Are You Stumped by the “Coming Soon” Message on Your WordPress Site?

As a WordPress user, you may have encountered the dreaded “Coming Soon” message when attempting to access your website. It’s a vexing issue since it is the default page displayed when your website is still under construction, stopping visitors from accessing your site. This guide will outline the steps necessary to turn off the “Coming Soon” message clouding your website and launch it.

Step 1: Check Your WordPress Plugins

The first thing you need to do to lift the “Coming Soon” message is to investigate whether it’s a plugin issue causing it. Similar to other WordPress plugins, the “Coming Soon” option puts your website in “Coming Soon” mode automatically, so you must disable the plugin.

To deactivate it, launch your WordPress dashboard and click on “Plugins” from the left-hand menu. Then, identify the plugin causing the “Coming Soon” message and deactivate it.

If you don’t know which plugin is causing the issue, try progressively deactivating each plugin instead of disabling everything at once.

Step 2: Disable Maintenance Mode

If the message persists after disabling every plugin, then your website is probably still in maintenance mode. This means that the website is under update or repair, seal off until it’s complete.

To disable it, access the website’s root directory either through your web host control panel or an FTP client. Proceed to the “wp-content” folder and locate the “maintenance.php” file. Rename the file to something like “maintenance-backup.php” to eliminate maintenance mode, which stops you from accessing your website.

Step 3: Check Your Site Settings

If the above steps have been followed, and the “Coming Soon” message is still on your website, then your site settings may be causing the issue. Check your WordPress dashboard again and select “Settings” from the left-hand menu. Then click on “Reading” and double-check that the “Search Engine Visibility” option is unchecked.

If this option is enabled, search engines will not index your website, and it will remain in “Coming Soon” mode.

Step 4: Clear Your Browser Cache

Most times, the “Coming Soon” message is browser cache-related. So, you should clear your browser cache to fix it. Follow the steps below for your browser type:

Chrome

• Click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Select “More Tools” -> “Clear browsing data.”
• Choose the time range for “cached images and files” you want to erase.
• Select “Cached images and files” and click on “Clear Data.”

Firefox

• Click “Menu” -> “Options.”
• Click “Privacy & Security.”
• Under “Cookies and Site Data,” click “Clear Data.”
• Check “Cached Web Content” and click on “Clear.”

Safari

• Click “Safari” in the upper-left corner and select “Preferences.”
• Click on “Privacy” and choose “Manage Website Data.”
• Select the website containing cache data to delete and click “Remove” -> “Done.”

Step 5: Contact Your Web Host

If you have tried everything and still can’t remove the “Coming Soon” message, contact your web host for assistance. They can help you solve the issue from their end.

Conclusion

Getting rid of the “Coming Soon” message on your WordPress website involves disabling plugins, inspecting site settings, and clearing cache. One, if not all, of these steps should lead to resolving the issue. If not, contact your web host provider. Rest assured, by following these steps, you can finally lift off the “Coming Soon” message and launch your website.