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WP-DraftsForFriends

By Lester Chan

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

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

WP-DraftsForFriends Review - In-Depth Analysis

Share your WordPress drafts with friends easily. Generate unique links for previewing drafts without adding them as users.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.18/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 6+ 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 allows you to generate a unique link that can be sent to your friends, enabling them to preview your draft posts before they are published. You can also set an expiry time for the link, ensuring that it is only valid for a specific duration.

This functionality is particularly useful for bloggers who want feedback from friends without granting them user access to the blog. The plugin was modified from the original Drafts for Friends, created by Neville Longbottom.

Enjoy sharing your drafts and receiving valuable input from your friends!

Comparing to Alternatives

WP-DraftsForFriends offers a straightforward solution for sharing draft posts with friends or clients, standing out in its simplicity compared to other plugins in the same category.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to install and use
Allows sharing drafts without giving dashboard access
Highly reliable with no reported bugs
Maintains user privacy by restricting dashboard access
Well-suited for service providers managing client content

Weaknesses

Lacks advanced collaboration features found in some alternatives
No pro version with extended functionalities
Limited customization options
Focused primarily on draft sharing, not full editorial workflow

User Sentiment Analysis

With a perfect 5-star rating from all reviewers, users consistently praise the plugin's ease of use and effectiveness in sharing drafts securely.

Positive highlights

Easy to install and works well (davblayn)
Great plugin, loved by users familiar with the developer's work (Anita C)
Ideal for service providers managing client content (deargeek)
Very easy to use and provides peace of mind by restricting dashboard access (Lu Is)

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Limited feature set compared to more comprehensive editorial plugins
No premium version to unlock additional capabilities
Minimal customization options

Who Should Use This?

Best for

This plugin is best for freelancers, agencies, or service providers who need a simple and secure way to share draft posts with clients without granting full dashboard access.

Not ideal for

It is not ideal for users seeking advanced editorial management, collaboration tools, or extensive customization options within their WordPress workflow.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes all core features needed to share drafts securely and easily without dashboard access.

Final Verdict

WP-DraftsForFriends excels at providing a simple, secure, and user-friendly way to share draft posts with clients or collaborators, earning unanimous praise from its users. Its lack of vulnerabilities and straightforward functionality make it a trustworthy choice for those with basic draft-sharing needs.

However, users requiring more comprehensive editorial workflows or advanced features may find this plugin limited. Despite this, its free availability and ease of use make it a valuable tool for many WordPress users seeking to share drafts without exposing the dashboard.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP-DraftsForFriends plugin.

drafts

preview

friends

Screenshots

FAQ

It is still under Posts, and it is now one page with two tabs — Shared Drafts and Settings — rather than a screen with no settings of its own.

The address changed, from edit.php?page=wp-draftsforfriends/wp-draftsforfriends.php to edit.php?page=wp-draftsforfriends, so an old bookmark needs replacing. The old address had the plugin’s own folder name in it, which meant the page moved if you ever renamed the folder.

Links you have already given to friends are unaffected. Those point at the post itself and never went through the admin screen.