The first two tutorials explain that Joomla has two login areas, a frontend and a backend, and that these are independent of each other. Future tutorials will direct you to make changes in the backend then view the results in the frontend. This tutorial will demonstrate that the frontend and backend logins are separate, and describe how to switch back and forth between the frontend and backend.

Prerequisites

Completion of tutorials 1.1 Administrator Login, and 1.2 Site Login.

Steps

Admin Login

Open a browser and login to the backend of the site. 

View the Frontend

Locate the view-frontend button in the header. Hover over the button and read the tool tip that pops up. Click the button and observe that the frontend opens in a new tab. 

Note that the backend is open in one tab, while the frontend is open in the new tab, and that it's easy to switch back and forth.

Updates and Refreshing

Many tutorials will direct you to login to the backend, view the frontend, make changes in the backend, then refresh the frontend. We will practice this now.

In the backend, click on System then Global Configuration and make a change to the name of the website, then save.

Switch to the frontend 

Concepts

• Joomla has two login areas, the frontend for site users, and the backend for administrators. This tutorial describes how registered users login to the frontend.
• The frontend and backend are separate login areas.
• The frontend is public facing area of the site. Registered users can login to the frontend to access controlled areas not available to the public, and to interact with site content.