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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Hostinger AI Builder’s manual mode does not offer a direct unpublish action for a site that is already live. To hide it, you can put a maintenance page in front, change the connected domain, or duplicate the site and delete the published original. These options affect access differently: hiding pages from navigation does not make them private.
Choose the right way to take the site offline
Hostinger distinguishes an unpublished draft from an already-published site: a draft is not live until you publish it, but taking a published manual-mode site out of public view requires a workaround. The three options below are not equivalent.
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| Option | What changes | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Show a landing page | Visitors see the landing page as the homepage; unfinished pages are removed from navigation. | Other pages may still load through their direct URLs and may appear in search results. |
| Change the connected domain | The site is connected to a different domain or subdomain. | You can restore the original domain when ready; Hostinger says a subdomain can be used without buying an extra domain. |
| Duplicate, then delete the original | Deleting the original takes that published site offline; the duplicate remains unpublished until you publish it. | Duplicate before deleting, and note that Hostinger says backups are created only when a site is published. |
Option 1: Put a maintenance page in front
This is the least disruptive workaround if you want visitors to see a “Coming soon” or maintenance message while you edit the rest of the site. It changes the homepage and navigation, not the access permissions on every page.
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- Create or choose a landing page, such as “Coming soon.”
- Set that page as the homepage.
- In Pages and navigation, move unfinished pages to Hidden from navigation.
- Click Publish to apply the changes to the live site.
Hostinger says a site must retain at least one active page. More importantly, a page hidden from navigation may still be opened by someone who has its URL and may appear in search engines. Use the page’s separate SEO settings if you want to hide it from search engines; that does not prevent direct access. This method is therefore a front-page workaround, not complete unpublishing. Hostinger’s unpublishing instructions, landing-page instructions and navigation guidance describe these limitations.
Option 2: Change the connected domain
If the goal is to stop using the current public-facing domain while retaining the site, Hostinger suggests connecting another domain or a subdomain, such as one for maintenance or a coming-soon page. It says you do not need to purchase an additional domain for this option if you use a subdomain. When the site is ready, restore the original domain.
Follow Hostinger’s separate domain-change procedure for the actual account steps; the unpublishing guidance does not establish what effects a change may have on email, DNS, indexing, or individual visitors. See Hostinger’s manual-mode unpublishing guidance.
Option 3: Duplicate the site, then delete the published original
Choose this route only if you want the published site taken offline while keeping a separate copy to continue editing. The order matters: first duplicate the site, then delete the original published site. Hostinger says deletion takes the original offline, and the duplicate stays unpublished unless you click Publish.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Duplicate the site before making any deletion.
- Confirm that you are working with the duplicate, not the published original.
- Delete the original published site using Hostinger’s account controls.
- Continue editing the duplicate without clicking Publish until you are ready to put it live.
Hostinger says backups are created only when a site is published, so do not assume the unpublished duplicate has the same backup state as the live site. Consult Hostinger’s unpublishing instructions and its site-duplication guidance before deleting the original.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Publish and verify the result
For a live manual-mode site, clicking Publish applies your edits. After publishing, wait a few minutes, then check the site in a private or incognito browser window. This helps you see what a visitor sees without relying on an editor session.
Preview can help you review layout and content before or after publication, but some functionality is limited in preview. Use it to inspect a draft, not as proof that the live site is hidden or working as intended. Hostinger explains the publishing process and preview limitations.
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