When developing a new WordPress website, you might want to keep it hidden from the public until it's fully ready for launch. Whether you're redesigning an existing site or building a new one from scratch, having a "coming soon" or "under construction" page can be beneficial. This article explains how you can easily keep your WordPress website hidden using a plugin.
Why Hide Your WordPress Website?
Professionalism: It's always best to present a fully functional site to your audience rather than one that's half-baked.
Avoiding SEO Issues: Search engines might index your site in its development stage, which can lead to SEO challenges later on.
Feedback Control: Keeping the site hidden ensures you only get feedback when you're ready for it.
Using a WordPress Plugin to Hide Your Website
WordPress offers several plugins that can help you set your website to private or display a "coming soon" page. Here's a general step-by-step process:
Choose a Plugin: Some popular choices include 'Coming Soon Page & Maintenance Mode by SeedProd', 'Under Construction', and 'WP Maintenance Mode'.
Install and Activate: Navigate to the 'Plugins' section in your WordPress dashboard. Click 'Add New', search for your chosen plugin, install, and then activate it.
Configure the Plugin: Once activated, go to the settings of the plugin. Most plugins will allow you to:
Enable a coming soon or maintenance mode.
Customize the message or display to visitors.
Choose which users (e.g., admin) can see the actual site during development.
Test: Always test by visiting your website in a different browser or an incognito window to ensure the plugin is working correctly.
Launch: Once you're ready to go live, simply disable the plugin, and your website will be accessible to everyone.
Conclusion
It's straightforward to keep your WordPress website hidden while it's under development, thanks to the plethora of plugins available. This not only ensures that you present a polished website to your audience but also avoids potential SEO pitfalls of having an unfinished site indexed. When you're satisfied with your site, disabling the "coming soon" mode is a breeze, and you can confidently unveil your website to the world.