Edit or delete blog posts in WordPress

A published WordPress post is not set in stone. You can revise, update, assign to a different category, replace the featured image, or change the publication status of existing blog posts at any time.

Deleting a post is also straightforward. However, you should be more careful here: if a post was already published and its URL was indexed by search engines or linked by other websites, simply deleting it can lead to a broken URL.

In this guide, we will show you how to edit existing WordPress posts, manage multiple posts efficiently, control changes with revisions, and delete posts properly. We will also explain what you should consider regarding URLs that have already been published.

Briefly explained: Under Posts → All Posts you can find your existing WordPress posts. There you can open, edit, update, or move a post to the trash. For posts that have been published for a while, you should check whether the previous URL is still needed before finally deleting them.

Show all WordPress posts #

You can find the central management of your blog posts in the WordPress admin area under:

Posts → All Posts

There WordPress displays an overview of the existing posts.

Depending on the WordPress version, user permissions, and installed plugins, the following information, among others, may be visible:

• Title
• Author
• Categories
• Keywords
• Comments
• Publication date or status

Plugins can add additional columns to this overview, such as SEO information.

Edit existing WordPress post #

If you want to change the complete content of a post, you open it in the WordPress editor.

Edit post #

1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. Open Posts → All Posts.
3. Search for the desired post.
4. Click on the title of the post or on Edit.
5. Make the desired changes.
6. Check the post in the preview.
7. Click on Update, to save the changes.

If you want to create a new post first, you can find the basics in our guide. Creating a blog post in WordPress: Step-by-step guide.

What can be changed in an existing post? #

Basically, you can edit almost all editorial components of a post afterwards.

This includes, for example:

• Post title
• Text
• Headlines
• Pictures
• Links
• Lists and tables
• Categories
• Keywords
• Featured image
• Excerpt
• Author
• Publication status
• Release date
• Permalink or slug

However, for a page that has already been published, you should not change any of this information without careful consideration. Particular caution is required when it comes to a post's URL.

Edit post text #

If your post was created with the WordPress block editor, you can edit the existing blocks directly.

Click, for example, inside a paragraph to change its text, or select an image block if you want to replace an image.

You can also:

• add new blocks
• delete existing blocks
• Move blocks
• Duplicate blocks
• Change headings
• Add or remove links

For longer posts, the List view, to get a quicker overview of the existing block structure.

Save changes #

For an already published post, the button usually appears in the editor Update.

By clicking this, the changes you made will be saved and the published version of the post will be updated accordingly.

Then open the post on the public website and check whether the result actually looks as intended.

Use preview before updating #

For larger changes, you should use the preview function before updating the post.

This is especially useful if you:

• you have changed several sections
• You have exchanged pictures
• you inserted new tables
• you changed the heading structure
• you have made extensive formatting changes

The display in the editor does not have to match the public display exactly, as the active theme or the used post template has additional design specifications.

Change post title retroactively #

You can edit the title of a published post at any time.

This can make sense if the previous title:

• is vaguely worded
• no longer matches the updated content
• contains an outdated product or feature name
• unnecessarily long is
• poorly describes the actual question

After a change, you should check whether the new title still fits the existing URL and the content of the post.

Does the URL change automatically with the title? #

For a post that has already been published, you should not assume that WordPress will automatically replace the existing slug accordingly every time the title is changed.

This generally makes sense, because otherwise a small change in the title could unintentionally alter the URL of an already published article.

The title and the slug are two different components of a WordPress post.

Change the slug of a published post #

The slug is the individual part of a post's URL.

At:

https://deine-domain.ch/blog/wordpress-plugin-installieren

is for example:

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the slug.

WordPress allows you to change this later as well. However, for a post that has already been published, you should only do this for a specific reason.

Important: Changing the slug usually also means changing the URL. If internal links, external backlinks, saved bookmarks, or search engine listings already exist for the old address, they may otherwise point to a URL that is no longer accessible.

