Bursting with confusion: How to unpublish a blog post on WordPress

If you’re a blogger, you know that sharing your thoughts and ideas with the world can feel like an incredible release. But what happens when you later regret something you’ve published, or when a post becomes irrelevant or inaccurate? Unpublishing a blog post is the answer, but the process can be confusing.

Publishing blues: two approaches

The first thing to consider when unpublishing a post is whether you want to delete it completely or just hide it from view. Thankfully, WordPress has options for both.

The step-by-step process to un-publish a post on WordPress

Step 1: Editing menu access

Login to WordPress and navigate to your blog’s homepage. Head to the “Dashboard” via the menu bar and click on “Posts” to look at all your published blog posts. Choose the one you want to unpublish by clicking on it to open the post’s editing menu.

Step 2: Post status switch

In the editing menu, look for the “Status” section where you’ll see the current status of the post. This will show “Published” if the post is live on your website. To unpublish the post, click on “Edit” next to “Published.” You’ll see a dropdown list of options, and you should select “Draft.”

Step 3: Confirm changes and update post

After marking the post as a draft, confirm the changes by returning to your dashboard and making sure the post has “Draft” listed. From the editing menu for that post, scroll down to the bottom and click “Update” to accept the changes.

Step 4: Optional deletion

If you want to delete the post rather than retaining a copy as a draft, then click “Move to Trash” in the Status section of the editing menu for that post. You’ll be asked to confirm the deletion by clicking “OK” in the pop-up dialog box. Should you want to retrieve the post, go to “All Posts,” then “Trash” and click “Restore.”

Concluding thoughts: simplicity

Unpublishing a post on WordPress may sound daunting but it’s actually quite easy. Just remember to access the editing menu for the post, switch the status from “Published” to “Draft,” confirm the changes, and update the post. And if you decide that you want to delete a post altogether, then just follow the steps outlined above. With these simple tips, you can rest easy knowing that your content always has the control it deserves.