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WordPress Playground web instance

https://playground.wordpress.net/ lets developers run WordPress in a browser without a server. This environment makes testing plugins, themes, and features quick and easy.

Some key features:

  • Browser-based: No local server setup required.
  • Instant Setup: Run WordPress with a single click.
  • Testing Environment: Ideal for testing plugins and themes.

The Query Params API allows you to directly load specific configurations into a Playground instance. This includes setting a particular WordPress version, theme, or plugin. You can also define more complex setups using blueprints (see examples here).

The Playground website includes a Dock that opens tools for launching, configuring, inspecting, and exporting your Playground.

Playground Dock

Customize Playground​

The Dock includes these destinations:

  • New: Start from the Blueprint Gallery, a Blueprint URL, a GitHub repository, a pull request, or an imported .zip file.
  • Playgrounds: Switch between recent and saved Playgrounds.
  • Blueprint: View, edit, export, and run the current Blueprint.
  • Site Settings: Configure WordPress version, PHP version, language, networking, and multisite.
  • Database: Inspect the SQLite database and open database tools.
  • Files: Browse and edit files in the WordPress filesystem.
  • Logs: Read PHP, WordPress, and Playground runtime messages.
  • Export: Download a .zip, copy the original setup link, or export the current state to GitHub.

Site Settings​

Site Settings in the Dock

The Site Settings pane includes these Query API options:

  • wp: Defines the WordPress version.
  • php: Specifies the PHP version for the instance.
  • language: Sets the WordPress instance language.
  • multisite: Enables WordPress multisite support.
  • networking: Enables network access to the WordPress Plugin Directory and WordPress APIs.

Export a Playground​

Open Export from the Dock to download or share the current Playground state:

  • Download as .zip: Saves files, database, and current edits to a .zip file that you can re-import later.
  • Copy original setup link: Copies a URL that rebuilds the Playground from its original Blueprint. It does not include later edits.
  • Export to GitHub: Pushes the current state, including edits, to a GitHub repository.

Export options in the Dock

Blueprint pane​

Blueprint pane in the Dock

The Blueprint pane lets you edit, export, and run the Blueprint for the current Playground.

New Playground​

New Playground options in the Dock

The New pane shows all the ways to launch WordPress Playground: choose a Blueprint from the gallery, import .zip files, load from GitHub repositories, and preview PRs from WordPress core and Gutenberg.

The Blueprint Gallery lists more than 40 blueprints.

The site at https://playground.wordpress.net is there to support the community, but there are no guarantees it will continue to work if the traffic grows significantly.

If you need certain availability, you should host your own WordPress Playground.