Unpublishing Content on WordPress: A Guide

Are you perplexed and bursting with curiosity about unpublishing content on WordPress? Well, you’re in the right place! WordPress is an easy-to-use and reliable platform for creating and publishing your website. But there are times when you may need to remove content that has already been published, whether due to outdated information, errors, or legal issues. In this article, we’ll guide you through the simple steps for unpublishing content on WordPress.

The Difference Between Deleting and Unpublishing Content

Before we begin, it’s important to understand the difference between deleting and unpublishing content. Deleting content permanently removes it from your WordPress site, and it cannot be retrieved. On the other hand, unpublishing content hides it from public view, but it remains in your site’s backend, which enables you to re-publish it at a later time. Unpublishing content is the recommended option because it’s less permanent and provides room for making edits or updates.

The Steps for Unpublishing Content on WordPress

Now, here’s how you can unpublish content on WordPress:

1. Log in to your WordPress account and navigate to the post or page you want to unpublish.
2. In the editor, locate the “Status & visibility” option in the right-hand sidebar.
3. Click on the dropdown arrow next to “Public” to reveal additional options.
4. Choose the “Private” option to hide the post/page from public view.
5. To confirm the changes, click the “Update” button to save the post or page as a private draft.
6. If you want to view your private drafts, go to the “All Posts” or “All Pages” section and filter by “Private.”
7. To re-publish the content, simply change the post or page’s status back to “Public” and click the “Update” button.

Unpublishing Multiple Posts or Pages

If you have many posts or pages to unpublish, following the above steps can be time-consuming. Luckily, WordPress has a bulk editing feature that enables you to unpublish multiple posts or pages at once. Here’s how:

1. From the WordPress dashboard, select the “Posts” or “Pages” section.
2. Check the box next to each post or page you want to unpublish.
3. From the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, select “Edit.”
4. Click the “Apply” button to activate the bulk editing option.
5. Under the “Status” dropdown, choose “Private” to unpublish the selected posts/pages.
6. Click the “Update” button to save the changes.
7. To view your private drafts, go to the “All Posts” or “All Pages” section and filter by “Private.”
8. To republish any post or page, select it and change the status back to “Public,” then click the “Update” button.

Important Notes to Consider

Now, before you begin unpublishing content on your WordPress site, there are a few important notes to keep in mind:

1. It’s essential to ensure that you inform your audience before removing content that has already been published. This could mean redirecting your visitors to relevant resources or letting them know about site updates.
2. Deleting content can affect your site’s SEO ratings because any links or search engine rankings associated with the content will disappear. On the other hand, unpublishing content maintains links and rankings while not displaying the content to the public.
3. Using the “Trash” option in WordPress is different from unpublishing. When you trash a post or page, it remains in your site’s backend, but it’s not accessible to the public. The main difference between trash and unpublishing is that trash is a more permanent option. Once you delete a post or page from the trash, it cannot be retrieved.

Final Thoughts

Unpublishing content on WordPress is a simple and easy process that anyone can do. With these steps, you can maintain your site’s organization, update content, and remove outdated or inaccurate information without losing your site’s SEO. Remember, unpublishing is a safer option compared to deleting content because it provides an avenue for future updates, revisions, or benefits.