When can changing a slug be useful? #

A change may be useful, for example, if:

• the original slug contains a typo
• the URL was accidentally chosen incorrectly during creation
• the topic of the post has fundamentally changed
• a website's structure is revised in a controlled manner

For a new post that has not been published yet, you can adjust the slug much more easily.

What happens to the old URL? #

If the URL of an already published post changes, it should be checked what happens to the previous address.

If the content has merely moved to a new URL, a permanent redirect from the old address to the new one is often useful.

This allows visitors who still access the old address to be redirected to the new destination.

Whether WordPress, your SEO plugin, or another system automatically sets up such a redirect depends on your configuration. Therefore, do not rely on it; instead, test the old URL after making a change.

Check internal links after a URL change #

Even if a redirect has been set up, you should update important internal links to the current destination address whenever possible.

For example, if ten other posts still point to the old URL, navigation via a redirect may still work, but a direct internal link to the current destination is technically cleaner.

We explain how WordPress permalinks work in principle at Configure permalink settings in WordPress.

Change category of a post #

You can assign an existing post to a different category at any time.

To do this, open the post and change the selected categories in the post settings.

Alternatively, certain changes can also be made via the post overview or quick edit.

Please note that changing the category can affect the URL depending on your permalink structure, if categories are part of your post URLs.

We explain how categories work in general under Creating categories and subcategories in WordPress.

Change post tags #

Tags or keywords can also be added or removed later.

Use keywords, but not randomly. They should be part of a coherent content structure and not reinvented for every post.

We explain how to manage existing tags under Edit or delete existing tags in WordPress.

Replace featured image #

The featured image can also be changed at any time.

Change featured image #

1. Open the desired post.
2. Open the post settings.
3. Search the area Featured image.
4. Select the function to replace or change the image.
5. Select an existing image or upload a new file.
6. Check the display.
7. Update the post.

Depending on the theme, the featured image is used not only in the article itself, but also on blog, category, and other archive pages.

Do not automatically delete old featured image from the media library #

When you replace a featured image, you should not automatically delete the previous image file from the WordPress media library.

Just because the image is no longer used as the featured image for this post doesn't mean it isn't needed anywhere else on your website.

For example, the same file could be in:

• other posts
• Pages
• Galleries
• Widgets
• Templates

be used.

You can find more about managing uploaded files under Managing media in WordPress.

Change post author #

When multiple users work on a WordPress website, it may be necessary to assign a post to a different author.

Whether you can change the author depends on your user rights and the WordPress configuration.

The available users and their permissions are managed via the WordPress role system.

You can find more about this at Managing users in WordPress: roles, capabilities, and user accounts.

Change release date #

WordPress also allows changing the publication date.

This can be useful for certain editorial workflows. However, you should not simply change the date to make an old article appear artificially newer.

When a technical article has been updated, its content should also have actually been reviewed and revised.

Update old post instead of creating a new post #

If an article on a topic already exists, it often makes more sense to update it rather than publish a second, nearly identical post.

Assuming you already own an article:

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and the user interface has changed. In that case, updating the existing article professionally usually makes more sense than a second post with almost the same search and user intent.

Several very similar posts can unnecessarily bloat the website and also make internal navigation more difficult.

What should be checked during an update? #

For technical articles, it is not enough to just change a single word or the date.

Check, for example:

• Are the described menu paths still correct?
• Are screenshots still relevant?
• Do the described functions still exist?
• Do internal links work?
• Do external links work?
• Are product and plugin names up to date?
• Are version numbers correct?
• Is there a better approach by now?
• Are important new features missing?

WordPress, themes and plugins in particular are constantly evolving.

Quick Edit: Edit post quickly #

You don't have to open the full WordPress editor for every change.

Under Posts → All Posts Is there normally a function for posts Quick edit available.

This allows various metadata to be changed directly in the post overview.

