How to Hide a Page in WordPress (4 Ways and When to Use Each)

Hiding a page in WordPress can mean three different things: hiding it from everyone, hiding it behind a password, or keeping it public but taking it out of your menu. Each is the right answer for a different job, from a draft sales page to a client resources area to a thank-you page that shouldn't appear in your navigation.

Four ways to hide a WordPress page

Method	Who can see it	Best for
Private	Only logged-in users with permission	Work in progress, internal pages
Password protected	Anyone with the password	Client areas, private downloads
Back to draft	Only editors, it's unpublished	Pages you're rewriting
Remove from menu	Everyone with the link	Thank-you pages, landing pages

How to make a page private

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Pages and open the page.
2. In the settings panel on the right, find Status or Visibility.
3. Choose Private.
4. Click Update or Save.

WordPress describes private content as visible only to you and people with permission to see private content. It doesn't appear in lists, and even if someone guesses the address, they can't see it.

How to password protect a page

1. Open the page in the editor.
2. Under Visibility, choose Password protected.
3. Type a password and save.
4. Share the link and password with the people who need it.

Visitors see the page title and a password box. Anyone with the password gets in, so treat it as a simple gate, not high security.

How to unpublish a page

If you're reworking a page and don't want anyone to see it at all, switch it back to Draft. It disappears from the site until you publish it again. WordPress keeps drafts as unpublished content, so nothing is lost.

How to hide a page from your menu but keep it live

1. Go to Appearance, then Menus, or open the Navigation block in the site editor if your theme uses blocks.
2. Remove the page from the menu.
3. Save.

The page still works for anyone with the link. This is the right choice for thank-you pages after a form, campaign landing pages and lead magnet downloads.

The catch: removing a page from the menu doesn't hide it from Google

A page that's published and public can still be found, by search engines and by anyone with the link, even if it's not in your menu. If it's linked from anywhere, or listed in your sitemap, Google may index it. For a thank-you page that gives away a free download, that means people can skip your sign-up form and go straight to the download. If a page must not be found, make it private or password protected, or ask your SEO plugin to keep it out of search results.

Make sure you're not hiding pages that should be found, though. If a page brings you enquiries, it should be public and linked.

Hiding a whole WordPress site

WordPress's own visibility settings work page by page. Making an entire site private while it's being built needs a plugin, often called a maintenance mode or coming soon plugin, which shows visitors a holding page while you work.

Which option should you pick?

• Building or rewriting a page: Draft or Private.
• Sharing with a client or a small group: Password protected.
• Thank-you or download page after a form: remove from the menu and keep it out of search results.
• Old page you'll never use: delete it, and redirect the address if it had visitors.

Pages that confuse or frustrate visitors lose you enquiries. My guide to website turn-offs that are easy to avoid covers the common ones.

Hiding pages on WordPress.com

If your site is on WordPress.com rather than self-hosted, the same page visibility options appear in the editor: Public, Private and Password protected. WordPress.com also lets you make the whole site private from its settings, which is handy while you're building, so you don't need a separate plugin there.

Checking a hidden page really is hidden

1. Log out of WordPress, or open a private browser window.
2. Visit the page's address.
3. Private pages should show a not-found message, password pages should show the password box, and drafts shouldn't load at all.
4. Check your menu and sitemap don't still list it.

My verdict

To hide a page in WordPress the right way, choose Private for internal work, Password protected for client-only content, Draft while you rewrite, and simply remove it from the menu for pages that should stay live but out of the navigation. Remember that a public page isn't hidden just because it's not in your menu. For the bigger picture on keeping your site secure, read my guide to stopping hackers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I schedule a hidden page to go public later?

Yes. Set a future publish date and WordPress publishes it automatically at that time.

Will a private WordPress page show in search results?

No. Private pages aren't visible to visitors or search engines.

How do I check a WordPress page is hidden?

Log out or use a private window and visit the page address to see what a visitor sees.

How do I make a WordPress page private?

Open the page, set Visibility to Private and click Update. Only logged-in users with permission can see it.

Can people find a private WordPress page if they have the link?

No. WordPress says visitors can't see private content even if they guess the address.

How do I hide a page from the WordPress menu?

Remove it in Appearance, Menus or the Navigation block. The page stays live for anyone with the link.

How do I password protect a WordPress page?

Set Visibility to Password protected, enter a password and save.

Can I hide my whole WordPress site?

Not with page settings alone. Use a maintenance mode or coming soon plugin.