This is What to Do When Your WordPress Posts Aren't Displaying Despite Existing in the Database
As a WordPress site owner, there's nothing more frustrating than having content that you know is in the database, but just won't show up on your live site. You double-check the post, it's definitely there, but it simply refuses to display.
This is a surprisingly common issue that WordPress users face, and it can have a number of different causes. The good news is that there are also a number of potential solutions to get your posts visible again.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk through the most common reasons why your WordPress posts might not be displaying, as well as step-by-step troubleshooting tips to get your content back up and running.
Common Reasons WordPress Posts Aren't Displaying
Before we dive into the solutions, let's first take a look at some of the most common reasons why your WordPress posts may not be displaying despite existing in the database:
1. Post Visibility is Set to Private or Password-Protected
One of the most common causes is that the post's visibility has been set to "Private" or "Password-protected" instead of "Public." This essentially hides the post from your live site, even though it still exists in the database.
2. Post is Scheduled for a Future Publication Date
If you've scheduled a post to go live at a future date, it won't display on your site until that scheduled date arrives. Double-check your post's publication date to ensure it hasn't been accidentally set for a future date.
3. Post is in a Custom Post Type That Isn't Being Displayed
WordPress allows you to create custom post types beyond the standard "Post" and "Page" types. If the missing post is in a custom post type, it may not be included in your site's standard post queries unless you've specifically set up that custom post type to display.
4. Post Has Been Moved to Trash or Deleted
Of course, the post could also simply have been moved to the trash or permanently deleted from the WordPress database. If this is the case, you may be able to restore it from the trash, but if it's been deleted, you'll need to recreate the post.
5. Caching Plugin or CDN Interference
Sometimes, caching plugins or content delivery networks (CDNs) can cause issues with post visibility, either by caching an outdated version of the page or by interfering with the post queries in some way.
6. Plugin or Theme Conflicts
Finally, any conflicts or incompatibilities between your WordPress plugins or theme can potentially cause issues with post visibility. A plugin may be overriding your post queries, or your theme may not be properly displaying the post content.
Troubleshooting Solutions
Now that we've covered the most common reasons why your WordPress posts might not be displaying, let's dive into some troubleshooting steps to get your content visible again.
1. Check Post Visibility and Publication Date
The first step is to simply double-check the post's visibility and publication date settings. Go to the post editor, and under the "Publish" or "Status & Visibility" box, make sure the visibility is set to "Public" and the publication date is correct.
If the post is set to "Private" or "Password-protected," change it to "Public" and update the post. If the publication date is set for the future, you can either change it to the current date or keep it scheduled for the future, depending on your needs.
2. Verify the Post Exists in the Database
Next, you'll want to verify that the post actually exists in the WordPress database. There are a few ways to do this:
- WordPress Admin Dashboard: In your WordPress admin dashboard, go to the "Posts" section and see if the post is listed. If it is, you know it exists in the database.
- phpMyAdmin: If you have access to your website's phpMyAdmin dashboard, you can directly query the WordPress database. Look for the
wp_posts
table and search for the post.
- WordPress Database Plugin: You can also use a WordPress plugin like "WP-DB-Manager" to view and manage your site's database directly from the admin dashboard.
If the post doesn't appear in any of these places, then it's likely that the post has been deleted or moved to the trash. You may be able to restore it from the trash, or you'll need to recreate the post.
3. Check Custom Post Type Visibility
If the missing post is in a custom post type, you'll need to ensure that the custom post type is properly configured to display on your site.
Go to the "Settings" section of your WordPress admin dashboard and look for the "Reading" settings. Make sure the custom post type is included in the "For each archive, show" setting.
You may also need to check your theme or plugin settings to ensure the custom post type is properly integrated and displayed.
4. Disable Caching and CDN
As mentioned earlier, caching plugins and CDNs can sometimes interfere with post visibility. Try temporarily disabling any caching plugins or CDN services you have enabled, then check if your posts start displaying properly.
If that resolves the issue, you can either keep the caching disabled or try to configure the plugin or CDN settings to work with your WordPress post queries.
5. Deactivate Plugins and Switch to Default Theme
If the post visibility issue seems to be caused by a plugin or theme conflict, try deactivating all your plugins and switching to the default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-One).
Once you've done that, check if your posts are displaying correctly. If they are, you know the issue was caused by a plugin or theme conflict. You can then reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit, or switch to a different WordPress theme.
6. Regenerate .htaccess File
Your WordPress site's .htaccess
file is responsible for handling URL rewrites and other server-level configurations. Sometimes, issues with this file can cause problems with post visibility.
Try regenerating the .htaccess
file by going to the "Settings" > "Permalinks" section in your WordPress admin dashboard and clicking the "Save Changes" button. This will force WordPress to recreate the .htaccess
file with the correct settings.
7. Clear All Caches and Perform a Hard Refresh
If you've tried all the above steps and your posts still aren't displaying, try clearing all caches (browser, server, CDN, etc.) and performing a hard refresh on your site. This can help ensure you're seeing the latest, uncached version of your pages.
Conclusion
Getting your WordPress posts to display properly when they exist in the database can be a frustrating experience, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can usually get to the bottom of the issue.
Remember to check post visibility, publication dates, custom post type configurations, and potential plugin or theme conflicts. Disabling caching and regenerating your .htaccess
file can also help resolve visibility issues.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to get your WordPress posts displaying correctly again in no time. And if you're still having trouble, don't hesitate to reach out to the Flowpoint.ai team for further assistance. We can help you identify the technical errors impacting your site's content visibility and provide tailored recommendations to get your website performing at its best