Share a mockup with a client by a private link

A demo under review is an awkward thing. It should be shown at the real address, so the client sees real links and real behavior. But until the work is accepted and paid for, it is too early to make it public: search engines will find it, competitors will see it, and sometimes the client decides that “it’s all done already, no need to pay”.

What people usually do, and why it’s a bad idea

Hide it behind a random address. demo-x7f2.example.com is not protection, it’s hope. Links get forwarded, crawlers find them through links in chats and email, and a random address doesn’t stop indexing.

Add a noindex meta tag. It helps against search and does nothing against a person who got the link forwarded.

Build on localhost and send screenshots. The client can’t click around, and you get feedback like “move this bit over here”.

How to gate a demo properly

Publish the site as usual and turn on the password on the Visibility tab. A site password is included from the Start plan, or available as an add-on for one site (see pricing). Three things make this scenario work.

A login screen for your studio. A client who opens the link sees your logo and clear text, not a bare browser dialog. It looks like part of the work, not like a glitch.

Every file is protected. Not just pages but images, fonts and the PDF with the presentation. A direct link to the mockup won’t open for an outsider.

An access period. Set it to the end of the review. If revisions drag on, extend it with one click: the extension counts from the current end date, not from today, so the “extend” button can never accidentally shorten access you have already given.

After sign-off

Once the work is accepted, remove the lock and the site becomes public. Before that, the panel asks again and lists exactly what will change: the password is deleted for good, the access period and the open counter reset, while the logo and login screen texts are kept for your next project.

If the client disappears and the work is unpaid, it goes the other way: the site stays gated for as long as you need. A gated site counts against your plan exactly like a public one; there is no extra charge for the lock.

When the client’s team reviews the demo

If five people on both sides get the link, the second mode is handier: email code. Access goes by a list of addresses, and the log shows which of the reviewers actually opened the mockup. That often answers the question “why is the feedback in its third week”. Email code is included from the Pro plan, or available as an add-on for one site.

Want to show a new version without touching the live address at all? A build preview gives a secret link to a version before it goes live.

More: gated access to a site, site password, email code and pricing.