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Locking your first page

1 min read

Install and activate #

  1. Go to Plugins → Add New and search for Content Time Lock, or upload the zip under Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
  2. Click Install Now, then Activate.

The plugin needs WordPress 5.5 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer. There is no setup wizard and no database step — a Time Locker item appears in the admin menu and you can start locking straight away.

Lock a page #

  1. Open the page you want to hold back in the editor.
  2. Click Meta Boxes at the bottom of the editor to open the panel drawer, and find Time Lock Content.
  3. Switch on Enable Time Lock. The rest of the fields appear.
  4. Under Restrict Access To, choose who should be held back — see Choosing who is restricted if you are not sure.
  5. Leave Lock Mode on Unlock on specific date and set the Unlock Date & Time.
  6. Click Update.
The Time Lock Content panel with the lock enabled, a fixed unlock date, an override message and a call-to-action button
The whole panel. The preview on the right updates as you change things, so you can see what visitors will get.

That is the lock live. The content stays hidden from the people you named until the date and time you set, in your site’s own timezone (Settings → General if you need to check it).

Check it looks right #

Anyone who can edit the page — you included — always sees the real content, so opening it in your own browser will not show you the lock. Two ways to see what visitors see:

  • The Preview panel beside the settings, which renders the card as you configure it.
  • A private browsing window, or a test account with the role you restricted.

If you enable the lock and leave the unlock date empty, the content stays hidden indefinitely. Always set a date before you publish something people are waiting for.

Locking your first page
Content Time Lock
What are your Feelings