Adding Confirmation Message While Publishing Content in WordPress

By default, WordPress publishes posts and pages immediately when you click the Publish button. To reduce the risk of publishing content with errors, you can add a confirmation message that prompts the author to double‑check before publishing. On ruachost.com, this can be achieved by adding a small script to your theme.

Why Add a Confirmation Message?

• Prevents accidental publishing of incomplete or incorrect content.
• Gives authors a chance to review before making content live.
• Improves editorial workflow and site quality.

Steps to Add Confirmation Message

1. Log in to WordPress with an administrator account.

2. In the dashboard, go to Appearance → Theme Editor.

3. From the right‑hand column, select the file named functions.php.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the following code:

   add_action('admin_print_footer_scripts', 'wp_confirm_publish');
   function wp_confirm_publish() {
       echo "<script>
       jQuery(document).ready(function($){
           $('#publishing-action input[name=\"publish\"]').click(function(){
               if(confirm('Are you sure you want to publish this?')){
                   return true;
               } else {
                   $('#publishing-action .spinner').hide();
                   $('#publishing-action img').hide();
                   $(this).removeClass('button-primary-disabled');
                   return false;
               }
           });
       });
       </script>";
   }

5. Click Update File to save changes.

✅ Now, whenever you click Publish, WordPress will display a confirmation message before proceeding.

Important Notes

• Always back up your theme files before editing.
• Consider creating a child theme to preserve changes during updates.
• This customization applies to the Classic Editor. If you’re using the Block Editor (Gutenberg), you may need a plugin or custom script adjustment.

✅ Summary

• Edit functions.php → Add confirmation script → Save changes.
• WordPress sites hosted at ruachost.com will now prompt authors with a confirmation message before publishing.