Unpublish Page
This guide explains how to take a live page offline. It helps you understand the "Unpublished" status—a state where the page is still editable by you but invisible to your visitors. You'll learn how to manage the lifecycle of your content so that only the most relevant pages are active on your site.
The Lifecycle of a Page
In Umbraco 17+, a page typically exists in one of three states: Draft (never been live), Published (live for everyone), or Unpublished (was live, but now hidden). When you choose to unpublish, Umbraco instantly removes the URL from the web. This foundation allows you to pull content down at a moment's notice without having to delete it, making it perfect for seasonal promotions or outdated news.
Impact on Site Navigation
When a page is unpublished, it automatically disappears from your site's navigation menus, sitemaps, and search results. However, it remains in your Content Tree with a distinct gray icon. This helps you keep a library of content that can be "switched on" again at any time. Start by identifying the page in your tree; if it has a green checkmark, it is currently live.
For a visual walkthrough of managing content and the backoffice interface in Umbraco 17+, you can refer to the official Umbraco HQ overview:
Note: This video shows the specific steps to toggle a page from 'Published' back to 'Unpublished' and how to check the status in the Info tab.
Other Related Tutorials
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[Tutorial] Publishing vs. Unpublishing (Official Docs)
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[Tutorial] Unpublishing a Page and All Its Children
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[Tutorial] Viewing Content Versions & History
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[Tutorial] Managing 404 Redirects for Hidden Pages
Action Steps to Unpublish
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Select the Page: Click on the page you want to hide in the Content tree.
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Access the Action Menu: Click the arrow next to the "Save and Publish" button at the bottom right.
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Select 'Unpublish': Choose the Unpublish option from the list.
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Confirm the Scope: A dialog will appear. If the page has subpages (children), you can choose to unpublish the parent only or unpublish the entire branch.
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Finalize: Click Unpublish. The page name in the tree will turn gray, and the page is now hidden from the public.
Pro-Tip: Before unpublishing a high-traffic page, check the Info tab to see its "Public URL." If people have bookmarked that link, they will see a "404 Not Found" error once you unpublish. It is often a good idea to set up a Redirect to a different live page first!