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As a WordPress user, you may have encountered situations where you need to undo changes that you have made to your website. Whether it’s because you made a mistake, or you simply want to go back to a previous version of your content, it’s important to know how to undo changes in WordPress. This comprehensive guide covers how to use WordPress Revisions to undo changes in the Gutenberg and classic editors, how to restore autosaves and snapshots, and tips for avoiding the need to undo changes in the future. We’ll also cover the differences between the Gutenberg editor and the classic editor, and provide tips on how to prevent mistakes in the future.
What are Revisions in WordPress?
Revisions in WordPress are saved copies of your post or page content that allow you to go back to a previous version of your content. By default, WordPress saves a revision every time you save a post or page, but you can also set it to save a revision every 60 seconds (autosave).
To access revisions in the Gutenberg editor, click on the “Document” tab in the top right corner of the editor, then click on the “Revisions” tab. This will open a list of all the revisions for the current post or page, with the most recent revision at the top. You can click on any revision to see what the content looked like at that point in time.
To access revisions in the classic editor, click on the “Screen Options” tab at the top right of the editor, then check the “Revisions” box. This will add a “Revisions” meta box to the right side of the editor, where you can see a list of all the revisions for the current post or page. You can click on any revision to see what the content looked like at that point in time.
How to Restore a Revision in WordPress
To restore a revision in WordPress, simply click on the revision that you want to restore, then click on the “Restore This Revision” button. This will restore the content of the revision to the current post or page.
It’s important to note that restoring a revision will overwrite any changes that you have made since that revision was saved. If you want to keep your current changes and merge them with the revision, you can use the “Compare Two Revisions” feature.
To compare two revisions in the Gutenberg editor, click on the “Document” tab in the top right corner of the editor, then click on the “Revisions” tab. From there, you can click on the “Compare Two Revisions” button, then select the revisions that you want to compare. This will open a side-by-side comparison of the two revisions, with the differences highlighted in red. You can then manually merge the revisions by copying and pasting the content from one revision to the other.
To compare two revisions in the classic editor, click on the “Revisions” meta box on the right side of the editor, then click on the “Compare Two Revisions” link. From there, you can select the revisions that you want to compare and click the “Compare Revisions” button. This will open a side-by-side comparison of the two revisions, with the differences highlighted in red. You can then manually merge the revisions by copying and pasting the content from one revision to the other.
What are Autosaves in WordPress?
Autosaves in WordPress are saved copies of your post or page content that are automatically created every 60 seconds. Autosaves are designed to help protect your content in case of server crashes or other unexpected issues.
To access autosaves in the Gutenberg editor, click on the “Document” tab in the top right corner of the editor, then click on the “Autosave” tab. This will show you the date and time of the last autosave, as well as any changes that were made since the last autosave.
To access autosaves in the classic editor, you will need to enable the “Autosave” feature by going to the “Screen Options” tab at the top right of the editor and checking the “Autosave” box. This will add a “Autosave” meta box to the right side of the editor, where you can see the date and time of the last autosave, as well as any changes that were made since the last autosave.
How to Restore an Autosave in WordPress
To restore an autosave in WordPress, click on the autosave that you want to restore, then click on the “Restore This Autosave” button. This will restore the content of the autosave to the current post or page.
It’s important to note that restoring an autosave will overwrite any changes that you have made since the autosave was created. If you want to keep your current changes and merge them with the autosave, you can use the “Compare Two Autosaves” feature.
To compare two autosaves in the Gutenberg editor, click on the “Document” tab in the top right corner of the editor, then click on the “Autosave” tab. From there, you can click on the “Compare Two Autosaves” button, then select the autosaves that you want to compare. This will open a side-by-side comparison of the two autosaves, with the differences highlighted in red. You can then manually merge the autosaves by copying and pasting the content from one autosave to the other.
To compare two autosaves in the classic editor, click on the “Autosave” meta box on the right side of the editor, then click on the “Compare Two Autosaves” link. From there, you can select the autosaves that you want to compare and click the “Compare Autosaves” button. This will open a side-by-side comparison of the two autosaves, with the differences highlighted in red. You can then manually merge the autosaves by copying and pasting the content from one autosave to the other.
What are Snapshots in WordPress?
Snapshots in WordPress are saved copies of your entire website that can be used for backup and restoration purposes. Snapshots can be created manually by the user, or automatically by a plugin or service.
To create a snapshot of your website manually, you can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy. These plugins allow you to create a full backup of your website, including all your files and databases, and save it to your computer or a remote location like Google Drive or Dropbox.
To restore a snapshot in WordPress, you will need to install the snapshot plugin or service that was used to create the snapshot. From there, you can follow the instructions provided by the plugin or service to restore the snapshot to your website.
It’s important to note that restoring a snapshot will overwrite any changes that you have made to your website since the snapshot was created. If you want to keep your current changes and merge them with the snapshot, you will need to use a plugin or service that provides this feature.
Tips for Undoing Changes in WordPress
To avoid the need to undo changes in WordPress, here are a few tips that you can follow:
- Use the revision feature to save your work as you go. This will allow you to easily go back to a previous version of your content if you make a mistake or want to revert to an older version.
- Use the autosave feature to ensure that your content is protected in case of server crashes or other unexpected issues.
- Use a snapshot plugin or service to create regular backups of your website. This will allow you to easily restore your website if something goes wrong.
- Preview your changes before publishing. This will allow you to catch any mistakes before they go live on your website.
Conclusion for WordPress Revisions, Autosaves and Snapshots
In this article, we have provided a comprehensive guide on how to undo changes in WordPress using revisions, autosaves, and snapshots. We have also covered the differences between the Gutenberg editor and the classic editor, and provided tips on how to prevent mistakes in the future. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that you are able to easily undo any changes that you make to your WordPress website.
