Can't Hide Blog Using Privacy Settings or Plug-Ins

  • jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)


    13 years ago

    Hello All,

    Please have mercy. I’m new to this. I’ve searched the forums and the web for solutions, and followed the directions, but there is obviously something I’m missing.

    Probably unlike the great majority of WordPress users, I want to build a website that can be viewed only by prospective employers that I invite. I don’t want it to indexed by search engines, and I don’t want the WordPress Sample Page (“My Blog: Just another WordPress site, etc.) to appear when someone navigates to my address.

    First, I adjusted the Privacy Settings: Dashboard > Settings > Site Visibility > Ask search engines to not index this file.

    Next, I chose Pages > Selected Sample Page > Quick Edit > Change from ‘Published’ to ‘Draft’. I could still view the page from another computer.

    The publish date of this Sample Page is Jan. 4, 2012. I just started working with WordPress within the last few days. I changed the Date to Dec. 4, 2012. I could still see the page on another computer.

    I then put the Sample Page in the Trash. It is still viewable.

    I decided to research plug-ins. I installed a few, but admit I don’t have a full grasp as to how they work. I Activated and Edited them as best I could: More Privacy Options, Robots Meta, WordPress Meta Robots, WP Maintenance Mode.

    My site is still visible. Please help.
    Thank you.

Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 32 total)
  • Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    My last post overlapped with yours. I’ve activated Absolute Privacy, along with More Privacy Options. Robots Meta, and WP Maintenance Mode several times, individually and by using the Bulk Actions drop-down menu and Apply button that appear at the top of the page.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    No – not the Plugins sub-menu. The Settings sub-menu.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    Thank you, Esmi.

    I found the Settings sub-menu, and followed your steps. Absolute Privacy > Complete Lockdown.
    The page became invisible immediately.

    I was attempting to activate via the Plugins Tab, rather than the Settings tab.

    I would still like to know why WordPress didn’t respond to the settings I applied in the Pages tab (Private, Draft, etc.) Is there another step I’m not following? Must I not rely on WordPress controls and only trust Plugins for this type of thing?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    would still like to know why WordPress didn’t respond to the settings I applied in the Pages tab (Private, Draft, etc.)

    Did you check by logging out at any time? Private Pages (for example) are only visible to logged in users.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    Yes, I did log out and then back in, both from my host’s site and from WordPress. I also opened a different browser that had no cache or history from my site, and each time I’d see the blog Sample Page.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    I’m sorry but I cannot replicate that at all. Private & Draft Posts/Pages are only visible to logged in users.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    I’d like to understand why the other settings didn’t work, but in the meantime am grateful to just have Absolute Privacy working–thank you again. It’s going to take me a while to get up and running, and I don’t want my colleagues to see anything half-baked until I’m ready to reveal.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    If you haven’t had enough of this, perhaps I can try to show you on my site?…

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    Let me demonstrate instead. Please try to view https://quirm.net/theme-downloads/

    You will see a 404 “Page Not Found” – because you are not logged into that site. I can view it (and monitor downloads of my themes) because I am logged in.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    I’m turning off Absolute Privacy.

    On the Pages tab I see just two pages listed:
    1) Sample Page – Draft, Author is listed as me, Robots Meta = “index, follow”

    2) (no title) – Private, Robots Meta = ‘”noindex, nofollow”

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    Yikes, my last post overlapped yours again. Sorry about that. Will take a look at your link…

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    I viewed your link and saw the “Page Not Found” message.

    I just turned off Absolute Privacy, logged out, then navigated to my page and saw the Sample Page again. Sigh…

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    Hi Esmi,
    I can only laugh at myself. As a site moderator, is it possible for you to delete the name of my url from this string? I didn’t realize the Edit post option expires after a half-hour or so.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    Sorry – no. It is not general policy to delete anything from posts except in extreme circumstances.

    Thread Starter jmwpnyc

    (@jmwpnyc)

    Not even the url that I’m trying to keep private, that was necessary to provide so that you could assist?
    I hope all the other information will be helpful to other users. I just don’t want the name of my site to appear anywhere. Any consideration will be appreciated.

Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 32 total)
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