Depending on the WordPress version and configuration, these may include, for example:

• Title
• Slug
• Date
• Author
• Categories
• Keywords
• Comment status
• Publication status

The actual post content is not edited via quick edit in the same way as in the normal block editor.

When is express processing useful? #

Quick edit is particularly suitable for small administrative changes.

For example, if you:

• you want to correct a category
• found a typo in the title
• want to change the author
• you want to change the status of a post

For changes to the actual content, however, you should use the normal editor.

Edit multiple posts at once #

WordPress offers bulk editing for multiple posts.

Edit multiple posts #

1. Open Posts → All Posts.
2. Mark the desired posts using the checkboxes.
3. Select for multiple actions Edit.
4. Click on Take over.
5. Make the requested joint changes.
6. Confirm the editing.

With this, you can change certain properties of multiple posts at the same time without having to open each article individually.

Use filters in the post overview #

If a website has many posts, the overview can quickly become extensive.

WordPress therefore provides filter and search options.

Depending on the interface, you can filter or search posts by, for example:

• Status
• Date
• Category
• Search term

This is how you can find a specific article faster without having to navigate through numerous pages of the post overview.

What are WordPress revisions? #

WordPress can save various editing states of a post as Revisions save.

This allows you to compare previous versions of supported content and restore an older state if necessary.

This is helpful, for example, when:

• a section was accidentally deleted
• an extensive change is to be undone
• several people have worked on a contribution
• you want to understand how an article has changed

Restore previous revision of a post #

If revisions exist for a post, you can open them via the corresponding post settings or the revisions view.

WordPress shows differences between various revisions there.

Check and restore revision #

1. Open the affected post.
2. Open the existing revisions.
3. Compare the saved versions.
4. Select the desired level.
5. Restore the corresponding revision.
6. Then check the complete post.

The exact display may vary depending on the WordPress version and editor.

Revisions are not a complete backup #

Revisions are helpful, but they do not replace a backup of the WordPress website.

They refer to saved editing states of specific content and are not intended to restore an entire website after a technical problem.

Depending on the backup system, a backup may also include, for example:

• Database
• Plugins
• Themes
• Uploads
• Configuration files

Note: Revisions help with editorial errors within a post. A website backup serves a much more comprehensive purpose.

Revert post to draft #

If a published post should temporarily no longer appear publicly, you can change its status back to Draft Sit.

This does not delete the post. It remains in the WordPress admin area and can be edited further.

Please note, however, that this may mean the previously public URL can no longer be accessed by normal visitors as before.

For an already indexed post, you should therefore also consider the impact on the URL here.

Set post to private #

Alternatively, depending on the desired purpose, a post can be private to be published.

Private posts are only visible to appropriately authorized WordPress users.

This is something different than a draft: A private post has a published status, but is not generally accessible to the public.

Protect post with password #

WordPress also allows password protection for a post.

Visitors must then know the set password to access the protected content.

This function is suitable for simple access restrictions. However, it does not replace a complete user, member, or permission system.

Delete WordPress post #

When a post is no longer needed, you can move it to the trash.

Delete single post #

1. Open Posts → All Posts.
2. Search for the desired post.
3. Choose Recycle Bin.
4. The post will be moved to the trash.

The post is therefore not necessarily permanently removed from WordPress yet.

Move post from the editor to the trash #

You can also move a post directly to the trash from the editing area.

Depending on the WordPress version and editor interface, the corresponding function can be found in the post settings or the action menu.

Before deleting, check the title and URL once more so you don't accidentally remove the wrong post.

What is the WordPress trash? #

Posts that you delete are usually first moved to the Recycle Bin Postponed.

This gives you the opportunity to restore an accidentally deleted post as long as it is still there.

The recycle bin is thus a security level between the normal post and final deletion.

Restore deleted post #

As long as a post is still in the trash, you can usually restore it.

Restore post from trash #

1. Open Posts → All Posts.
2. Switch to view Recycle Bin.
3. Search for the desired post.
4. Click on Restore.
5. Then check the status of the post.

