Description
WordPress already lets you preview a single scheduled post through the editor’s Preview button. But that only shows the post on its own — it doesn’t tell you how your homepage, category archives, search results, or “Recent Posts” widgets will look once the post actually goes live.
WST Date Simulator fills that gap. Set a base date and time, and scheduled posts up to that point are shown as published — anywhere your theme normally lists them — to logged-in users with a chosen permission level. No more guessing what the page will look like until after it’s published.
Key features
- Set a base date and time; scheduled posts up to that point are shown as published
- Choose who can view the preview: Administrators only, Editors and above, or Authors and above
- Choose which post types the preview applies to (posts, pages, and custom post types are all supported)
- Automatically disables page caching while previewing, so cached scheduled content is never served to regular visitors
- Shows a banner in both wp-admin and the front end while the preview is active
- REST API requests are excluded, to avoid unintentional exposure through headless setups
About permissions
- Viewing the preview and changing the plugin’s settings each use a separate permission check
- Changing the settings always requires an Administrator (manage_options)
- Who can view the preview is configurable from the settings screen: Administrators only, Editors and above, or Authors and above
Screenshots
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to
/wp-content/plugins/wst-date-simulator, or install the plugin through the “Plugins > Add New” screen in WordPress. - Activate the plugin through the “Plugins” screen.
- Go to the “Date Simulator” menu in wp-admin to set the base date/time, preview permission, and target post types.
FAQ
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The core Preview button only shows a single scheduled post on its own page. WST Date Simulator shows scheduled posts everywhere your theme normally lists them — homepage, archives, search results, widgets — not just the post itself.
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Can anyone see the preview?
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No. Only logged-in users who have the permission level chosen in the settings (Editors and above, by default) can see it.
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Does this change the actual post data?
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No. The post status in the database is never modified. It is only treated as “published” in memory while it’s being displayed; the real status stays
future(WordPress’s internal name for “scheduled”). -
Does it work with pages and custom post types?
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Yes. The “Target post types” setting lets you choose which post types the preview applies to, individually.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“WST Date Simulator” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- Initial release