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Exclude Pages

By Simon Wheatley

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.

Exclude Pages Review - In-Depth Analysis

Exclude specific pages from your site's navigation menus with a simple checkbox. Control visibility for better user experience.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.89/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 47+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

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 allows you to exclude certain pages from appearing in your site's navigation menus. By adding a checkbox labeled 'include this page in menus', you can easily manage which pages are displayed. If unchecked, the page will not show up in any listings, including navigation menus.

Child pages of excluded pages will also be hidden from the menu listings. An alert in the editing screen helps track which ancestor page affects child pages. This feature is useful for maintaining a clean and user-friendly navigation structure.

For advanced users, you can pause and resume the exclusion effect with specific template tags. Additionally, you can retrieve an array of excluded page IDs for further customization. Note that the plugin does not operate on admin pages, ensuring that your editing experience remains unaffected.

Comparing to Alternatives

Exclude Pages stands alone in its category with no close direct alternatives available, making it a unique solution for hiding pages in WordPress.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Effectively hides pages from menus and navigation.
Compatible with various themes including Twenty Fourteen.
Works with different menu types like wp_nav_menu and wp_page_menu.
Continues to function well on recent WordPress versions despite lack of updates.
Simple and focused functionality without unnecessary complexity.

Weaknesses

No recent updates or active maintenance.
Potential compatibility issues with newer PHP versions without manual edits.
Lack of official support or development interest.
Limited features beyond basic page exclusion.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 47 reviews, users overwhelmingly praise the plugin's effectiveness and reliability, though some note concerns about its lack of updates.

Positive highlights

"Works perfect in 4.4" - boris.klug
"Works, although only with an edit" - mlipenk
"3 versions on and it still works!" - Gomisan
"Still works with 5.3" - jackreidy
"Still works with 6.6.1" - jreynders

Common complaints

Weaknesses

No updates for several years leading to potential compatibility issues.
Requires manual code edits for full compatibility with newer PHP versions.
No active development or official support.
May not work seamlessly with all modern WordPress setups without adjustments.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who need a straightforward, reliable plugin to hide pages from menus and are comfortable with minimal maintenance or occasional manual tweaks.

Not ideal for

Those seeking a regularly updated plugin with active support or advanced features, or users unfamiliar with making minor code adjustments for compatibility.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers full functionality to exclude pages from menus without restrictions.

Final Verdict

Exclude Pages is a niche plugin that excels at hiding pages from WordPress menus with simplicity and effectiveness. Its high user ratings reflect satisfaction with its core functionality despite the lack of recent updates.

However, the absence of ongoing development and official support means users may face compatibility challenges with newer PHP versions or WordPress releases. It remains a valuable tool for those comfortable with its limitations and willing to manage minor adjustments themselves.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Exclude Pages plugin.

Exclude Pages

Hide Pages

Menu Navigation

Screenshots

FAQ

Upload exclude_pages.php to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Create or edit a page, and enjoy the frisson of excitement as you exclude it from the navigation