Ever had that moment where you know you wrote a blog post a year ago, but now you can’t find it?
Same here.
It happens to the best of us. Whether you want to update an old post, reuse a piece of content, or just read something you once wrote with love, digging through WordPress can feel like searching for socks in a messy drawer.
But don’t worry. WordPress actually makes it easy to find that old content. You just need to know where to look.
Today, we will show you a few simple ways to access your archived pages. Even if you’re not a techie.
What are Archived Pages in WordPress?
Archived pages in WordPress are older blog posts or content. This content is still live on your website but isn’t shown on the front page anymore. WordPress automatically stores your content by date, category, tags, and authors. This actually helps keep things organized. So when someone clicks on a month or category link, they’re seeing an archive of all posts under that section.
Think of it like a digital filing cabinet. Your recent posts are at the top, but the older ones are still there. Just tucked away in folders. These archive pages help visitors and search engines find past content. You do not need to manually sort it all out.
Ways to Access Archived Pages
Here we are showing four ways you can access WP archived pages. These steps are beginner-friendly, and you can do them yourself.
Through the WordPress Dashboard
The easiest way to find old posts or pages is by using the WordPress dashboard.
Log in to the admin panel → go to the “Posts” or “Pages” section
You’ll see all your content listed there. You can use the search bar or filter the list by date or category. This way, you can quickly find older content. It works well if you know what you’re looking for.
Using the URL Structure
WordPress automatically creates archive pages based on dates, categories, and tags. It means the page has its URL. For example, if you want to see posts from May 2023, you can type the URL something like yourwebsite.com/2023/05/ in your browser.
Similarly, for a category archive, the link may look like yourwebsite.com/category/news/. These links take you to the archived content without any extra setup.
Via Archive Widgets or Menus
WordPress also has a built-in “Archives” widget. You can add it to your sidebar or footer. Just go to,
“Appearance” > “Widgets” in your dashboard. Then drag the “Archives” widget where you want it. It will show a list of months or categories that link to older posts. You can even add archive links to your main menu. This will make it more visible to visitors.
Category Archives
Want to see all posts under a specific category?
Just go to Posts → Categories from your WordPress dashboard. You’ll see a list of all your categories there. Find the one you want, then click “View”. This will open the archive page showing all posts under that category.
Date Archives
WordPress also organizes your posts by date. For example, if you want to see all posts from December 2023, you can visit a URL like this: yourwebsite.com/2025/12/.
Author Archives
Each author on your site usually has their archive page. You can find it by clicking on the author’s name below a post, or go directly to a URL like
yourwebsite.com/author/username/
This page will show all posts written by that author.
Add Archives to Your Menu
You can add them to your site menu to make it easier for your visitors to find these archive pages. Just go to Appearance → Menus in your dashboard. From there, you can add links to category pages, date archives, or even author pages.
When and Why You Might Want to Use Archives
Accessing your archived pages can be helpful for many reasons.
- You might want to update old content to keep it fresh and relevant. Maybe the info is outdated, or you’ve got better tips to add.
- It’s also useful during an SEO audit. You can check which older posts are performing well or need improvement. If you’re planning a full redesign, try to follow the ways of redesigning a website without losing SEO. It ties in perfectly with maintaining value in your archived pages.
- Sometimes, you can repurpose old content, turn a blog post into a social media thread, video, or even a new article. It’s a smart way to save time and get more value from your past work.
- And of course, there are posts you might want to delete if they no longer make sense for your brand or offer no value. Clearing out old stuff can actually help your site perform better.
Conclusion
So, finding your old WordPress pages isn’t as hard as it seems. Whether you’re updating, repurposing, or just curious about past content. You’ve got easy ways to dig them up.
Find it in your WP dashboard, or use the URL. This is not tough, and easy to do. You only need to know how to do it, and we have shared the ways for you.
