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To preview an Astro directory site locally, build it and serve the finished output with astro preview. For a URL teammates or clients can open, deploy the repository with a host that provides branch or deploy previews. These are different workflows: the local preview shows your latest completed build, while a hosted preview gives reviewers a shareable URL.
Preview the built site on your computer
Astro writes static build output to dist/ by default. The preview server serves that generated output; it does not rebuild the site every time you edit a source file.
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- From the Astro project directory, install dependencies if the project has not been set up yet, then start the development server using the project’s package script, commonly
npm run dev. Use this while actively editing: the development server reflects source changes. - Stop the development server, then run the build script, commonly
npm run build. This generates the production-style output, usually indist/. - Run the project’s preview script if it has one, or invoke Astro’s CLI with
npx astro preview. Open the local address printed in the terminal to inspect the built site. - After changing source files, run the build again before checking the preview. Otherwise, you are still looking at the last completed build.
Use astro preview to check a build before deployment, not as production hosting. Confirm the project’s scripts in package.json; package-manager commands and custom scripts can vary. Astro documents the CLI and the distinction between development and build previews in its CLI reference and development guide.
Share a preview URL with reviewers
A local preview is reachable on your computer, but it does not by itself give a teammate or client a shareable deployment URL. For that, connect the repository to a hosting provider and use its preview deployment workflow.
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Vercel
Astro’s Vercel guide describes a Git-based workflow in which branch pushes create Preview Deployments after the repository is imported. Changes to the configured production branch generate production deployments. See Astro on Vercel for setup details.
Netlify
Astro’s Netlify guide describes repository changes triggering preview and production deploys according to the site’s deployment configuration. For a basic static build, the documented build command is astro build (or npm run build) and the publish directory is dist. See Astro on Netlify.
These workflows are not interchangeable with the local astro preview command: a hosted preview is a deployed build intended to be opened remotely. The official guidance does not establish one provider as a universal winner; choose based on how you want repository changes and review deployments configured.
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Check the build and output settings
For a typical static Astro site, astro build or npm run build produces output in dist/. Astro’s deployment guide describes these as common defaults. Before setting up a hosted preview, check whether your project changes the output directory, lives in a monorepo, or needs a provider-specific adapter; configure the host to use the project’s actual build command and output location.
Astro prerenders the entire site by default. A directory whose pages can be generated at build time can use static output. If pages need to render on demand, Astro requires server output configuration and the appropriate adapter for the target host. Consult Astro’s on-demand rendering guide and the deployment guide before choosing a deployment configuration.
Choose the preview workflow that fits the review
| Need | Use | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Check source changes while developing | Astro development server | It follows current source edits. |
| Inspect the generated site locally | Build, then astro preview |
It serves the most recent completed build; rebuild after edits. It is not production hosting. |
| Give reviewers a remote URL for a branch or change | Host-provided Preview Deployments or deploy previews | Connect the repository and configure the host’s build and output settings. |
Troubleshoot a preview that looks wrong
The preview does not show my latest edits
astro preview serves generated output rather than live source files. Run the build script again, then reload the preview.
The host cannot find the built site
Check that the host is building from the correct project directory and using the right command and publish directory. For the common static defaults, these are astro build (or npm run build) and dist; a custom outDir, monorepo, or adapter may require different settings.
Pages need server-side or on-demand rendering
Static output alone is not the right configuration for pages that must render on demand. Set up Astro’s server output mode and the adapter required by the chosen host, following Astro’s on-demand rendering guide.
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If you already have a reachable local or hosted preview URL, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot of that page through one API request. For a hosted Astro branch preview, replace the example URL with its accessible preview URL. A remote screenshot API cannot open a directory on your computer by its local filesystem path.
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See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Example:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp- Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; each of these cleanup steps can be turned off.
- Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Response headers identify the page verdict and billing status.
- An MCP server provides screenshot, page-info, and PDF tools for AI agents and MCP clients.
- The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card required; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does `astro preview` make my site public?
No. It serves the built output locally for inspection; use a hosting provider’s preview deployment workflow when reviewers need a remote URL.
Can I use ScreenshotNeo to capture an Astro preview before deployment?
Only if the preview has a URL the ScreenshotNeo API can reach. A local filesystem path is not a remotely accessible page.
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