Drafts, previews, and publishing
Understand the difference between drafts, previews, and published content in WordPress — and how to move content through each stage confidently.
WordPress gives you control over when your content is visible to the world. You can work on a page privately, preview it to check how it looks, and only publish it when it's ready. This guide explains how drafts, previews, and publishing all fit together.
Quick summary
A draft is saved but not visible to the public. A preview lets you see how the page will look before publishing. When you click Publish, the content goes live. You can move freely between these states at any time.
The three stages of content in WordPress
| Stage | What it means | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Saved but not live | Only logged-in users with edit access |
| Pending review | Ready for an editor to approve | Only logged-in editors and administrators |
| Published | Live on the website | Everyone (unless set to private or password-protected) |
You move content through these stages using the buttons in the top-right corner of the editor.
Saving a draft
When you create a new page or post and click Save Draft, WordPress saves your work privately. The content is not visible to anyone visiting your site.
WordPress also autosaves your work every 60 seconds while you're editing. You'll see a small "Saving…" indicator at the top of the editor when this happens. Autosaves protect you if your browser crashes or you accidentally close the tab.
Don't rely on autosave alone
Always click Save Draft before closing a tab or stepping away. Autosaves are a safety net, not a substitute for manually saving.
To return to a draft later, go to Pages → All Pages (or Posts → All Posts) and look for items labeled "Draft." Click the title or hover to click Edit.
Previewing your content
The Preview feature lets you see how a page will look to a visitor — without publishing it. This is essential for catching layout problems, typos, or formatting issues before they go live.
Click the eye icon (Preview) near the top-right of the editor, or click the dropdown arrow next to it.
Choose a preview option:
- Preview in new tab — opens a full-size preview in a new browser tab
- Desktop / Tablet / Mobile — previews the responsive layout at different screen sizes directly in the editor
Review the page carefully. Check text, images, links, and how things look on mobile.
Close the preview tab and make any edits back in the editor.
Previews are temporary links
The preview URL is a private, temporary link that only works when you're logged in. You can share it with a colleague who has WordPress access, but it won't work for someone who isn't logged in.
Publishing your content
When the content is ready:
Click the blue Publish button in the top-right corner.
Review the pre-publish checklist. WordPress shows a quick summary of settings: who can see it (visibility), and when it will be published (immediately or scheduled). Double-check these.
Click Publish again to confirm. The page or post goes live.
After publishing, the button changes to Update. Any changes you make and save with Update go live immediately.
Updating a published page
Editing a published page is instant — there's no separate draft/preview stage unless you want one. When you click Update, the change goes live right away. If you want to preview first, use the preview button before clicking Update.
Updates go live immediately
Unlike drafts, updates to a published page are visible to all visitors the moment you click Update. If you need to make large edits without affecting the live page, ask your project lead about using a staging environment.
Changing visibility (public, private, password-protected)
You can control who sees a published page using the Visibility setting:
| Visibility option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Public | Visible to everyone |
| Private | Only visible to logged-in editors and administrators |
| Password protected | Visible to anyone who enters the password you set |
To change it: open the right-hand panel, click the Post tab, find Status & Visibility, and click the visibility label to change it.
Unpublishing a page (reverting to draft)
To take a published page offline without deleting it:
Open the page for editing.
In the right-hand panel, click the Post tab. Under "Status & Visibility," find the Status field.
Change the status to Draft. Click Update. The page is now a private draft again and no longer visible to visitors.
Common questions
Related guides
- How to create a new page
- How to write & publish a blog post
- How to schedule a post or page
- Undo mistakes with revisions
- How to duplicate a page
Need a hand?
Learn more
How to schedule a post or page
Learn how to schedule WordPress content to publish automatically at a future date and time — without having to be at your computer.
How to duplicate a page
Learn how to duplicate an existing WordPress page or post to use as a starting point — saving time when creating similar content.