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Hide Drafts in Menus

By Room 34 Creative Services, LLC

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Hide Drafts in Menus Review - In-Depth Analysis

Hide unpublished pages from your custom menus. This plugin ensures that drafts and pending review items do not appear in the menu while maintaining their structure.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.87/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 9+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin prevents unpublished pages or posts from showing up in your custom menus. It automatically hides items set to 'draft' or 'pending review' while keeping their place in the menu structure. Once published, these items will reappear in the menu automatically.

Additionally, the plugin modifies the custom menu editing screen to indicate the unpublished status of items clearly. This helps users manage their menus more effectively.

Note: Currently, a limitation exists where a page or post must be published to appear in the selection list for adding to the menu. A temporary workaround is to publish the item, add it to the menu, and then revert it back to 'draft'.

Comparing to Alternatives

Hide Drafts in Menus is a unique plugin with no close direct alternatives available in its category, making it a distinct choice for users needing this specific functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Extremely easy to install and use with no configuration needed
Effectively hides draft pages from menus, improving site navigation
Highly praised for its simplicity and reliability
Considered essential by users who believe this should be part of WordPress core
Responsive developer support with quick issue resolution

Weaknesses

Limited to hiding drafts only, no additional menu management features
No advanced customization options for hiding other post statuses
Lacks a pro version with extended capabilities

User Sentiment Analysis

With a perfect 5-star rating from all reviewers, user sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the plugin's effectiveness and ease of use.

Positive highlights

'It works perfectly without any configuration' - ienaxxx
'BRILLIANT... installed this and GONE' - karenwhitt
'Perfect Plugin... very easy, install, run, done!' - mighty2003
'Very helpful! Does what it says' - Bogdan
'Should be part of WordPress core' - Martin Sauter
'Excellent. Very useful plugin... developer fixed issue within 12 hours' - michaelquinn

Common complaints

Weaknesses

No advanced features beyond hiding drafts
No customization options for other post types or statuses
No paid version to offer additional functionality

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a simple, no-fuss solution to hide draft pages from their WordPress menus without any configuration.

Not ideal for

Users seeking advanced menu management features or customization options beyond hiding drafts, or those who want a plugin with premium support and extended capabilities.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version fully meets the plugin's purpose by hiding draft pages from menus without any setup required.

Final Verdict

Hide Drafts in Menus is a highly effective and straightforward plugin that perfectly fulfills its niche purpose. Its flawless 5-star rating and user praise highlight its ease of use and reliability, making it a valuable tool for WordPress users who want to keep their menus clean from draft pages.

While it lacks advanced features and a pro version, its simplicity is its strength. The absence of security vulnerabilities and the developer's responsiveness further enhance its appeal. Users needing more complex menu controls may need to look elsewhere, but for hiding drafts, this plugin is an excellent choice.