Beam supports manual and automatic publishing. Publish Changes is the recommended mode for routine website updates.
Publish Changes
Publish Changes compares the local export with the current Beam release on the server. It uploads changed files and deletions and is normally much faster after the first publish.
Use it for regular content, design, and asset updates. When there is no current release to compare, Beam creates the complete release automatically.
Publish All Files
Publish All Files sends a complete archive. Use it after a major folder restructure, when the current release is no longer a reliable comparison point, or when support asks for a full republish.
When the project normally uses Publish Changes, the full-file actions are available as one-time choices in the Publish menu.
Combine publishing with a Webroot Backup
The Beam action menu offers:
Publish Changes
Create Webroot Backup
Webroot Backup + Publish
It also offers full-file variants when appropriate. Create a backup before a risky release or major structural change.
Enable Hotfolder auto publishing
You can switch a project between manual publishing and Hotfolder directly in the project header. More options are available under Project Setup → Transfer.
Select the correct local source folder on this Mac.
Enable Hotfolder auto publish.
Set the Settle time from 1 to 30 seconds. Beam waits until the export stops changing before it begins.
Choose Publish Changes or Publish All Files as the Hotfolder mode.
Export the website into the configured folder.
If files change while a publish is running, Beam waits and starts the next automatic publish after the current operation. Manual actions remain available through Publish Manually….
Hotfolder activation is stored separately for each Mac. This prevents another Mac from publishing automatically before its local export folder is configured.
Resume an interrupted upload
Beam transfers releases in chunks. If a network or server interruption leaves an incomplete upload, choose Resume. Beam checks which chunks are missing and continues the same operation.
If Resume repeatedly fails, switch the upload mode from Fast to Automatic fallback or Compatibility, or reduce Parallel chunks and Chunk size in Project Setup → Transfer.
Publish from the menu bar
Beam can run in the Dock, the menu bar, or both. The menu-bar project menu provides the same main publishing modes and a Resume action when an incomplete upload is available.
After every publish, open the public website and verify navigation, forms, assets, downloads, and server-generated content.