How to Schedule Posts in WordPress

The ability to schedule posts or articles in WordPress is a great way to regulate the creation and frequency of content. In case you have many articles waiting to be published, publishing them all at the same time might not be the best option. Therefore, this tutorial shows two easy ways to implement scheduled posts in WordPress:

1. Using built-in tools
2. Via WordPress plugins

How to schedule posts in WordPress through the dashboard

The first way to schedule posts in WordPress would be using the built-in tool provided in the post editor. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to the section Entries > Add New;
2. On the top right side, you will see the menu Postwhere you can modify the post time.
3. Click the button Edit and define the desired publication date with precision of minutes, hours, days, months and years.
4. When you’re done, click the button Program and your post will be published at the specified time.

That is all! You have successfully scheduled a WordPress post.

How to schedule posts in WordPress through plugins

While the method mentioned above is efficient enough for scheduling WordPress posts, you can go a step further and use plugins for more functionality. Here are some notable plugins and their main features:

• It includes a widget that shows all scheduled entries.
• Allows you to control who sees the widget based on the user’s role.
• It offers the possibility to publish scheduled posts immediately.

• Allows you to set the expiration date of an entry.
• It gives you the option to overwrite expired entries with others.

• Replaces the built-in scheduling tool with a JavaScript calendar.
• It offers the option to choose a date graphically instead of entering it manually.
• It allows you to define and shorten the names of the months among other options.

Advantages and disadvantages of scheduling posts in WordPress

The option to schedule posts in WordPress has several advantages. It will help you:

1. Maintain a flow of content even while you are traveling or on vacation;
2. Prepare in advance for special occasions or promotions;
3. Adapt to global audiences by publishing according to their peak activity times;
4. Keep things tidy, which is especially helpful when managing multiple websites;
5. Maintain more control over your content compared to other content management systems.

However, there are two sides to the coin and things don’t always go according to plan. Some of the disadvantages that you can find are:

1. Miss scheduled entries due to the unique way that cron jobs they work in WordPress;
2. Migration of the website or making certain changes to the server may cause irregularities.

All in all, the pros of scheduling WordPress posts far outweigh the cons by giving you greater consistency, efficiency, and control.

final words

In this tutorial, we’ve learned two easy ways to schedule posts in WordPress, including:

1. Use the built-in WordPress publishing tools;
2. Configure a plugin from the official repository.

If you have any questions, tips, or tricks, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Gustavo is passionate about creating websites. He focuses on the application of SEO strategies at for Spain and Latin America, as well as the creation of high-level content. When he is not applying new WordPress tricks you can find him playing the guitar, traveling or taking an online course.