Unpublishing a WordPress Page: A Step-by-Step Guide

A Step-by-Step Guide to Unpublishing a Page

Unpublishing a page on your WordPress site can be useful for a variety of reasons. Whether you need to edit a page privately, temporarily remove it, or delete it permanently, it’s important to know the correct steps. In this in-depth guide, we will walk you through different methods of unpublishing a WordPress page.

Switching a Published Page to Draft

If you want to hide a page from visitors while still being able to edit and republish it later, you can simply switch it to a draft. Here’s how:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pages > All Pages.
2. Hover over the page you want to unpublish and click the Edit link.
3. In the page editor screen, click the Switch to draft button located at the top.
4. A confirmation popup will appear. Click OK to turn the live page into a draft.

Before unpublishing a page that attracts visitors through search engines, consider the potential impact on your SEO rankings and existing links. You may want to create a 301 redirect to another relevant page to preserve your SEO rankings.

Deleting a Page

If you no longer need a page at all, you have the option to permanently delete it. Follow these steps:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pages > All Pages.
2. Find the page you want to delete and click the Move to trash button in the right-hand menu.
3. WordPress will send the page to the trash, and it will be automatically emptied after 30 days. However, you can still restore it within that timeframe.
4. To restore a deleted page, go to Pages > All Pages and click the Trash link. Then, click the Restore link next to the page you want to bring back.

If you prefer to prevent WordPress from automatically emptying the trash, you can check out our guide on how to disable automatic empty trash in WordPress.

Unpublishing Multiple Pages

If you want to unpublish or delete multiple pages at once instead of doing it one by one, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pages > All Pages.
2. Check the box next to the pages you want to unpublish or delete.
3. In the Bulk actions dropdown, select Edit and click Apply.
4. You can use the available settings to edit all the selected pages or convert them into drafts.
5. To turn multiple live pages into drafts, select Draft from the Status dropdown and click the Update button.
6. To move multiple pages to the trash, select Move to Trash from the Bulk actions dropdown and click Apply.

Password-Protecting a Page

If you want to restrict access to a specific page and keep it private, password protection is a suitable option. Follow these steps:

1. Open the page you want to password-protect.
2. Click the Visibility option next to the Public button.
3. Select the Password Protected option.
4. Enter a secure password in the Use a secure password field.
5. Click the Update button to save your changes.

Visitors will be required to enter the password before they can access the protected content.

Making a Page Private

If you want to limit visibility to logged-in users with specific roles, you can make a page private. Follow these steps:

1. Open the page you want to make private.
2. Click the Visibility option next to the Public button.
3. Select the Private option.
4. Confirm the action by clicking OK.

Now, only logged-in users with the Editor or Administrator role will be able to view the page.

Making a Page Members-Only

If you run a membership site or want to offer exclusive content to subscribers, you can make a page accessible only to members using the MemberPress plugin. Here’s how:

1. Install and activate the MemberPress plugin, a highly recommended WordPress membership plugin.
2. Set up multiple subscriber levels and configure member-only content.
3. Use the plugin’s access control features to restrict access to specific pages.

By creating a paywall and offering premium content, you can monetize your WordPress website and grow your email list.

We hope this comprehensive guide has provided you with a clear understanding of how to effectively unpublish a WordPress page. For more helpful WordPress insights, check out our YouTube channel for video tutorials and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.