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WordPress preview usually is not broken: it is showing an older saved state, a cached response, the wrong editing context, or a front-end view that differs from the editor canvas. Save the item, open View → Preview in new tab, refresh that tab, and test the URL while logged out. If the change is still missing, work through browser, WordPress, host, template, revision, permission, and compatibility checks in that order.
Use the current WordPress preview workflow
The Block Editor and Site Editor provide preview controls for desktop, tablet, and mobile widths, including a resizable canvas. To see the front end, open the View menu and choose Preview in new tab. In the Site Editor, View site opens the site view. The preview documentation was updated for WordPress 7.1 on August 19, 2026.
- Save the post, page, template, template part, or site change and wait for the save indicator to finish.
- Open View → Preview in new tab (or View site in the Site Editor).
- Refresh the new tab after every subsequent save. An already-open preview does not automatically replace its loaded document.
- Open the same URL in a private/incognito window or while logged out. This shows what a normal visitor receives rather than what your editor session may be allowed to see.
Why preview still shows the old page
The preview tab is stale
Preview is a loaded page, not a live mirror of the editor. If you save again, the existing tab can continue displaying its earlier response. Save, return to the preview tab, and perform a hard refresh. If necessary, close the tab and create a fresh preview.
Your browser has cached the response
A browser can reuse stored page data when it decides a small change does not require a new response. Test in a private window first. If the private window is current, clear the normal browser’s cached site data, close all preview tabs, reopen the URL, and sign in again only after testing the public result.
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A WordPress, host, proxy, CDN, or plugin cache is serving old HTML
WordPress itself does not include a cache by default. Caching normally comes from an installed cache plugin or hosting infrastructure. Managed hosts, reverse proxies such as Varnish, and CDNs can each retain a separate copy.
- Purge the cache in the WordPress cache plugin, if one is installed.
- Use the host or CDN control panel’s purge or flush command.
- Ask the host which server-side, reverse-proxy, or CDN layer must be purged; clearing the browser cannot remove those copies.
- After purging, test from a private window and refresh the preview URL.
You edited a different page, template, or site context
Confirm that the URL in the preview is the item you changed. A page’s content is separate from a block theme’s Site Editor templates and template parts. The public homepage may be assigned to a different page than the one you opened. Check the page assignment, selected template, template parts, and post status before changing code or plugins.
The change was never saved, or an unintended revision is active
Autosave and a saved revision are not the same thing. Autosaves preserve a temporary editing state; they do not overwrite the actual post. Revisions store a record of each saved draft or published update. Open the item’s Revisions, compare the timestamps and content, and restore the intended saved revision if the wrong version is active. Then save and refresh preview.
Your account cannot preview the content
Unpublished content may require a capability your user role does not have. An access error, login prompt, or blank result limited to draft content should be checked with the site administrator. Verify that the account can preview drafts and that the item’s status has not changed.
The editor canvas is not the front end
The editor is a working canvas, not a guarantee of pixel-identical output. Theme CSS, template parts, responsive breakpoints, and front-end-only JavaScript can change the page after it leaves the editor. Use the new-tab preview and compare it while logged out, rather than treating the editor canvas as the final rendering.
A theme or plugin conflicts with the editor
If preview fails only in one interface, identify whether the site uses the Block Editor, Site Editor, or Classic Editor. Record WordPress, theme, and plugin versions before changing production settings. Temporarily compare the behavior with nonessential plugins disabled or with the active theme configuration under a safe maintenance or staging process. The official Classic Editor plugin can restore the previous editor and Edit Post screen, making it a controlled compatibility check; it is not a universal cure.
A diagnostic order that avoids unnecessary changes
| Step | What it tests | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Context | Wrong URL, page assignment, template, or site | Match the preview URL to the item and confirm homepage and template settings. |
| 2. Save state | Unsaved edits or a stalled save | Save and wait until the editor reports completion. |
| 3. Fresh preview | Stale preview document | View → Preview in new tab, then refresh after each save. |
| 4. Logged-out test | Editor-session or permission differences | Use a private/incognito window or a logged-out browser. |
| 5. Browser cache | Local stored response | Clear site data, close preview tabs, and reopen the URL. |
| 6. Site cache | Plugin, host, proxy, or CDN response | Purge each applicable layer and ask the host about hidden layers. |
| 7. Revisions | Wrong saved version | Compare revisions and restore the intended state. |
| 8. Access and compatibility | Role, editor, theme, or plugin problem | Verify draft-preview capability and perform a controlled compatibility comparison. |
Fixes for common symptoms
“I can see the change in the editor, but not in preview”
First save and refresh the preview tab. Then test logged out. If the public view remains old, purge plugin and host caches. Finally inspect revisions and confirm that the edited block belongs to the template used by that URL.
“Preview in a new tab is blank”
Check whether the preview URL is correct and whether your account can view the draft. Try a private window, then temporarily compare with nonessential plugins disabled in a controlled environment. A blank result can also indicate a failed front-end script or a cache layer serving an incomplete response.
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Compare desktop, tablet, and mobile widths, then test the public URL at the same viewport. Responsive CSS and scripts may intentionally produce different output at each breakpoint; an editor canvas discrepancy is not proof that the saved content is missing.
“The homepage did not change”
Verify which page is assigned as the homepage and whether a block theme template controls its layout. Editing a separate page will not alter the assigned homepage. Preview the assigned page or edit the relevant template.
“The preview asks me to log in”
The item may be unpublished and your account may lack draft-preview capability, or the preview link may have expired. Confirm the role with an administrator and check the item’s status before changing cache settings.
How to make preview checks reliable
- Use a repeatable sequence: save, wait, preview in a new tab, refresh, then test logged out.
- Keep browser, plugin, host, and CDN cache controls documented so you know which layer was purged.
- Record theme and plugin versions before compatibility tests and change one variable at a time.
- Check the exact URL, template, and viewport before assuming a rendering defect.
- Use revisions instead of rebuilding content when a saved state appears to have disappeared.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does refreshing the editor page fix preview?
It can reload the editor, but the important step is refreshing the separate preview tab after saving; otherwise that tab can retain its earlier document.
Are autosaves visible to visitors?
No. Autosaves are temporary revisions and do not replace the actual post state. Save the intended content and verify it in a logged-out preview.
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No. First check the URL, save state, preview refresh, logged-out result, and cache layers. Use a controlled compatibility test only after those checks.
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