If you’re looking to unpublish your Wix site, the process is straightforward.
To unpublish your site, go to your Wix Dashboard, find the Site Actions menu, select “Unpublish,” and confirm the action.
In this article, we will provide a detailed step-by-step guide to unpublishing your Wix site, discuss what happens after the site is unpublished, and answer some common questions related to the process.
Step-by-Step Guide to Unpublishing Your Wix Site
1. Accessing Your Wix Dashboard
To start the unpublishing process, you’ll first need to access your Wix Dashboard. Follow these steps:
- Visit the Wix website and log in to your account.
- Once logged in, you’ll be taken to your Wix Dashboard, where you can manage your websites and account settings.
2. Going to the Site Actions Menu
Now that you’re in your Wix Dashboard follow these steps to access the Site Actions menu:
- Locate the website you want to unpublish in the “My Sites” section of your dashboard.
- Click the “Site Actions” button next to the site you want to unpublish.
3. Selecting the Unpublish Option
With the Site Actions menu open, you can now proceed to unpublish your site:
- Click on the “Unpublish” option in the Site Actions menu.
- A confirmation window will appear, warning you that your site will no longer be accessible on the internet once it is unpublished.
4. Confirming the Action
To complete the unpublishing process, follow these final steps:
- Click the “Unpublish” button in the confirmation window.
- You’ll receive a notification that your site has been successfully unpublished.
Now that your site is unpublished, it will no longer be visible to the public. However, you can still access and edit the site through your Wix Dashboard.
What Happens After Unpublishing Your Wix Site?
Visibility of Your Site
Once your Wix site is unpublished, it will no longer be visible or accessible to the public on the internet. However, you can still view and edit your site within the Wix Editor. Unpublishing your site does not delete it so you can republish it anytime.
Impact on SEO
Unpublishing your Wix site may have an impact on your search engine rankings. When your site is unpublished, search engines will no longer be able to crawl or index your site, and any existing rankings may be lost.
However, when you republish your site, search engines will eventually re-crawl and re-index your site, and your rankings may recover over time. It’s essential to consider the potential SEO impact before unpublishing your site, especially if it has been live for an extended period.
Options for Republishing Your Site
If you decide to make your site live again, you can easily republish it through your Wix Dashboard.
To do this, follow the steps you took to unpublish your site but select “Publish” instead of “Unpublish” in the Site Actions menu. Your site will be live again and accessible to the public.
Common Reasons for Unpublishing a Wix Site
There are various reasons why you should unpublish your Wix site. Some common reasons include the following:
Site Under Construction or Updates
If you’re working on a significant update or redesign of your site, you should unpublish it temporarily to avoid confusing visitors or presenting an unfinished product.
Temporary Suspension of Services
In some cases, you may need to suspend your services temporarily. Unpublishing your site during this time can help manage customer expectations and prevent confusion.
Privacy Concerns
If you have concerns about the privacy of your site’s content or data, you may unpublish your site until you’ve addressed those concerns.
Transition to a New Platform or Domain
Suppose you’re in the process of migrating your site to a different platform or domain. In that case, you should unpublish your Wix site to avoid duplicate content issues or other conflicts during the transition.
Alternatives to Unpublishing Your Wix Site
Before unpublishing your Wix site, consider these alternatives that may better suit your needs:
Creating a “Coming Soon” or “Under Maintenance” Page
Instead of unpublishing your site, you can create a “Coming Soon” or “Under Maintenance” page to inform visitors that your site is temporarily unavailable. This approach allows you to keep your site live while still communicating any changes or updates.
Password Protecting Your Site
Another option is to password protect your site, limiting access to only those with the password. This method can be helpful if you want to restrict access temporarily without completely removing your site from the internet.
Temporarily Disabling Specific Pages or Sections
If you only need to remove specific pages or sections of your site, you can temporarily disable them in the Wix Editor without unpublishing your entire site. This approach allows you to work on updates or changes without affecting the visibility of your entire site.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wix Websites
Can I still edit my site after unpublishing it?
Yes, you can still edit your site in the Wix Editor after unpublishing it, and your site will remain in your Wix Dashboard and can be edited and republished at any time.
You can also edit your Wix website after publishing it.
Will unpublishing my site affect my premium plan?
Unpublishing your site will not affect your Wix Premium Plan. You will continue to be billed according to your plan, and all premium features will remain available for your site.
Can I still view my site’s analytics after unpublishing?
After unpublishing your site, you will no longer receive new data for your site’s analytics since your site is not accessible to the public. However, you can still view the historical analytics data for your site up to the point when it was unpublished.
How long does it take for my site to be unpublished?
The process of unpublishing your Wix site is almost instantaneous. Once you confirm the action in the Site Actions menu, your site will no longer be accessible to the public. However, it may take some time for search engines to remove your site from their indexes, and cached versions of your site may still be available for a short period.