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Novice Guide: Successfully Backdating Your WordPress Posts

Jul 2, 2024

Changing the date on your WordPress posts can be useful for many different reasons. You might want to reorder posts on your blog page, refresh older content to keep it relevant or adjust the publication date to coincide with specific events. 

Fortunately, WordPress offers straightforward options to change post dates individually, whether you need to backdate them or schedule future publications.

In this article, we’ll explore the main methods for changing your WordPress post dates and demonstrate how to streamline the process by bulk editing dates using Admin Columns. This will provide you with the tools and knowledge to manage your post dates effectively and enhance your blog’s visibility.

Step-by-step guide to backdating your WordPress posts

Method 1: Backdating posts from the Posts list table

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to All Posts.

    Going to All Posts from the WordPress dashboard
  2. Locate the post you wish to update and click on Quick Edit under the post’s title.

    Quick edit button in WordPress
  3. In the Quick Edit interface, find the date field, change it to your desired date, and click Update to save the changes.

    Quick edit window for posts in WordPress

Method 2: Backdating posts from the WordPress Classic Editor

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to ‘Posts’.

  2. Find the post you want to update and click ‘Edit’ to open it in the Classic Editor.

    Edit button for individual posts
  3. The current publication date is displayed in the Publish panel on the right. To edit it, click ‘Edit’ next to the date.

    View of the classic WordPress editor and the post date settings
  4. Change the date to your preferred date and click OK.

    Editing the date in the classic editor
  5. Finally, click Update, Schedule, or Publish, depending on whether you are backdating the post, scheduling it for the future, or publishing it immediately.

Method 3: Backdating posts from the WordPress Gutenberg Editor

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Posts.

  2. Find the post you want to update and click Edit to open it in the Gutenberg Editor.

  3. In the sidebar on the right, under the Post options, you’ll see the current publication date. Click on the date to edit it.

    Editing the post date in the Gutenberg editor
  4. Change the date to your desired date.

  5. Click Update, Schedule, or Publish to save your changes.

Backdating WordPress posts in bulk with Admin Columns

Admin Columns Homepage

While WordPress’s default options for backdating posts are perfect for individual updates, managing multiple posts can be time-consuming. Admin Columns offers a powerful solution to solve this problem with bulk editing and efficient data management features.

Admin Columns is a versatile plugin designed to enhance WordPress data management. It provides an array of features to simplify the process of reviewing, managing, and updating your post data, including publication dates. Here’s how you can bulk edit post dates using Admin Columns:

  1. Go to the Posts section from your WordPress dashboard.

  2. Check the boxes next to each post you want to edit.

    Selecting posts to bulk edit
  3. Click on Bulk Edit in the Date column.

    Bulk editing the date column
  4. Adjust the date as needed and click Update to save the changes.

    Bulk editing the post publishing date

Admin Columns offers more than just bulk editing. Here are some additional features that make managing your WordPress posts easier:

  1. Inline editing: This feature allows you to edit almost any data type directly from the list table. It’s faster and more convenient than WordPress’s default quick edit option. For example, you can update post dates, titles, or custom fields in a snap.

    Changing the post date directly from the list table
  2. Smart filtering: Admin Columns enables you to filter your posts by almost any data type or condition, making it simple to segment your posts for targeted analysis or editing. You can quickly find posts by date, category, or custom field. For example, if you want to update all your listicles, you can filter them out with this feature and change the year to the current date so that readers know the information is up to date.

    Adding smart filters to the posts list table
  3. Customizable list tables: You can add, remove, and rearrange columns in your list tables to display the data most relevant to your needs. Admin Columns supports dozens of different column types, including custom field data, providing a tailored view of your content.

    Example of different table views for posts

These features are just the beginning of what Admin Columns offers. With this powerful plugin, you can optimize the way you manage your WordPress data beyond pages, as all of the features can be used on posts, products, users, orders, media, and custom post types.

Explore the full feature set to discover how Admin Columns can transform your workflow and make bulk editing a breeze.

Make backdating a breeze with Admin Columns

Backdating or updating post dates in WordPress can help keep your content organized and relevant. While WordPress provides basic options for this, taking your post management to the next level requires a more powerful tool.

Admin Columns is the ideal solution for efficiently managing post dates in bulk. It also offers advanced features such as superior quick editing via inline editing, smart filtering of post data, and customizable list table displays. These tools make it easier than ever to keep your content up-to-date and well-organized.

Don’t wait! Enhance your workflow and take control of your WordPress posts with Admin Columns.

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