How to Hide and Restore Pages in WordPress: A Comprehensive Guide

Since 2010, we’ve proudly hosted over 100,000 fast and reliable websites. Whether you’re a business owner, a blogger, or an online entrepreneur, managing your site effectively is crucial. One essential skill in your WordPress toolkit is the ability to hide pages when necessary.

Understanding the Need to Hide Pages

There are several scenarios where you might want to temporarily keep a page under wraps:

• Drafts Awaiting Perfection: If you’re working on new content that isn’t quite ready for public viewing, hiding it can keep your site looking polished.
• Internal Use Pages: Some pages may be intended for your team only, such as style guides or project notes. Keeping these private ensures they remain accessible to your team without cluttering your public site.
• Archiving Outdated Content: Instead of deleting old pages, hiding them allows you to keep a record without displaying them to your audience.

How to Hide a Page in WordPress

The process of hiding a page in WordPress is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:

From the Edit Screen

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pages in the left menu, then select All Pages.
2. Find the page you wish to hide, hover over it, and click Edit.
3. Scroll down to the Visibility panel.
4. Select Hidden and click Update.

Once updated, the page will be hidden from your website while remaining accessible from your dashboard.

From the Page List

1. Go to Pages > All Pages.
2. Select the checkbox next to each page you want to hide.
3. Choose Edit from the bulk actions dropdown.
4. Select Hidden under Visibility and update.

Enhancing Page Privacy with Plugins

If you seek additional privacy options, several plugins can enhance your ability to manage page visibility:

• Private Only: Limits visibility to logged-in users only.
• Password Protected: Requires a password to access certain pages.
• Time-Limited Visibility: Allows you to show or hide pages based on specified dates and times.

What Happens When You Hide a Page?

When a page is hidden, it becomes private, accessible only to logged-in users from the dashboard. Here’s what you should know:

• Removed from Navigation: Hidden pages will not appear in your site’s menus.
• No Site Search Results: These pages won’t show up in search results or page lists.
• URL Accessibility: If someone knows the exact URL, they may still access the page unless they are logged in, leading to a 404 error.
• Manage from Dashboard: You can still edit and manage hidden pages through your WordPress dashboard.

Restoring Hidden Pages

If you decide to bring a hidden page back to public view, the process is just as easy:

1. Navigate to Pages > All Pages.
2. Select the hidden pages you wish to restore.
3. From the bulk actions menu, choose Edit.
4. Change the visibility to Public and click Update.

Now, the page will be visible on your site once more.

Best Practices for Hiding Pages

To maintain an organized and efficient website, consider these best practices:

• Label Drafts Clearly: Use titles that indicate the purpose of hidden pages.
• Review Periodically: Check hidden pages regularly and delete those that are no longer necessary.
• Avoid Public Links: Be cautious when linking to hidden pages from publicly accessible content.
• Have a Publishing Plan: Outline when and how you will publish drafts to avoid confusion.
• Utilize Additional Security: Consider using password protection or dedicated privacy plugins for sensitive content.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively manage your WordPress pages, ensuring that only the content you want visible is accessible to your audience.