Building a WordPress site takes time. Visitors may discover unfinished pages during construction. A coming soon page WordPress displays tells people you’re working on something. But here’s the problem. A coming soon page WordPress setup doesn’t protect pages still under development. Someone can find a direct URL and see your work. That’s not ideal.
You can create a coming soon page WordPress for free. This guide shows you how. You’ll build a professional coming soon page WordPress design. Then you’ll add password protection to everything else. Your site stays private while you work. The entire process takes minutes. No expensive tools required.
🔐 Step 1: Create a Coming Soon Page WordPress Template
Creating a coming soon page WordPress starts with a static page. Static pages don’t appear in your navigation. They exist separately. This makes them perfect for a coming soon page WordPress message.
Go to your WordPress dashboard. Click Pages, then Add New. Enter your page title as “Coming Soon”. This page title doesn’t display to visitors. It helps you identify the page in WordPress.
Adding Design Code to Your Coming Soon Page WordPress
In the editor, click the plus icon. Search for Custom HTML block. Select it. This is where you’ll paste design code for your coming soon page WordPress site. The code creates a professional appearance. Visitors see a polished, branded page.
Here’s the complete HTML code for your coming soon page WordPress:
<div style="text-align: center; padding: 60px 20px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%); min-height: 100vh; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;">
<div style="max-width: 600px; background: white; padding: 50px; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0 10px 40px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);">
<h1 style="color: #333; margin: 0 0 20px 0; font-size: 48px;">Coming Soon</h1>
<p style="color: #666; font-size: 18px; margin: 0 0 30px 0; line-height: 1.6;">We're working hard to bring you something amazing. Our new website is launching soon with exciting features and fresh content.</p>
<div style="background: #f5f5f5; padding: 30px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 30px 0;">
<p style="color: #999; font-size: 14px; margin: 0;">Expected Launch</p>
<p style="color: #333; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; margin: 10px 0 0 0;">Coming Very Soon</p>
</div>
<p style="color: #999; font-size: 16px; margin: 30px 0 0 0;">Thank you for your patience. We can't wait to share what we've been working on.</p>
</div>
</div>
Copy this entire code. Paste it into your Custom HTML block. This code creates a centered design for your coming soon page WordPress. It includes a gradient background. Your message displays prominently. The design adapts to mobile devices automatically.
Customize the text. Change “Coming Soon” to your message. Edit the description to match your brand. Update the launch date. Make the coming soon page WordPress design yours. Click Publish to save your page.
🏠 Step 2: Set Coming Soon Page WordPress as Your Homepage
By default, WordPress shows your blog posts as the homepage. For a coming soon page WordPress site, you need to change this behavior. Go to Settings, then Reading. Find the section titled “Your homepage displays”.
Select the option “A static page”. A dropdown menu appears below. Choose your “Coming Soon” page from the list. This tells WordPress to display your coming soon page WordPress page instead of posts. Click Save Changes.
Visit your site’s home URL now. You see your professional coming soon page WordPress design. Visitors arriving at your domain first see this page. No password needed yet. This is the public-facing message that appears to everyone.
Configure your page display settings. On the right side of the editor, find Page Settings. Set Page Layout to Fullwidth. This removes margins. Your design fills the entire screen. Disable the Page Title. Disable Header and Footer too. Your coming soon page WordPress should be standalone.
Set Content Style to Unboxed. This removes padding. Your gradient background extends edge to edge. Your coming soon page WordPress now displays professionally on all devices.
🔒 Step 3: Add Password Protection to Your Coming Soon Page WordPress Site
Your coming soon page WordPress is live. But other pages are still accessible. If someone knows a URL like yoursite.com/about, they see that page. Even if it’s unfinished. This is a security gap you need to fix.
Password Protect WordPress solves this. It locks your entire site with one password. Visitors see your coming soon page WordPress freely. But they can’t access other pages without a password. Everything stays private while you build.
Install the plugin. Go to Plugins > Add New. Search for “Password Protect WordPress”. Click Install Now, then Activate. The plugin adds a new menu item to your sidebar immediately.
Go to Password Protect WordPress in your sidebar. Click Sitewide Protection. Toggle “Password Protect Entire Site” ON. Enter a secure password in the text field below. This password will lock down your entire site.
Now exclude your coming soon page WordPress. Toggle “Exclude these pages and posts from site-wide protection” ON. A list of your pages appears. Select your “Coming Soon” page. Click Save Changes.
This configuration completes your setup. Visitors arriving at your site see the coming soon page WordPress design without entering a password. If they try to access any other page, they get a password form. Your work-in-progress pages stay completely protected.
✅ Testing Your Complete Coming Soon Page WordPress Setup
Before announcing your site, test everything carefully. Log out of WordPress completely. Open your site in an incognito browser window. You should see your coming soon page WordPress displayed. No password required. This is the correct behavior.
Now try accessing a different page. Type yoursite.com/about in the address bar. Or any other page slug. You should see a password form. Enter your password. You can now view that page. This confirms password protection is working correctly.
Your coming soon page WordPress is now secure and professional. Visitors see your branded message. Your site’s other pages are completely protected. You can work without worrying about unauthorized access or unfinished content being seen. This setup provides both aesthetics and security.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions About Coming Soon Page WordPress
Can I customize the design of my coming soon page WordPress?
Yes. The HTML code is fully editable. Change colors, text, fonts, and layout. Edit directly in your Custom HTML block for your coming soon page WordPress.
Do I need to know HTML to create a coming soon page WordPress?
No. Copy and paste the provided code. Edit text fields like headlines and messages only. You don’t need to understand HTML for a basic coming soon page WordPress.
What happens to my coming soon page WordPress after launch?
Remove it. Delete your coming soon page WordPress and disable password protection. Your site returns to normal operation. Traffic flows to your real content instead.
Can visitors see my work in progress on my coming soon page WordPress site?
No. Password protection prevents access to any page except your coming soon page WordPress. All work-in-progress pages are hidden until you launch.
Does a coming soon page WordPress hurt my SEO?
No. A coming soon page WordPress doesn’t impact SEO. Remove it and resume normal operations when you launch your site. Your coming soon page WordPress is temporary.
Is Password Protect WordPress free for my coming soon page WordPress?
The free version protects your entire site. Password Protect WordPress Pro adds advanced features like multiple passwords for your coming soon page WordPress setup.