More than 40% of websites on the internet are powered by WordPress, one of the most well-liked content management systems (CMS) in the world. WordPress makes it simple to build and manage a website, regardless of whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or developer. You might occasionally need to unpublish your WordPress site or content, though. This might be the case if you’re updating your website or if you no longer use it. Many people mistakenly believe that they can only remove an entire website, We’ll explain how to unpublish a WordPress site or WordPress content in this article.
Method # 1 – Unpublish WordPress site
Step 1:Log into your WordPress dashboard
Logging into your WordPress dashboard is the first step in de-publishing your site. You can manage your site by using the tools and options available here. Visit your WordPress website and modify the URL by appending “/wp-admin” to the end. Go to “www.yoursite.com/wp-admin” if, for instance, your site’s URL is “www.yoursite.com”. Click “Log in” after entering your username and password.
Step 2: Install a maintenance mode plugin
Installing a maintenance mode plugin might be a good idea before unpublishing your WordPress site. This will inform your site’s visitors that it is undergoing construction or is currently unavailable. This is a fantastic way to stop visitors from visiting a website that is down or unfinished while you are working on it. Although there are many maintenance mode plugins available, WP Maintenance Mode, Coming Soon Page & Maintenance Mode, and Under Construction Page are some of the most well-liked ones.
Step 3: Unpublish WordPress site
You can unpublish a WordPress site after installing a maintenance mode plugin (if desired). To do this, select “Reading” from the “Settings” menu on your WordPress dashboard. There is a setting called “Site Visibility” under “Reading” settings. Select “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” by checking the box next to it, then click “Save Changes”. This effectively unpublishes your website by instructing search engines not to index it.
Step 4: Notify your users
Finally, it’s a good idea to let your users know that your WordPress site is momentarily unavailable on Facebook or any other social media profile. Create a page or post that explains why the website is down and when it will go back online to accomplish this. You can also provide a contact form or email address so that visitors can contact you with any queries or grievances.
While making changes, you can either decide to keep your site live or temporarily take it offline. To ensure that your visitors see a professional message and to inform your users of the status of your site, don’t forget to install a maintenance mode plugin.
Method # 2
You might be wondering how to go about unpublishing a WordPress site and what the best course of action is. Fortunately, the procedure is fairly simple, and we’ve created a quick guide to assist you.
Step 1: Log in to your WordPress Dashboard
Logging into your WordPress dashboard is the first step in depublishing a WordPress site. Typically, you can do this by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and entering your login information.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Settings” menu
Go to the “Settings” menu on the left side of your screen after logging in. A list of choices, including “General,” “Writing,” “Reading,” and others, will appear as a result.
Step 3: Click on “Reading”
Then select “Reading” from the menu. This will open a screen where you can modify the settings for your site’s visibility.
Step 4: Choose “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”
To stop publishing a WordPress site, choose the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option. This effectively removes your website from the internet by instructing search engines not to index it.
Step 5: Save your changes
After making your choice, don’t forget to press the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page. By doing this, you can be sure that your new settings are applied to and saved on your WordPress website.
Step 6: Check that your site is unpublished
You can check your site in a different browser window or tab to see if it still appears in search results to confirm that it has been de-published. If not, your WordPress site has been successfully unpublished.
You can make sure that your website is taken down from search engines and is no longer accessible to the general public by taking the actions described above.
Method # 3
You might be wondering how to unpublish WordPress site if you intend to temporarily shut down your WordPress website. We’ll walk you through the process of unpublishing your WordPress site using this method without erasing any of your content or data.
It’s critical to comprehend the distinction between unpublishing and deleting your WordPress site before continuing. You effectively erase all of your content and data from the internet when you delete your site. On the other hand, when you unpublish a WordPress site, your website simply goes offline for a short period of time before you can reactivate it.
After going over the fundamentals, let’s move on to the procedures you must follow to unpublish a WordPress site.
Step 1
Protect Your Site Backup all of your content and data before you unpublish your WordPress site. By taking this precaution, you can avoid losing any of your important data and easily restore your website in the future.
There are numerous WordPress plugins that make it simple to back up your website. Popular choices include Jetpack, BackupBuddy, and UpdraftPlus.
Step 2
Set the maintenance mode on your website. It’s crucial to put your site in maintenance mode so that no one can access it while it’s unavailable. Installing and turning on the WP Maintenance Mode plugin will enable you to do this. Visitors will see a message that can be customised from this plugin informing them that your website is momentarily unavailable.
Step 3
Turn off indexing for your website You must turn off your site’s indexing in order to prevent search engines from indexing it while it is inactive. This can be done by checking the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” box on the Settings > Reading page in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 4
Turn Off Your Website You’re prepared to take your site offline once you’ve finished steps 1-3. You can do this by choosing “A static page” from the drop-down menu on the Settings > Reading page in your WordPress dashboard. Next, choose a blank page for your “Homepage” and your “Posts page.” By taking this action, you’ll make sure that visitors can no longer access your website.
Step 5
Bring Back Online Your Website You can simply follow the steps we’ve outlined above in reverse when you’re ready to bring your site back online. Select your preferred homepage and posts page, exit maintenance mode on your website, and restore your backup.
In conclusion, de-publishing your WordPress website is a simple procedure that only involves a few easy steps. You can temporarily take your site offline by following the instructions we’ve provided above without losing any of your important data or content. Prior to unpublishing your website, make a backup of it and put it in maintenance mode to stop users from accessing it while it’s offline. You can easily unpublish your WordPress site by following these instructions.
Why do we need to unpublish our WordPress site?
There are a number of reasons why a WordPress site might need to be unpublished:
1. Making changes: You may need to unpublish your site temporarily while you make changes or updates to your content, design, or functionality.
2. Redesigning: If you’re completely redesigning your site, you may want to take it offline until the new design is ready to be launched.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
In general, site owners who need to make updates or changes to their site without disturbing the user experience may find that unpublishing a WordPress site is a useful tool.
