How do I schedule posts to publish later in WordPress?
Applies to: WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Last updated: May 2025
Problem
You’ve written a blog post or article but want it to publish at a future date and time—automatically—without having to log in and hit “Publish” manually.
Solution
WordPress allows you to schedule posts for future publication with just a few clicks using the built-in post editor. This is ideal for maintaining a consistent content calendar or publishing during peak traffic times.
Step-by-Step: How to Schedule a Post
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard
- Go to Posts > Add New (or edit an existing draft)
- Create or finalize your content in the post editor
- In the right-hand sidebar, under Post > Summary, find the Publish section
- Click the date and time next to the word “Immediately”
- Set your desired future date and time
- Once scheduled, the Publish button changes to Schedule
- Click Schedule to confirm
Your post will now automatically go live at the time you selected.
Example
If you want a post to go live at 8:00 AM on September 10, 2025:
- Set the date to 2025-09-10
- Set the time to 08:00
- Click Schedule
How to View or Edit Scheduled Posts
- Go to Posts > All Posts
- Use the filter or search bar to find Scheduled posts
- Hover over a scheduled post and click Edit to change the content, date, or time
How to Cancel a Scheduled Post
- Open the post for editing
- Change the Publish date back to “Immediately”
- The Schedule button will revert to Publish
- Click Publish to make the post live right away
Notes
- WordPress uses the site’s timezone as set in Settings > General. Be sure it matches your desired timezone before scheduling.
- Scheduled posts will not publish if your site is offline or affected by a plugin conflict, so consider monitoring them with a plugin like WP Missed Schedule if you post frequently.
