Public Preview for Drafts

Time-limited public preview links for drafts: block editor panel, classic publish box, and list row. Optional post types, noindex, no comments on preview.

Overview

Public Preview for Drafts creates signed, time-bound URLs that let people outside your WordPress installation read a draft exactly as it will appear when published—without creating user accounts, sharing passwords, or staging a full duplicate site. Generation and rotation controls live where editors already work: the block editor sidebar, the classic publish meta box, and quick rows on post list tables.

You decide which post types participate, how long links remain valid, whether search engines should see a noindex hint on preview responses, and whether comments are suppressed on preview traffic. Invalid or expired tokens should fail closed so arbitrary IDs cannot be enumerated to leak unpublished content.

Who is this for?

Client services firms shorten feedback loops when legal or brand must sign off before go-live. In-house marketing avoids exporting PDFs that immediately go stale. Product teams can preview release notes or changelog drafts with support before the post appears in RSS. Because links expire, you reduce long-lived exposure if a message thread leaks; regenerate when reviewers need another pass after substantive edits.

Features

PreviewLinks

Create, copy, refresh, or retire links from the editor and list views without leaving the post workflow.

Configurable Expiry

Tokens honor lifetimes you set so old Slack messages or emails do not open drafts forever.

Scoped Post Types

Advanced Settings restrict previews to posts, pages, or custom types that make sense for external review—omit private internal CPTs.

Noindex and Comment Discipline

Optional headers or meta reduce accidental indexing; disabling comments on preview avoids spam or confusing threads on unpublished work.

Validated Access Path

Requests validate secrets and context server-side rather than trusting hidden URLs alone, aligning with WordPress capabilities for the underlying post.

How It Works

Enable the Module (Premium)

Activate a valid WP PowerSuite license, then enable Public Preview for Drafts.

Configure Advanced Settings

Pick supported post types, default or maximum expiry, SEO and comment behavior, and save.

Draft Content Normally

Authors build posts in draft or pending status. When ready for review, open preview controls in the sidebar or publish box.

Share the Link

Copy the generated URL into email or chat. Recipients use a normal browser; no login prompt appears while the token is valid.

Rotate After Major Edits

When categories, slugs, or sensitive blocks change, generate a fresh link and retire old ones if your policy requires it.

Performance Note

Preview checks run only for matching preview requests. Normal readers browsing published content do not pay token validation costs. Keep expiry windows same to limit stale cache entries if intermediaries cache query strings—verify CDN rules do not cache personalized preview URLs broadly.

Installation & Activation

Install WP PowerSuite

Confirm core plugin activation.

License

Enter a valid license under WP PowerSuite license settings; this module is Premium.

Enable and Constrain Scope

Turn on the module and limit post types to what marketing is allowed to share externally.

Security Playbook

Coordinate with security plugins so legitimate preview query arguments are not stripped; test from an external network, not only localhost.

Requirements

PHP 8.1 or higher WordPress 6.0 or higher Permission to manage options (Administrator) Valid WP PowerSuite license (Premium module)

Use Cases

ComplianceReview
Legal review of regulated claims before publishing financial or medical posts.

QuoteApproval
Executive quotes in interviews where the speaker approves wording.

LocalizationReview
Multilingual review when translators verify layout before publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my preview link stop working?
Expiry elapsed, the draft was deleted, the token was rotated, or a security layer blocked the URL. Generate a new link from the editor after confirming the post still exists and the module is enabled.
Will Google index the preview URL?
With noindex enabled, crawlers are discouraged. Still avoid linking previews from public pages and purge CDN cache if a preview URL ever leaked.
Can reviewers see scheduled posts early?
Behavior depends on post status rules—typically drafts and pending statuses participate; scheduled posts may differ. Test the exact workflow you need.
What happens if someone shares the link widely?
Anyone with the URL can read until expiry. Use short expiries for sensitive material and regenerate after each review round.
Does it replace WordPress native “preview” for logged-in users?
No. Logged-in previews remain for staff. This feature targets unauthenticated reviewers.

Troubleshooting

Preview shows 404 or forbidden
Re-check license, supported post type, token string completeness (no truncation in email), and plugins that block unknown query vars.

Works locally but fails in production
Compare permalink settings, HTTPS mixed content, and firewall rules on the live host.

Comments appear when they should not
Toggle “no comments on preview” in Advanced Settings and clear object cache.

Structured data from SEO plugins doubles up
Ensure preview responses don’t attach duplicate JSON-LD intended only for published canonical URLs—coordinate plugin settings if previews look like live articles to crawlers.

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