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How To Unpublish A WordPress Page In 2024 – 4 Easy Ways

Do you want to remove a specific page from a WordPress website and have no idea how to unpublish it?

Well, there are many reasons behind unpublishing a WordPress page. Sometimes, being a developer or a blogger, you may want to make changes to the web page so that you can take your website to the next level.

Or it might be possible that you are not satisfied with a specific page on your site and want to permanently delete it. In each case, you should know how to unpublish a WordPress page.

Additionally, you may want to unpublish a WordPress page if you face any privacy issue in which there is a need to hide a specific web page from a group of users.

In this article, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of unpublishing a WordPress page. Before proceeding to the core process, let’s talk about WordPress unpublishing.

What Is Wordpress Page Unpublishing?

 WordPress page unpublishing is a feature that allows users to remove a page from public view on a WordPress website. When a page is unpublished, it is still available within the WordPress dashboard, but it is not visible to visitors or search engines.

This feature is useful for various purposes. For example, if you have a page that is no longer relevant or accurate, you can unpublish it to prevent it from appearing on your website. Or, if you’re working on a page and want to hide it from public view while you’re making changes, you can unpublish it.

It’s important to note that when a page is unpublished, it is still stored in the WordPress database and can be republished at any time. This means that all of the content, media, and metadata associated with the page will be preserved, and it can be made visible to the public again with just a few clicks.

WordPress page unpublishing is a simple but powerful feature that allows you to temporarily hide pages from public view on your WordPress website.

What Is The Need To Unpublish A Wordpress Page?

There are several reasons why a WordPress user might choose to unpublish a page on their website:

Updating Content: 

If a page contains outdated or inaccurate information, a user might choose to unpublish it temporarily while they update the content.

Under Construction: 

If a user is in the process of building or revising a page, they may choose to unpublish it to prevent the public from accessing it while it’s unfinished.

Maintenance: 

If a page is causing technical problems or conflicts with other elements of the website, a user might choose to unpublish it while they troubleshoot the issue.

Reorganization: 

If a user wants to reorganize their website’s content, they may choose to unpublish certain pages temporarily while they move them to different sections or delete them.

Privacy: 

If a user has a page that contains sensitive or confidential information, they might choose to unpublish it to prevent unauthorized access.

In short, unpublishing a WordPress page provides a way for users to temporarily remove it from public view, allowing them to make changes, update content, or address technical issues without affecting the overall functionality of their website.

How To Unpublish A Wordpress Page in 2023 (4 Easy Methods)

There are several ways to unpublish a WordPress page, and the method you choose will depend on your needs and comfort level with different tools and techniques.

Below are the four easy and simple methods to unpublish a page on WordPress:

Method #01: Through The Wordpress Dashboard:

This is the most straightforward method of unpublishing a page. The benefit of unpublishing a WordPress page through the dashboard is that it provides a user-friendly interface for making changes to your website’s content.

This makes it easy to remove a page from the public view, even for users who are not familiar with coding or technical website management.

By using the WordPress dashboard to unpublish a page, you can:

  • Make changes quickly and easily
  • Maintain control over your website
  • Preserve your page’s content
  • Preview your changes before they go live

Follow These Steps:

To unpublish a WordPress page through the WordPress dashboard, you can follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard: Go to your website’s login page and enter your username and password to access the dashboard.
  2. Navigate to the “Pages” section: Once you’re logged in, look for the “Pages” option in the left-side menu and click on it.
  3. Find the page you want to unpublish: In the “Pages” section, you’ll see a list of all the pages on your website. Find the page you want to unpublish and click on the “Edit” link next to it.
  4. Change the status of the page: In the page editor, look for the “Publish” section in the right-hand column. Here, you’ll see the current status of the page (Published or Draft). To unpublish the page, click on the “Edit” link next to the status and change it to “Draft.”
  5. Update the page: After you’ve changed the status of the page, click on the “Update” button in the right-hand corner of the page editor to save your changes. The page will now be unpublished and hidden from public view.

NOTE: Note that even though the page is now unpublished, it is still stored in the WordPress database and can be republished at any time by following the same steps and changing the status back to “Published.”

