The short answer
Publishing changes a public environment. A working local URL does not prove the live site changed. Review locally before making a separate release decision.
Try it in three steps
- Record the preview and public addresses.
- Test essential flows and phone-sized layouts locally.
- Check the public revision only after a release.
A practice prompt
Before you start
Classify addresses without starting or publishing a site.
Practice material (fictional)
A: http://127.0.0.1:4178/. B: https://example.com/. Can a colleague use A to see the page on my computer?Replace placeholders in the prompt with this material, or append the material if there are no placeholders. Reading time excludes doing the exercise.
Start a local preview bound explicitly to 127.0.0.1. Report its address and stop method. Do not expose it publicly, deploy or change DNS settings.What to look for (not a recorded test result)
127.0.0.1 refers to the visitor's own device. Sharing A does not expose your page, and public listening should not be enabled by default.
If it goes wrong
A 127.0.0.1 address normally does not let someone else reach your computer; do not send it as a public link.
Check your result
You can identify local versus live versions and avoid accidental publication.
References and scope
The links below support the concepts or product navigation. The steps and exercises are our teaching suggestions, not official certification or measured customer outcomes. Product interfaces and availability may change. References checked on 2026-10-17.