{"id":18490,"date":"2011-05-17T15:38:16","date_gmt":"2011-05-17T10:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=18490"},"modified":"2026-10-13T13:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:09:44","slug":"install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Install WordPress Beta, RC and Nightly Builds (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Want to try new WordPress features before they are released? You can install a <strong>WordPress beta<\/strong>, release candidate (RC) or nightly build in a few clicks. When we first wrote this in 2011, the Beta Tester plugin confused us by offering an alpha of the current version instead of the beta. The plugin is still the official way to test, and in 2026 you also have WordPress Playground and WP-CLI. Here is how each works.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64284\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Install WordPress beta and nightly builds\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-wordpress-beta-nightly.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> On a test site, install the official WordPress Beta Tester plugin, go to <strong>Tools &gt; Beta Testing<\/strong>, choose <em>Bleeding edge<\/em> for the next major version (or <em>Point release<\/em> for the next minor one), pick the Beta\/RC or Nightlies stream, save, then go to <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong> and update. For zero risk, open WordPress Playground in your browser with <code>?wp=beta<\/code> or <code>?wp=nightly<\/code>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef858f76d9b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef858f76d9b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Alpha_beta_RC_and_nightly_whats_the_difference\" >Alpha, beta, RC and nightly: what&#8217;s the difference?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Before_you_start\" >Before you start<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Method_1_WordPress_Beta_Tester_plugin\" >Method 1: WordPress Beta Tester plugin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Method_2_WordPress_Playground_no_install\" >Method 2: WordPress Playground (no install)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Method_3_WP-CLI\" >Method 3: WP-CLI<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Report_what_you_find\" >Report what you find<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Can_I_go_back_to_the_stable_version_after_a_beta\" >Can I go back to the stable version after a beta?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#Is_it_safe_to_run_WordPress_beta_on_a_live_site\" >Is it safe to run WordPress beta on a live site?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/install-wordpress-alpha-beta-nightly-build-versions\/#When_are_WordPress_betas_released\" >When are WordPress betas released?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alpha_beta_RC_and_nightly_whats_the_difference\"><\/span>Alpha, beta, RC and nightly: what&#8217;s the difference?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Nightly<\/strong> (alpha\/trunk): the latest development code, rebuilt every day. Newest features, most bugs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beta:<\/strong> features are mostly complete and ready for wider testing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release candidate (RC):<\/strong> the team thinks it is ready; final bug fixes only.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Before_you_start\"><\/span>Before you start<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Never test on your live site.<\/strong> Use a staging copy, a local install or Playground.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Back up<\/strong> files and the database. Database changes in a new version can make downgrading difficult.<\/li>\n<li>Expect some plugins or themes to break; that&#8217;s what testing is for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_1_WordPress_Beta_Tester_plugin\"><\/span>Method 1: WordPress Beta Tester plugin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Install and activate <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordpress-beta-tester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress Beta Tester<\/a> (on multisite, find it under Settings).<\/li>\n<li>Go to <strong>Tools &gt; Beta Testing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a channel: <strong>Point release<\/strong> (the next minor update) or <strong>Bleeding edge<\/strong> (the next major version, like the beta we wanted in 2011).<\/li>\n<li>Choose a stream: <strong>Beta\/RC only<\/strong> for milestone releases, or <strong>Nightlies<\/strong> for daily builds.<\/li>\n<li>Save, then open <strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong> and click the update button. Your site now shows a version like &#8220;7.x-beta1&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>Keep updating to get fixes until the final release.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_2_WordPress_Playground_no_install\"><\/span>Method 2: WordPress Playground (no install)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/playground\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress Playground<\/a> runs a full WordPress site in your browser. Add <code>?wp=beta<\/code> or <code>?wp=nightly<\/code> to the Playground URL to load a test version, then install your plugins and theme to check compatibility. Nothing touches your real site.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_3_WP-CLI\"><\/span>Method 3: WP-CLI<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your test server has <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-cli.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP-CLI<\/a>, update from the command line:<\/p>\n<pre><code>wp core update --version=nightly<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>You can also pass a specific beta or RC version number or a download URL from the release announcement on the WordPress News blog.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Report_what_you_find\"><\/span>Report what you find<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Found a bug? Search the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/support\/forum\/alphabeta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpha\/Beta support forum<\/a> and report it there or on WordPress Trac. Plugin and theme developers should test early so their users aren&#8217;t surprised on release day.<\/p>\n<p>When the final version arrives, see how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2007\/08\/superfast-way-to-upgrade-wordpress-with-changed-files\/\">update WordPress<\/a> safely and use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2007\/08\/upgrading-wordpress-notify-visitors-with-maintenance-mode\/\">maintenance mode<\/a> during big upgrades.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_go_back_to_the_stable_version_after_a_beta\"><\/span>Can I go back to the stable version after a beta?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Switch the plugin back to Point release and wait for the final release, or restore your backup. Downgrading directly can fail if the database changed.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_safe_to_run_WordPress_beta_on_a_live_site\"><\/span>Is it safe to run WordPress beta on a live site?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Betas and nightlies can have serious bugs. Always use a test site.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_are_WordPress_betas_released\"><\/span>When are WordPress betas released?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Betas usually appear several weeks before each major release, followed by release candidates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to try new WordPress features before they are released? You can install a WordPress beta, release candidate (RC) or&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,17],"class_list":["post-18490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","tag-tutorials","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18490"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65401,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18490\/revisions\/65401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}