages

- [Intro to Content for Editors](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/introduction-to-content.md)
- [Organizing Content with Groups](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/groups.md)
- [Generating Dynamic Pages From Content](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/generating-dynamic-pages-from-content.md)
- [Previewing Content](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/previewing-content.md)
- [Adding or Publishing a Content Item](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/publishing-a-content-item.md)
- [Manage Visible Grid Columns](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/manage-visible-grid-columns.md)
- [Schedule Content Changes](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/schedule-content-changes.md)
- [Restore Content from Recycling Bin](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/restore-content-from-recycling-bin.md)
- [Reusing Content across Multiple Web Properties](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/reusing-content-across-multiple-web-properties.md)
- [Copying and Translating Content Across Locales](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/copying-and-translating-content.md)
- [Translating Content with DeepL](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/translating-content-with-deepl.md)
- [Working with Localized Content](https://agilitycms.com/docs/editors/working-with-localized-content.md)

Index of every docs page: https://agilitycms.com/docs/llms.txt