---
title: Creating a Test Vendor Spotlight
description: "VendorHearth Pro includes a **Create Test Spotlight** feature that allows you to test the spotlight system without creating or publishing a real vendor promotion. This is useful when setting up Vendor Spotlights for the first time or after making changes…"
url: "https://vendorhearth.com/docs/creating-a-test-vendor-spotlight/"
updated: "2026-09-23"
category: Vendor Spotlights — creating spotlights, scheduling, test posts, social posting
---

# Creating a Test Vendor Spotlight

VendorHearth Pro includes a **Create Test Spotlight** feature that allows you to test the spotlight system without creating or publishing a real vendor promotion.

This is useful when setting up Vendor Spotlights for the first time or after making changes to your website.

## What a Test Spotlight Does

When you create a test spotlight, VendorHearth generates a clearly labeled WordPress draft.

The test allows you to verify that VendorHearth can successfully create spotlight content on your website.

A test spotlight:

- Creates a WordPress post
- Is clearly identified as test content
- Remains in Draft status
- Does not automatically publish
- Does not create a real VendorHearth vendor record
- Does not affect an actual vendor's spotlight schedule

## Creating the Test

Go to the **Vendor Spotlights** area in VendorHearth.

Select **Create Test Spotlight**.

VendorHearth will create the test post and leave it as a WordPress draft.

You can then open the draft to see how the spotlight appears within your website.

## What to Check

Use the test spotlight to review:

- Post layout
- Formatting
- Website theme styling
- Featured image behavior
- WordPress editor compatibility
- Social-sharing settings
- Overall appearance of spotlight posts

This is especially helpful before generating spotlights for an entire event.

## The Test Will Not Automatically Publish

Test spotlights are intentionally created as drafts.

VendorHearth will not automatically schedule or publish the test post.

This prevents test content from accidentally appearing publicly on your website.

## Testing Social Sharing

Because the test spotlight remains a draft, it will not automatically test the complete social-publishing process.

If you want to verify social sharing, use a controlled WordPress test post with your social integration.

For example, if you use Jetpack for social sharing, confirm that an ordinary WordPress post can successfully share to your connected social accounts.

Once that works, VendorHearth spotlights can use the same WordPress publishing workflow.

## Delete the Test When Finished

After you have finished testing, the test WordPress post can be deleted like any other WordPress draft.

Removing the test does not affect your vendors, events, applications, or real spotlight records.

## When Should You Run a Test?

Consider creating a test spotlight:

- When first installing VendorHearth
- Before using Vendor Spotlights for the first time
- After changing your WordPress theme
- After changing social-sharing tools
- After making major website changes
- When troubleshooting spotlight creation

You do not need to create a test before every event if your spotlight system is already working correctly.

## Next Step

Continue to **Connecting Vendor Spotlights to Social Media** to learn how WordPress integrations such as Jetpack can help share published Vendor Spotlights to supported social accounts.