Draft, Published and Unpublished

Draft, Published and Unpublished
Content Sections

Every page, news post, event and similar item has a status that decides whether visitors can see it. You choose it at the top of the form, next to the Save and Preview buttons: under Save as when you create something, and under Change to when you edit it (the form also shows its Current state).

The top of the form with the Save as list and the Preview button highlighted.

The Three Statuses

  • Draft – not visible to visitors. Use it while you’re still working on something.
  • Published – visible to everyone.
  • Unpublished – taken off the site. Visitors who open its address are sent to the login page instead. You can publish it again at any time.

Some sites also have a Needs Review status, for content that someone else approves before it goes live.

Site Alerts, Home Action Buttons and Home Features don’t use these statuses. They have a simple Published switch instead.

Preview Before You Publish

Select Preview to see the page as visitors will, without saving it. Select Back to content editing at the top of the preview to return to the form; your changes are still there.

The bar at the top of a preview with the Back to content editing link.

Change a Live Page Without Showing It Yet

To work on a page that’s already published, without visitors seeing your changes until they’re ready:

  1. Open the page and select Edit.
  2. Content Sections start closed. Select Edit on the section you want to change.
  3. Make your changes, set Change to to Draft, and save.

A closed Content Section with its Edit button highlighted.

Visitors still see the published version. The tabs above the page now include View Draft (your changes) and Edit Draft.

The page tabs: View Published, Edit Draft, View Draft and Revisions.

When you’re ready, select Edit Draft, set Change to to Published and save. Your changes go live.

Take Content Off the Site

Edit it, set Change to to Unpublished, and save. To put it back, edit it again and choose Published. To take it down at a set time instead, see Scheduled Content.

Unpublishing is usually better than deleting: the page, its address and its history stay, ready to publish again. See Deleting Content.

Tips

  • Use Preview to check headings, links and images before you publish.
  • A draft of a live page is easy to forget. If you see View Draft on a page, there are unpublished changes waiting.
Dennis Osnitsky