Delete post permanently #

You can also permanently delete a post in the trash.

After that, the normal WordPress recovery function via the trash is no longer available.

Therefore, before finally deleting an important post, you should make sure that you no longer need its content.

Attention: „Permanently delete“ is different from „Move to Trash“. When dealing with permanently deleted content, do not rely on being able to easily recover it later via WordPress.

What happens to images when I delete a post? #

Deleting a post does not automatically mean that all media files used within it are also deleted from the WordPress media library.

This makes sense in principle, because the same images might be used elsewhere on the website.

If you also want to remove its images after deleting a post, you first need to check whether these files are truly not needed anywhere else.

What happens to categories and tags? #

When you delete a post, its categories and tags are not automatically deleted.

They can still be used for other posts.

If a category or tag subsequently no longer contains any posts, you can decide separately whether this taxonomy is still needed.

Should you even delete an old post? #

Not every outdated post needs to be deleted.

Often there are better ways:

• Update post
• replace outdated sections
• merge several similar posts
• redirect an old post to a better follow-up article

Which solution makes sense depends on the content.

Update or delete outdated post? #

First, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the topic still relevant?
• Are visitors still looking for this information?
• Can the post be updated in a professionally meaningful way?
• Does a better article on the same topic already exist?
• Does the post contain internal or external links?
• Does the site still get visitors?

If the topic is still relevant, a revision is often better than complete removal.

Merge two similar posts #

Over time, multiple posts can be created on a website that answer nearly the same question.

For example:

• Speed up WordPress
• Improve WordPress performance
• Speed up WordPress website

If these articles serve largely the same user intent, it may make sense to combine the best content into one comprehensive post.

The weaker or redundant contribution can then, if necessary, be redirected to the remaining article.

What is thin content? #

Thin content is often used to describe pages that offer very little independent or helpful content for visitors.

However, a low word count alone does not automatically make a post bad.

A short guide can be completely sufficient if the question is answered completely in a few steps.

For example, numerous pages that repeat almost the same content or do not meaningfully answer a distinct user query are more problematic.

Do not automatically delete every short post #

The decision on a post should not be made based on its word count alone.

A 400-word article can do an excellent job of answering a specific question, while a 3,000-word article can be unnecessarily bloated and unhelpful.

Content, search intent, professional quality, and actual value are what matters.

SEO: What happens when a post is deleted? #

If a post was publicly accessible, search engines may already know its URL.

After deletion, this address may no longer be reachable.

That is not automatically a problem. If content has actually been permanently removed and no meaningful replacement exists, a URL is also allowed to disappear.

If there is a content-wise matching successor, a redirect can make sense.

Do not redirect every deleted URL to the homepage #

A blanket redirection of all deleted posts to the homepage is not a good strategy.

A redirect should have a meaningful destination in terms of content.

For example, if a visitor accesses an article about WordPress plugins, an updated article on the same topic is a logical destination. A general homepage, on the other hand, is often not an equivalent substitute.

404 or redirect? #

Which solution is correct depends on the reason for the removal.

A redirect can make sense if:

• the content continues to exist under a new URL
• two posts were merged
• a clear successor in terms of content exists

A URL that no longer exists, on the other hand, can be correct if:

• the content has been permanently removed
• no sensible replacement exists
• the URL was created accidentally or without relevant content

You should therefore not automatically create a redirect for every deleted URL.

Check internal links before deleting #

Before finally deleting an older post, you should check whether other content on your website links to it.

Otherwise, internal links to a page that no longer exists will be created.

You should either [handle] such links:

• change to suitable new content
• or remove if no meaningful target exists

This control is particularly important for an extensive knowledge base because individual guides are deliberately linked to one another.

You cannot change external links yourself #

If an external website links to your post, you normally cannot edit this external link yourself.

