> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://lightdash-mintlify-cccf65ca.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Preview local changes

> Preview projects are temporary Lightdash projects where you can safely experiment with your metrics, dimensions and charts without affecting your production project.

Preview projects will copy all spaces/charts/dashboards into your new preview project, so you can test the content and also run [validation](/guides/cli/how-to-use-lightdash-validate). This is only copied on preview creation, you can't sync the content afterwards.

### Run `lightdash preview` from inside your project

```bash theme={null}
# This will create a preview and will wait until you press a key to delete the preview project
lightdash preview
```

or

```bash theme={null}
# This will create a preview and exit, you will have to run lightdash stop-preview to delete it
lightdash start-preview
```

Then `cmd` + `click` to open the preview link from your terminal. Once you're in Lightdash go to `Explore` --> `Tables`, then click on the model(s) you just updated to see your changes and play around with them.

<Tip>
  **Updating your preview while it's running**

  While your preview is running, you can run `dbt compile` in a separate terminal session to update your dbt models. After compiling, refresh your browser to see the changes in Lightdash. Note that this is not a hot reload - you need to manually refresh the page.
</Tip>

<Info>
  **Problems with credentials?**

  When you create preview projects, Lightdash will use the same warehouse connection settings you have in your `profiles.yml` file for your current dbt project. This can be a problem if you're using a local database that your laptop can reach but your Lightdash instance cannot.
</Info>