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WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, powering over 40% of websites on the internet. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or developer, WordPress makes it easy to create and manage a website. However, there may be times when you need to unpublish your WordPress site or content. This could be because you’re making changes to your website or because you’re no longer using it. Many people get confused between unpublishing content or a whole site, In this article, we’ll explain how to unpublish WordPress site or unpublish WordPress content
Unpublish WordPress content
Method # 1 – Unpublish WordPress site
Step 1:Log into your WordPress dashboard
The first step in unpublishing your WordPress site is to log in to your WordPress dashboard. This is where you’ll find all the tools and options you need to manage your site. To log in, go to your WordPress site and add “/wp-admin” to the end of the URL. For example, if your site’s URL is “www.yoursite.com“, you would go to “www.yoursite.com/wp-admin“. Enter your username and password, and click “Log in”.
Step 2: Install a maintenance mode plugin
Before you unpublish WordPress site, you may want to install a maintenance mode plugin. This will display a message to your visitors that your site is under construction or temporarily unavailable. This is a great way to prevent visitors from seeing a broken or incomplete site while you work on it. There are many maintenance mode plugins available, but some of the most popular ones are WP Maintenance Mode, Coming Soon Page & Maintenance Mode, and Under Construction Page.
Step 3: Unpublish WordPress site
Once you have installed a maintenance mode plugin (if desired), you can unpublish WordPress site. To do this, go to the “Settings” menu in your WordPress dashboard and click “Reading”. In the “Reading” settings, you’ll see an option called “Site Visibility”. Click the checkbox next to “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” and click “Save Changes”. This will tell search engines not to index your site, which effectively unpublishes it.
Step 4: Notify your users
Finally, it’s a good idea to notify your users on Facebook or any other social media profile that your WordPress site is temporarily unavailable. You can do this by creating a post or page that explains why the site is offline and when it will be back up. You can also include a contact form or email address where users can get in touch with you if they have any questions or concerns.
You can temporarily take your site offline while you make changes or decide whether to keep it live. Remember to install a maintenance mode plugin to ensure your visitors see a professional message, and notify your users about the status of your site.
Method # 2
If you’re looking to unpublish WordPress site, you might be wondering what the best way to go about it is. Fortunately, the process is relatively straightforward, and we’ve put together a quick guide to help you out.
Step 1: Log in to your WordPress Dashboard
The first step in unpublish WordPress site is to log in to your WordPress dashboard. This can typically be done by visiting yourdomain.com/wp-admin and entering your login credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Settings” menu
Once you’re logged in, navigate to the “Settings” menu on the left-hand side of your screen. This will bring up a list of options, including “General,” “Writing,” “Reading,” and more.
Step 3: Click on “Reading”
Next, click on the “Reading” option. This will bring up a screen where you can change your site’s visibility settings.
Step 4: Choose “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”
To unpublish WordPress site, select the option that reads “Discourage search engines from indexing this site.” This will tell search engines not to index your site, effectively unpublishing it from the web.
Step 5: Save your changes
Once you’ve made this selection, be sure to click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page. This will ensure that your new settings are saved and applied to your WordPress site.
Step 6: Check that your site is unpublished
To confirm that your site is now unpublished, you can visit it in a new browser window or tab and see if it still appears in search results. If it does not, then you have successfully unpublished your WordPress site.
By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that your site is removed from search engines and is no longer publicly accessible.
Method # 3
If you’re planning on taking down your WordPress website temporarily, you might be wondering how to unpublish WordPress site. In this method, we’ll guide you through the steps you need to take to unpublish WordPress site without losing any of your content or data.
Before we dive in, it’s important to understand the difference between unpublishing and deleting your WordPress site. When you delete your site, you’re essentially wiping all of your content and data off the internet. Unpublish WordPress site, on the other hand, simply takes your site offline temporarily while allowing you to bring it back online later.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the steps you need to take to unpublish WordPress site.
Step 1
Backup Your Site Before you unpublish WordPress site, it’s essential to back up all of your content and data. This step will ensure that you don’t lose any of your valuable data, and you can restore your site later with ease.
There are several WordPress plugins available that make backing up your site a breeze. Some of the popular options include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and Jetpack.
Step 2
Put Your Site in Maintenance Mode To prevent visitors from accessing your site while it’s offline, it’s essential to put your site in maintenance mode. You can do this by installing and activating the WP Maintenance Mode plugin. This plugin will display a customizable message to visitors, letting them know that your site is temporarily offline.
Step 3
Disable Your Site’s Indexing To ensure that search engines don’t index your site while it’s offline, you need to disable your site’s indexing. You can do this by going to the Settings > Reading page in your WordPress dashboard and checking the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” box.
Step 4
Take Your Site Offline Once you’ve completed steps 1-3, you’re ready to take your site offline. You can do this by going to the Settings > Reading page in your WordPress dashboard and selecting the “A static page” option. Next, select a blank page for both your “Homepage” and “Posts page.” This step will ensure that your site is no longer accessible to visitors.
Step 5
Bring Your Site Back Online When you’re ready to bring your site back online, you can simply reverse the steps we’ve outlined above. Restore your backup, take your site out of maintenance mode, re-enable indexing, and select your desired homepage and posts page.
In conclusion, unpublishing your WordPress site is a straightforward process that requires a few simple steps. By following the steps we’ve outlined above, you can take your site offline temporarily without losing any of your valuable data or content. Remember to back up your site before unpublishing it and put it in maintenance mode to prevent visitors from accessing it while it’s offline. With these steps, you can unpublish your WordPress site with ease.
Why do we need to unpublish our WordPress site?
There are several reasons that might need to unpublish WordPress site:
- Making changes: You may need to unpublish your site temporarily while you make changes or updates to your content, design, or functionality.
- Redesigning: If you’re completely redesigning your site, you may want to take it offline until the new design is ready to be launched.
- Testing: If you’re testing new features or plugins on your site, you may want to unpublish it while you work on them to avoid any issues that could affect your visitors.
- Rebranding: If you’re rebranding your business or website, you may need to unpublish your site while you update your branding and content to reflect the new identity.
- Switching hosts or domains: If you’re moving your site to a new hosting provider or changing your domain name, you may need to unpublish your site temporarily while you make the transition.
Overall, unpublishing a WordPress site can be a useful tool for site owners who need to make changes or updates to their site without disrupting the user experience.