Beta Testing

[+Goodgulf]

Is there a way to let other folks view unpublished Caches? Ready to publish a mystery cache and would like to have someone beta test it to make sure all the links work etc.

 

Thanks,

GG

[Keystone]

No, there isn't. I suggest copying the details (coordinates, cache description, hints, etc.) into an email to your beta tester friend.

 

Your Community Volunteer Reviewer will have made sure that the links on the cache page are working correctly (format, etc.) because we need to look at the linked pages.

[+Zoidrums]

I think there could be an idea in this topic : what about seeing our own geocache before the submission and the publication process... So we could try it by ourself

[+fuzziebear3]

I think there could be an idea in this topic : what about seeing our own geocache before the submission and the publication process... So we could try it by ourself

 

As the cache owner, you can see the page. No one else as a player can (only reviewers).

[Keystone]

I'm guessing Zoidrums is suggesting that a cache owner could see their own unpublished caches in the official Geocaching® apps. If so, interesting thought, but I'd guess that lots of security surgery in the API would be needed.

 

As an alternative for app users wishing to test their own cache's coordinates, enter those coordinates as a "next stage" waypoint on any other cache in the app. Or, use another GPS app that accepts coordinate input.

[anpefi]

I'm guessing Zoidrums is suggesting that a cache owner could see their own unpublished caches in the official Geocaching® apps. If so, interesting thought, but I'd guess that lots of security surgery in the API would be needed.

 

 

That could be done in at least one famous unofficial app. You can search any of your unpublished caches by GC-code and then it is displayed in the apps as any other of your owned caches (and then cached and displayed in the main map). I find it very useful, combined with the 0.1 miles red circles around caches, when you are planning several close caches. It is a pity that the official app doesn't allow such a thing.

[+CAVinoGal]

That could be done in at least one famous unofficial app. You can search any of your unpublished caches by GC-code and then it is displayed in the apps as any other of your owned caches (and then cached and displayed in the main map).

 

This is sweet! I didn't know I could do this with my currently in progress unpublished caches ... I'm working a on a series and have 5 right now in the unpublished phase, write ups and locations secured, just waiting to finish my containers and camo work before placing them and submitting for publication.

 

Can others use the "unofficial app" (which I actually prefer to the official Geocaching app, though I do use both; the official one seems to lock up my phone frequently, resulting in frustration, so I go back to the "unofficial", but I digress ... ) to see my unpublished caches, or am I the only one that can see them? If others can see it, this would be one way to share an unpublished cache for testing.

 

You can also view and print out the cache description, coordinates, etc from the draft page and give that to your testers.

[anpefi]

Well, I've found two ways to share an unpublished cache to others to act as beta-testers.

 

- For the listing. Open your unpublished cache page under your account. Go to the menu Save as > Complete webpage (depending on the browser) and save the html file. Share it! others can display the listing in the same way as you can (if they try to edit or go to the account settings, they we prompted with an authentication request). This is an example of a test listing I have unpublished. Download it, unzip and open it in your browser: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sswd1yyi6d6qsm3/GC77K6V.zip?dl=0 [You will see my profile picture and cache counts, as well as the administrative links for the cache, but trying to click any of them will use the active account on your browser, not mine]

 

- For use in the field. Search the GC in the unoffical app and load the cache. From cache details, menu export as gpx. Now you have a GPX file you can share to others to be uploaded into their apps or GPSr. This is the GPX file for the above unpublished cache: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ejh7bux8i7ekv8g/GC77K6V.gpx?dl=0

Perhaps this could be done also using GSAK, but I didn't test.

 

If you can see the above files, then that means this method works (I just tried myself with other browser session and it worked, but I cannot discard some local effect)

 

Note: I will delete the files in a couple of days.