Method #02: Through The Quick Edit Feature:

You can also use the Quick Edit feature to unpublish a page. This method allows you to change the status of a page from “Published” to “Draft” without opening the page editor.

The Quick Edit feature in WordPress is a quick and easy way to make changes to your pages and posts without having to go into the full editor.

With Quick Edit, you can change several different options for a page or post, including the title, author, date, status, and more.

The benefit of unpublishing a WordPress page using the Quick Edit feature is that it provides a fast and convenient way to make changes to your content. With Quick Edit, you can quickly and easily change the status of a page from “Published” to “Draft” (unpublished) without having to go into the full-page editor.

This can save you time and effort, especially if you need to unpublish multiple pages at once.

Here are some specific benefits of using the Quick Edit feature to unpublish a WordPress page:

  • Speed and efficiency
  • Convenient bulk editing
  • Real-time updates
  • Improved workflow

Follow These Steps:

Here’s how to unpublish a WordPress page using the Quick Edit feature:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard: Go to your website’s login page and enter your username and password to access the dashboard.
  2. Navigate to the “Pages” or “Posts” section: Once you’re logged in, look for either the “Pages” or “Posts” option in the left-side menu and click on it, depending on which type of content you want to edit.
  3. Select the pages you want to unpublish: To select multiple pages, click on the checkbox next to each page you want to unpublish. If you want to select all pages, click on the checkbox in the header row.
  4. Click on “Quick Edit”: Once you have selected the pages you want to unpublish, click on the “Quick Edit” link in the “Bulk Actions” drop-down menu, then click on the “Apply” button.
  5. Change the status to “Draft”: In the Quick Edit interface, look for the “Status” field and change the status from “Published” to “Draft.”
  6. Update the pages: Once you have made the change to the status field, click on the “Update” button to save the changes.

The selected pages will now be unpublished, and their status will be changed to “Draft.” They will no longer be visible on your website until you choose to publish them again.

NOTE: Note that this method will only work if you have sufficient permissions to edit pages and posts on your WordPress site. If you do not have the necessary permissions, you will not be able to access the Quick Edit feature.

Method #03: Using A Plugin:

If you want more control over your unpublishing process, you can use a plugin. There are several plugins available that allow you to schedule the unpublishing of a page, set up automatic redirects, and more.

The benefit of using a plugin to unpublish a WordPress page is that it provides a more advanced and customizable solution for managing your website’s content.

With a plugin, you can have access to a wider range of features and options that are not available in the basic WordPress interface.

Here are some specific benefits of using a plugin to unpublish a WordPress page:

  • Advanced scheduling
  • Improved security
  • Customization options
  • Enhanced functionality
  • Easy integration with other plugins

Follow These Steps:

Here’s how to unpublish a WordPress page using a plugin:

  1. Install a plugin: The first step is to install a plugin that provides the functionality you need to unpublish a page. There are many plugins available that can help you manage your pages and posts, including Page Scheduler, WP-Schedule Posts, and Scheduled Pages.
  2. Activate the plugin: Once you have installed the plugin, you will need to activate it from the “Plugins” section of your WordPress dashboard.
  3. Configure the plugin: After activation, you will need to configure the plugin to suit your needs. This may involve setting up options, creating schedules, and defining rules for when pages should be published or unpublished.
  4. Unpublish a page: To unpublish a page, simply go to the “Pages” section of your WordPress dashboard and find the page you want to unpublish. Then, follow the instructions provided by the plugin to unpublish the page.5.
  5. Monitor your pages: Once you have set up the plugin, it will take care of the rest. You can monitor your pages and posts to ensure that they are being published and unpublished as scheduled.

NOTE: Note that the specific steps to unpublish a page will vary depending on the plugin you are using. Be sure to follow the instructions provided by the plugin to ensure that you are using it correctly.

Method #04: By Modifying The Page’s Status In The Database:

Modifying the page’s status in the database to unpublish a WordPress page is a more advanced and technical solution and it’s important to understand that making changes to the database can be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing.

If you’re not comfortable working with databases, it’s best to use the WordPress dashboard or a plugin to manage your pages.

