WordPress will only show your website’s scheduled content to users with author, editor, and administrator responsibilities by default. Unless they are modified, none of the other user roles—including visitors—can view them.
If you are thinking of making your upcoming scheduled posts visible to the visitors of your website, in this simple guide, we will see how to list future upcoming or scheduled posts in WordPress.
Let’s dive in!
Why Should You List The Upcoming Scheduled Posts In WordPress?
It would be a good feature for community bloggers with large followings and readerships to display upcoming postings to their readers to generate anticipation and spark discussion.
Another good thing about it is that it may encourage visitors to discuss upcoming topics in the comments section, pre-register for events, or sign up for your newsletter.
It is a much-anticipated feature for the people who visit your website frequently to know what to expect shortly. This shows them that you care about their needs, and this is what turns users into fans.
This holds for all media, not just websites, movies, video games, novels, etc. Listing your upcoming material is an excellent technique for informing and enticing visitors to check it out.
Additionally, it’s a fantastic method to collect feedback from readers before finishing an article to improve it further and deliver better content than your competitors.
How to List Future Upcoming Scheduled Posts in WordPress
You can paste custom code to your theme’s functions.php file to display a list of upcoming posts on your WordPress website. But even the tiniest coding blunder could derail your website and prevent anyone from accessing it.
For this reason, I highly advise utilizing WPCode whenever a custom code is added. It is the most effective WordPress code snippets plugin, making code additions to your website secure and straightforward.
The first step is to install and activate the WPCode plugin. For more specific instructions, see this simple guide on WordPress plugin installation.
After activating the plugin, refresh your WordPress dashboard once. You will now see the option “Code Snippets” on the left-hand side panel.
Hover over it and choose the option “+ Add Snippet.”
This will open the Add Snippet page on your screen. To access it, hover over the first option card, which reads “Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet).” The option card will now display a blue button that reads “Use Snippet.” Click on it and wait for the next page to load.
On the next page, you can enter the name of your code snippet. This is completely optional and merely serves to identify and neaten the code snippet.
Next, select “PHP Snippet” from the drop-down menu on the right as the Code Type.
Here comes the central part. Now, you have to Ctrl+C(Copy) and Ctrl+V(Paste) the code given below in the “Code Preview” box, save it, and then activate it to implement it on your website.
function nestify_view_scheduled_posts() {
// The query to fetch future posts
$the_query = new WP_Query(array(
'post_status' => 'future',
'posts_per_page' => 4,
'orderby' => 'date',
'order' => 'ASC'
));
// The loop to display posts
if ( $the_query->have_posts() ) {
echo '<ul>';
while ( $the_query->have_posts() ) {
$the_query->the_post();
$output .= '<li>' . get_the_title() .' ('. get_the_time('d-M-Y') . ')</li>';
}
echo '</ul>';
} else {
// Show this when no future posts are found
$output .= '<p>Sit tight. You will see some upcoming posts soon.</p>';
}
// Reset post data
wp_reset_postdata();
// Return output
return $output;
}
// Add shortcode
add_shortcode('upcoming_posts', 'nestify_view_scheduled_posts');
// Enable shortcode execution inside text widgets
add_filter('widget_text', 'do_shortcode');
Next, select the “Auto Insert” mode by scrolling down to the “Insertion” section.
Remember that, to display a list of upcoming posts on your WordPress website. You will still need to include a shortcode.
Finally, toggle the “Inactive” switch to “Active” at the top of the page.
After that, you only have to click the “Save Snippet” button to save your settings.
Voila! The code is in place; now, you can choose the place on your website to display the upcoming scheduled posts. You can do that by going to the Widgets and adding a new block there with the shortcode: [upcoming_posts]
Other Method To Notify Your Viewers About The Upcoming Scheduled Posts
A website must nowadays have dedicated social media pages to market its content successfully on social media platforms. It’s common to have X(Twitter) accounts set to automatically notify followers whenever a new post is published.
Facebook is, without a doubt, the most widely used and popular social media network globally. Although Facebook Events is a superior alternative, you can still create posts on Facebook to notify your friends when a new post goes live.
Facebook Events operates on a calendar. It can be used to show off the content releases you have coming up next month. Let’s take an example where you publish a new post every Friday.
Similarly, you can also use the countdown features on Instagram stories to inform your readers about upcoming posts. Instagram is especially popular among Gen Z and younger millennials.
Conclusion
Even though search engines like Google may drive a lot of your website traffic, the best approach to ensure views is to notify your devoted audience when new content is added.
By keeping your visitors informed about your content calendar, you can demonstrate that your website is reliable and updates frequently.
Many websites find it difficult to draw in new users without consistently updated content unless their content is exceptionally strong.
I hope you found this simple guide on How To List Future Upcoming Schedules Posts In WordPress. Let me know if you found the guide helpful by commenting “Yes” below.
FAQs: How To List Scheduled Post In WordPress
Can I change the appearance of the list of upcoming scheduled posts?
Yes, most plugins or custom code solutions allow for customization of the list’s appearance, including the styling, layout, and information displayed for each post (such as title, date, author, etc.).
Are there any SEO considerations when displaying future upcoming scheduled posts?
It is essential to consider the impact on SEO when displaying upcoming scheduled posts. Ensure search engines don’t index these future posts appropriately, which can confuse users and affect your site’s ranking. Utilize proper meta tags or directives to prevent indexing until the posts are published.
Is there a limit to the number of upcoming scheduled posts I can display?
The limit may vary depending on the plugin or custom solution you’re using and the capabilities of your WordPress theme. However, despite proper styling and layout considerations, laying as many future posts as you want is generally possible,
How often should I update the list of future upcoming scheduled posts?
It’s a good practice to update the list regularly to reflect any changes in your publishing schedule. You can automate this process with plugins or scripts that refresh the list at specified intervals or whenever new posts are scheduled.
