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Initially all WordPress sites are configured to “Private” until they are published, once they are published, you then have an option to make your WordPress blog “private” again.

In WordPress, you have the choice to can make a new blog post or set an existing one to Private so that only visitors you have given access to can read it. This allows you to build your website and view it online until you are satisfied and publish it.

This article assumes that you are already logged in to your WordPress Dashboard.

Make A WordPress Blog Private

If your site is already “Public” and you wish to make changes out of the public view, you can follow these steps to set your blog to “Private”:

  • Click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
  • Navigate to the “General” section.
  • Look for “Privacy”.
  • You will see three options: “Public,” “Private” and “Password-Protected”.
  • Click on “Private” to make your WordPress site Private.

Remember: when you use the “Privacy” setting affects the entire site; it will only be accessible to authorized users you invite to access and view it.

Additional Information:

Why make your WordPress blog Private?

WordPress offers a few privacy options for your blog. These include making the entire blog Private, making only specific sections Private, or making individual pages or posts Private.

There are several scenarios when it’s best to make your WordPress blog private. It’s useful when you need to share confidential information, drafts, or personal content that you want to keep hidden from the public.

If you are still setting up your blog, performing maintenance, or updating it, you might not want people to see it until it’s ready.

Some bloggers use WordPress as a private diary or personal journal. You can restrict access to yourself or a select few.

If you use your blog as a subscription service, keeping it private ensures visitors can’t access it free. This built-in feature is useful for people who use their content to earn money through an online business.

Making Individual Blog Posts Private

Making individual blog posts private in WordPress is straightforward. You can restrict access to specific posts so only authorized users view them. Here’s how:

  • Navigate to “Posts” on the left sidebar.
  • Click on the post you wish to make private or create a new one.
  • In the “Publish” module on the right-hand side, locate “Visibility”.
  • By default, this is set to “Public”.
  • Click “Edit” next to “Visibility” and choose “Private”. This will give you options, including one to set the post to “Password Protected”.
  • If you choose this option, add the Password you want to use.
  • Save your changes.
  • Remember: this setting only affects individual posts, not the entire site.

Now only people with the password, admins, or editors can access and read the Post.

Login to Hosted.com Account

1. Go to the Hosted.com Login website page.

Make A WordPress Blog Private - Login in to Hosted.com Account

2. Enter your Email and Password and click the “Sign In” button.

Access WordPress via Your Hosted.com Account

3. You will see the Hosted.com Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview on the right and Open Support Tickets below.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Hosted.com Dashboard

4. Click the “Manage Service” dropdown and select your hosting package – our example uses the WordPress Hosting plan. The hosting window will open and you will see Product Information and Quick Manage on the right.

5. Click on the WordPress icon under the Quick Manage section.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Hosted.com Dashboard

Access WordPress via cPanel

3. You will see the Hosted.com Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview and Open Support Tickets on the right.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Hosted.com Dashboard

4. Click on “Manage Services” to view the sub-dropdown menu and select the hosting package for the domain you want to work with – in our example we are using WordPress Hosting.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Manage Services WordPress

5. Click the “Manage” button to the right of the domain name you want to access.

How

6. The display will now show Product Information, Quick Manage, Resource Usage and Site Statistics for that domain name.

7. Under “Product Information”, scroll down to “Control Panel”, which will display cPanel to the right, and click on the “Login” button.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - cPanel Login

8. The cPanel Dashboard will now be displayed.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - cPanel Dashboard

9. Scroll down until you get to “Popular Applications”, click on the WordPress icon.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Popular Apps - WordPress

10. The WordPress Dashboard will now be displayed.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - Popular Apps - WordPress Dashboard

Access WordPress via cPanel Online

1. Visit your cPanel URL, either supplied to you through your web host or attained through other sign-up methods.

2. Enter your Username

3. Then enter your Password and click “Log in”.

How To Make A WordPress Blog Private - cPanel Login

4. Scroll down until you get to “Popular Applications”, click on the WordPress icon.

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