Follow These Steps:

However, if you still want to modify the page’s status in the database to unpublish a WordPress page, here’s a general overview of the steps:

  1. Backup your database: Before making any changes to the database, it’s important to back up your entire WordPress database in case something goes wrong.
  2. Access the database: You’ll need to access your database to modify the status of your page. You can use tools like phpMyAdmin or the MySQL command line interface to access the database.
  3. Locate the page’s record: You’ll need to locate the record for the page in the database. The table you’ll be working with is typically named wp_posts. 
  4. Modify the page’s status: To unpublish a page, you’ll need to change the value of the post_status column from publish to draft. You can do this using an SQL query or by using the database management tool you are using.
  5. Save the changes: Once you’ve made the changes to the database, be sure to save the changes and close the database management tool.
  6. Check the results: Finally, check your WordPress website to see if the page is no longer published.

NOTE: It’s important to note that this process is different for every database and hosting setup, and the exact steps may vary based on the tools you are using and the specific setup of your WordPress website.

How To Unpublish Multiple Wordpress Pages At Once?

Unpublishing multiple WordPress pages at once can save time and effort, especially if you have a large number of pages that you need to make inactive. Here are several ways to do so:

Use Wordpress Dashboard:

  • Select the pages you want to unpublish by checking the corresponding boxes next to their names.
  • From the “Bulk Actions” drop-down menu, select “Move to Trash.”
  • Click on the “Apply” button to execute the action.

Through the Quick Edit Feature:

  • Go to the “Pages” section of the WordPress dashboard.
  • Hover over a page you want to unpublish and click on the “Quick Edit” link.
  • Change the “Status” from “Published” to “Draft.”
  • Repeat the process for all the pages you want to unpublish.

Using A Plugin:

  • Install a plugin such as “Bulk Move” or “Mass Pages/Posts Status Management.”
  • Select the pages you want to unpublish.
  • Use the plugin’s options to change the status of the selected pages to “Draft.”

How To Make A Wordpress Page Private Or Password Protected?

Making a WordPress page private or password-protected is a way to control who can view the content of the page. Here’s how you can do it:

Making A Wordpress Page Private:

  • Go to the “Pages” section of the WordPress dashboard.
  • Find the page you want to make private and click on “Edit.”
  • Scroll down to the “Visibility” section and select “Private.”
  • Update the page by clicking on the “Update” button.

Making A Wordpress Page Password Protected:

  • Go to the “Pages” section of the WordPress dashboard.
  • Find the page you want to make password-protected and click on “Edit.”
  • Scroll down to the “Visibility” section and select “Password protected.
  • Enter a password in the “Password” field.
  • Update the page by clicking on the “Update” button.

Once you have made a page private or password-protected, only logged-in users with the proper permissions will be able to see the content. Visitors who are not logged in or who do not have the correct password will not be able to access the page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q: How Do I Unpublish a Page in WordPress? 

A: You can unpublish a page in WordPress by changing its status from “Published” to “Draft” in the WordPress dashboard. Using the Quick Edit feature, using a plugin, or modifying the page’s status in the database.

Q: What is the Difference Between Deleting a Page and Unpublishing a Page in WordPress? 

A: Deleting a page in WordPress permanently removes it from the website, while unpublishing a page makes it inactive. And hides it from visitors but keeps it saved in the database.

Q: Can I Recover an Unpublished Page in WordPress? 

A: Yes, you can recover an unpublished page in WordPress by changing its status back to “Published” in the WordPress dashboard.

Q: How Do I Password-Protect a WordPress Page? 

A: You can password-protect a WordPress page by changing its visibility to “Password protected” in the WordPress dashboard. And entering a password in the designated field.

Q: Can I Unpublish Multiple Pages in WordPress at Once? 

A: Yes, you can unpublish multiple pages in WordPress at once by using the WordPress dashboard, the Quick Edit feature, or a plugin.

Conclusion:

This is all about unpublishing a WordPress page. Whenever you want to re-publish the web pages, you can easily revert to the above-mentioned steps. We hope that you found this guide super helpful in getting all the information about unpublishing a WordPress page.

If you still facing any problems feel free to connect with our support line or leave a comment below. We will get back to you as soon as possible. 

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