How do I check a new article after publishing?
Open the published URL while signed out, confirm it returns the expected content, and check images, navigation, canonical, metadata, mobile layout and links before sharing it. To apply this to your website, start with the specific page or setting involved. The public result behaves as intended on mobile and desktop and is linked from the site. Follow the quick checks below or use the linked full guide for a more complete walkthrough.
A quick way to handle this
Start by confirming the live URL or record involved and what the visitor is trying to accomplish. Inspect the visible H1, formatted H2 sections, image rendering, navigation and links to related pages.
Check robots directives, canonical URL and page metadata in the published HTML.
Practical example
An article preview looked fine in the CMS, but the public page returns 404 until its permalink settings are corrected.
This is a hypothetical illustration; verify the facts and settings for your own website before applying it.
How to check the result
The public result behaves as intended on mobile and desktop and is linked from the site.
Check the public version of the page, not only an editor preview. Record the affected URLs and whether any remaining issue needs a deeper review.
One mistake worth avoiding
Only testing a logged-in preview, then submitting an inaccessible URL to search engines.
Search engines choose their own ranking and indexing outcomes. Focus on producing an accurate, usable page rather than promising a particular placement.
Key takeaways
- Open the exact public URL in an incognito or signed-out session to confirm visitors can reach it.
- Check robots directives, canonical URL and page metadata in the published HTML.
- The public result behaves as intended on mobile and desktop and is linked from the site.
Further reading
For technical search guidance, refer to the relevant official documentation. Verify changing platform details against the current source.