If the old post is continued under a new URL or a clear successor exists, a corresponding redirect can therefore be particularly useful.

Delete multiple posts at once #

If multiple posts need to be removed, you don't have to move them to the trash individually.

Move multiple posts to trash #

1. Open Posts → All Posts.
2. Mark the desired posts.
3. Open the multi-action menu.
4. Choose Move to Trash.
5. Click on Take over.
6. Then check the recycle bin.

With many posts, you should check particularly carefully which entries were marked.

We also cover bulk deletion in our guide. Delete multiple posts in WordPress simultaneously.

Why don't I see „Edit“ or „Delete“? #

If certain features are missing from a post, your user permissions may be the cause.

WordPress uses different user roles with different permissions.

An administrator has extensive rights, while other roles are only allowed to edit or publish specific content.

Check first which user account you are logged in with.

Post cannot be updated #

If WordPress does not save changes, various technical causes may be responsible.

This includes, for example:

• expired registration
• Plugin conflicts
• JavaScript problems
• REST API issues
• faulty HTTPS configuration
• Server or PHP error
• Safety rules
• Connection issues

Note down the exact error message before you begin troubleshooting. A specific message like „Update failed“ is significantly more helpful than just „WordPress doesn't work“.

Change is saved, but not publicly visible #

If WordPress confirms the update, but the old content still appears on the public website, a cache may be involved.

Possible cache layers include, for example:

• browser cache
• WordPress cache plugin
• server-side cache
• CDN
• Page Builder Cache

Test the page first in a private browser window or after a targeted cache refresh.

Always check the post after editing #

Especially with major changes, the workflow should not end with a click on Update End.

Open the public URL and check:

• Is the new content visible?
• Do the links work?
• Are images loading correctly?
• Is the heading structure correct?
• Is the featured image correct?
• Does the mobile display work?

This is how you notice problems before they go unnoticed for a long time.

A backup before extensive changes? #

For correcting a single typo, you normally do not need a complete new data backup before every change.

However, for extensive editorial or technical work on a website, you should know what backup options are available.

Revisions can help with changes to post content, but they do not replace a complete website backup.

Typical mistakes when editing and deleting posts #

• Change the slug of a well-established post for no reason
• do not test old URL after a change
• keep internal links to a deleted page
• redirect every deleted URL to the homepage by default
• deleting an outdated article even though an update would make more sense
• keep several almost identical posts in parallel
• delete old featured image from the media library without checking its further use
• Confusing revisions with a full backup
• Change publication date without actually updating the content
• Save changes, but do not check the public page
• permanently delete a post even though it was only supposed to be removed temporarily

Note: Editing is usually hassle-free – deleting should be a conscious decision. For an already published post, its URL, internal links, and potential replacement content are always part of the decision.

When should you contact CURIAWEB support? #

As a CURIAWEB customer, if you cannot technically edit, save, or delete a post, you can contact our support.

Helpful in this regard are:

• the affected domain
• the title or the URL of the post
• the exact error message
• the action where the error occurs
• whether the problem started after a WordPress, theme, or plugin update

In contrast, deciding which editorial content should be merged, updated, or removed for SEO or content reasons is a matter of content or SEO rather than a technical WordPress error.

Summary #

You manage existing WordPress posts under Posts → All Posts. For extensive changes, open the standard editor. Minor administrative adjustments can often be made via quick editing or, for multiple items, via bulk editing.

You should be especially careful when changing the URL and when deleting previously published posts. Check whether internal or external links to the previous address exist and whether there is sensible successor content. Not every removed URL requires a redirect, and a blanket redirect to the homepage is not a good solution.

If an article is merely outdated, a technical update is often more sensible than deletion. Revisions can help restore earlier states of a post's edits. However, they do not replace a full backup of your WordPress website.

If you want to create a new article instead, you can find the complete procedure under Create a blog post in WordPress. We explain how to remove multiple posts at once under Delete multiple posts in WordPress simultaneously.