How to Schedule Blog Posts in WordPress (Without a Plugin)

Filed under:
Tips & Tricks, WordPress

WordPress has a lot of hidden features. Some you might stumble upon, and others you might only discover after going down the Google rabbit hole trying to solve a problem.

One of these hidden gems is something I have been asked about quite a few times: how do you schedule blog posts ahead of time in WordPress? Trust me, you’re not alone and yes I’ve been there myself.

The first time I wanted to schedule a post, I was poking around the block editor thinking, Surely this has to be a built-in feature? I mean, I can’t be the only person who doesn’t want to log in at 7 AM on a Tuesday just to hit publish, right? I started Googling for plugins that would let you do it (and there are some of course). But I decided to dig around a bit more because it seemed like such a basic feature to have.

And guess what? It’s actually really simple. I promise when you get to the end of this post, you’re going to be like, “Ooooooh, of course!” So let’s dive into it!

How to Schedule a Blog Post in WordPress

Scheduling blog posts is a life-saver if you batch content or just love planning ahead Once you finish writing your awesome SEO-optimised blog post, you can schedule it and forget about it. No alarms. No reminders. No frantic last-minute logins.

Here’s your quick step-by-step guide to scheduling posts in WordPress – without any extra plugins (because honestly, fewer plugins = a happier, faster website).

Step-by-Step: Scheduling a Post in WordPress

Alright, so you’ve finished your post and it’s ready to go… but you don’t want it published just yet. Maybe you’re planning a launch, taking a holiday, or just love being ahead of schedule (go you!). Here’s what you do:

  1. When you’re ready to post, click the blue “Publish” button in the top right corner of the right side panel.
  2. The side panel will change and say “Are you ready to publish?”.
  3. Scroll down to the tab that says “Publish: Immediately” and click on it.
  4. A calendar and time picker will open.
  5. Choose the date and time you want the post to go live.
  6. You’ll notice as soon as you select a future date/time, the “Publish” button will change to “Schedule.”
  7. Click “Schedule,” and you’re DONE!

🎉 Cue confetti — your post is officially scheduled!

Publish Immediately
After choosing a future date.

Why Scheduling Posts Is the Bees Knees

Besides making you feel like a super-organised genius, scheduling blog posts has a lot of perks:

  • Consistency: Posts go out at the same time each week or month, even if you’re busy.
  • Work smarter: Batch create your content and schedule it all at once.
  • Stress less: No more “Oh no, I forgot to publish today’s post!” moments.

Quick Pro Tip: Double-Check Your Timezone

Before you get too comfy, quick PSA: Make sure your WordPress site is set to the correct timezone!

You can check or update this under Settings > General > Timezone in your WordPress dashboard. Otherwise, your perfectly timed post might go live a few hours off.

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! Scheduling blog posts in WordPress is easy peasy, no plugin necessary. 👌

Now you can plan your content like a pro, take those well-deserved breaks, and still show up consistently for your audience. Magic, right?