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You might be using WordPress every day to publish blog posts, manage products, or update pages. But here’s the truth—most people barely scratch the surface of what WordPress can really do. Behind the familiar dashboard, there are dozens of hidden features that can save you hours of work, improve your site’s performance, and even make your workflow much smoother.
In fact, some of these gems have been in WordPress for years, but users (even experienced ones) don’t notice them until someone points them out. Curious? Let’s dive into 10 hidden WordPress features that you probably never noticed—but once you do, you’ll wonder how you lived without them.
Table of Content:
1. The Screen Options Tab
At the top right corner of your WordPress dashboard, there’s a small button called “Screen Options.” Most users never even click it!
- What it does: It allows you to show or hide dashboard elements. For example, when editing posts, you can enable options like categories, tags, excerpts, featured image, custom fields, or discussion settings.
- Why it matters: You get complete control over your workspace. Don’t like a cluttered dashboard? Hide what you don’t need. Want advanced options? Turn them on instantly.
This is especially useful if you want a clean interface for clients or new team members.
2. The Revisions Feature
Ever hit Update too soon and lost your original draft? WordPress has your back.
- What it does: WordPress automatically saves versions (called Revisions) every time you update a post or page.
- Where to find it: When editing a post, look in the right sidebar → Revisions → “Browse.”
- Why it matters: You can roll back to an older version of your post anytime. This is a lifesaver if multiple people work on content or if you make a big mistake while editing.
3. Sticky Posts
Want a post to stay at the top of your blog page even when you publish new content? That’s where Sticky Posts come in.
- What it does: Lets you “pin” a post to the top of your blog feed.
- How to use it: In the post edit screen → “Post” settings → check “Stick to the top of the blog.”
- Why it matters: Perfect for highlighting announcements, guides, or popular posts that you don’t want buried under new articles.
Many people use plugins for this, but WordPress has it built-in!
4. Quick Edit Option
Here’s one that can save you hours.
- What it does: Lets you edit multiple post details quickly without opening each one individually.
- How to use it: Go to Posts All Posts → hover over a post → click Quick Edit.
- What you can change: Title, slug, author, categories, tags, publish status, and more.
- Why it matters: If you’re updating dozens of posts (like adding categories or adjusting dates), Quick Edit is a game-changer.
5. The “Press This” Bookmarklet
This is one of the least-known WordPress tools.
- What it does: It’s a mini blogging tool that lets you clip content, images, and links from any website while browsing, then instantly add it to your WordPress drafts.
- Where to find it: Dashboard → Tools → Press This. Drag it to your bookmarks bar.
- Why it matters: Perfect for bloggers or news sites who want to curate content quickly.
While not heavily promoted, it’s still available in modern WordPress and can boost your publishing speed.
6. Built-in Image Editing
You don’t always need Photoshop or Canva for small edits. WordPress has its own image editor.
- What it does: Crop, resize, rotate, or flip images directly inside WordPress.
- How to use it: Go to Media Library → click an image → Edit Image.
- Why it matters: Super handy when you just need to resize a photo for performance or crop it for thumbnails.
7. Excerpt Read More Tag
Most WordPress users let their themes auto-generate post summaries, but you can actually control this manually.
- Excerpt: A custom-written summary that appears in blog listings and RSS feeds. You can add it in the post editor under Excerpt.
- Read More tag: Add !–more– in your post to break content and add a “Read More” link.
- Why it matters: Makes your blog look cleaner, improves readability, and lets you control what text shows up on previews.
8. Schedule Posts in Advance
Consistency is key for blogging—but you don’t have to stay up at midnight to hit “Publish.”
- What it does: Lets you set a future date/time for posts to go live automatically.
- How to use it: In the post editor → under “Publish” → change the date and time.
- Why it matters: Ideal for businesses targeting audiences in different time zones, or bloggers running content calendars.
9. Hidden Shortcuts in the Editor
Want to speed up content creation? WordPress has keyboard shortcuts and hidden editor tricks.
- Examples:
- Type / → quickly insert blocks.
- Ctrl + Shift + Alt + M → switch between visual and code editor.
- Shift + Alt + H → see a full list of shortcuts.
- Why it matters: Once you get used to them, you’ll fly through content creation much faster.
This is one of those small productivity hacks that separates casual users from power users.
10. Site Health Tool
Introduced in WordPress 5.2, this is like having a built-in site doctor.
- What it does: Scans your site for security and performance issues.
- Where to find it: Tools Site Health.
- Checks include: PHP version, HTTPS, recommended plugins, background updates, and more.
- Why it matters: Gives you a quick health score and actionable recommendations to keep your site safe and fast.
If you don’t want to pay for third-party audits, this free feature is a great starting point.
Conclusion
WordPress isn’t just about writing posts or installing plugins. Beneath the surface, it has dozens of hidden features designed to make your life easier. From saving lost work with Revisions, to customizing your dashboard with Screen Options, to improving security with the Site Health Tool—these small gems add up to a much smoother WordPress experience.
Now that you know about these 10 hidden WordPress features, try exploring them in your own dashboard. You’ll be surprised at how much more efficient (and fun) WordPress can be once you unlock its full potential.
Which of these features was new to you? Share your answer in the comments—I’d love to know!
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Hidden WordPress features are built-in tools and functions that most users overlook. They can save time, improve content creation, and make managing your site easier.
