14. How to Create a Splash Page with the CGC Maintenance Plugin
Watch my video below to see how I create a Splash Page with the CGC Maintenance Plugin. What is a splash page? Basically, it’s a page that you put up while you are working on your website in the background so users don’t see an ugly “park” page. There are hundreds of themes out there that offer beautiful landing pages like this one, or this one, but if you want to learn how to create a really simple splash page from scratch using HTML, and are not bothered by the simplicity of just a logo and some accompanying text and links, keep reading.
What you will need to do first:
- Watch my video How to Access your Server.
- Watch my video on How to install a WordPress plugin (CGC Maintenance).
- Read my page called “HTML Tags” on my resources page. It’s always handy to know basic HTML.
- Upload any images/logo to your website via FTP or WordPress Media Library. Be sure to write down the URL directory (to link later).
- Download my Splash Page Template (comingsoon.html) and open it in a text editor (on a MAC, use BBedit (formerly Text Wrangler), on a PC, use Notepad).
- Edit the document with your own information and include the image source link that you just uploaded. Save when done.
- Upload splash.html to the root directory of your website.
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard / Settings / Maintenance Mode
- Click “Enable Maintenance Mode”.
- Go to Google and type in “What is my IP”. Copy and paste your iP address into the window. This allows you to be ale to view your site while working in the background (all others users will be only able to view your splash page.
- Under Page or URL, click “URL Send to…”
- Skip down to redirect URL and enter in http://www.yourdomain.com/splash.html
- Log out of WordPress, go to your website and test to see if the splash page appears.
