Overview
Testing changes on a real course site is risky. Run a test enrollment and you might fire off a wave of real emails to real learners. Try to reproduce a “my course won’t load” report and you’re guessing at what the learner actually sees.
Two free Toolkit modules make testing safe and accurate: Disable Emails stops your staging site from contacting anyone, and User Switching lets you experience the site exactly as a specific learner. Together they let you test confidently — without surprises.
The Modules You’ll Use
| Module | What it does |
|---|---|
| Disable Emails | Blocks all outgoing email from the site |
| User Switching | Lets admins log in as another user, then switch back |
Scenario 1: A Safe Staging Environment
When you clone your live site to a staging server, it still knows how to send email — and a single test action can trigger enrollment notifications, password resets, or course-completion emails to your actual customers.
- On your staging site, enable Disable Emails under Uncanny Toolkit > Modules.
- That’s it — no configuration needed. While the module is active, WordPress sends no email at all.
- Watch for the admin-bar reminder confirming email is blocked.
Important: This blocks all site email while active. Only enable it on staging or test sites — never leave it on in production, or your learners will stop receiving notifications.
We recommend pairing Disable Emails with an email-logging plugin (such as Email Log). The logger captures what would have been sent, so you can verify your emails are correct without anything actually leaving the server.
Scenario 2: Reproduce a Learner’s Problem Exactly
When a learner reports that something is broken, the fastest way to diagnose it is to see the site through their eyes.
- Enable User Switching.
- Go to Users > All Users and find the learner.
- Click Switch To on their row.
- You’re now browsing as that user — you’ll see their courses, progress, and any access restrictions exactly as they do.
- When you’re done, use the switch-back link in the admin bar to return to your own account instantly.
Note: User Switching is a powerful administrative capability. Only trusted roles should have access to it, since it grants the ability to act as another account.
Putting It Together: A Testing Routine
- Clone production to staging.
- Enable Disable Emails on staging immediately.
- Make and test your changes — new courses, settings, plugin updates.
- Use User Switching to verify the experience from a learner’s perspective.
- When everything checks out, apply the changes to production (with Disable Emails off there).
Related Articles
- Disable Emails
- User Switching
- Groups in User Profiles — Check a user’s group memberships while troubleshooting
- Getting Started with the Uncanny Toolkit