Title: WST Date Simulator Author: webtatsu Published: August 27, 2026 Last modified: August 27, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/wst-date-simulator.svg) # WST Date Simulator By [webtatsu](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webtatsu/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/wst-date-simulator.1.0.0.zip) * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wst-date-simulator/#description) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wst-date-simulator/#reviews) * [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wst-date-simulator/#installation) * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wst-date-simulator/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wst-date-simulator/) ## Description WordPress already lets you preview a single scheduled post through the editor’s Preview button. But that only shows the post on its own — it doesn’t tell you how your homepage, category archives, search results, or “Recent Posts” widgets will look once the post actually goes live. WST Date Simulator fills that gap. Set a base date and time, and scheduled posts up to that point are shown as published — anywhere your theme normally lists them— to logged-in users with a chosen permission level. No more guessing what the page will look like until after it’s published. #### Key features * Set a base date and time; scheduled posts up to that point are shown as published * Choose who can view the preview: Administrators only, Editors and above, or Authors and above * Choose which post types the preview applies to (posts, pages, and custom post types are all supported) * Automatically disables page caching while previewing, so cached scheduled content is never served to regular visitors * Shows a banner in both wp-admin and the front end while the preview is active * REST API requests are excluded, to avoid unintentional exposure through headless setups #### About permissions * Viewing the preview and changing the plugin’s settings each use a separate permission check * Changing the settings always requires an Administrator (manage_options) * Who can view the preview is configurable from the settings screen: Administrators only, Editors and above, or Authors and above ## Screenshots [⌊Settings screen (base date/time, preview permission, target post types)⌉⌊Settings screen (base date/time, preview permission, target post types)⌉[ Settings screen (base date/time, preview permission, target post types) [⌊The front-end banner shown while the preview is active⌉⌊The front-end banner shown while the preview is active⌉[ The front-end banner shown while the preview is active ## Installation 1. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/wst-date-simulator`, or install the plugin through the “Plugins > Add New” screen in WordPress. 2. Activate the plugin through the “Plugins” screen. 3. Go to the “Date Simulator” menu in wp-admin to set the base date/time, preview permission, and target post types. ## FAQ ### How is this different from the WordPress core Preview button? The core Preview button only shows a single scheduled post on its own page. WST Date Simulator shows scheduled posts everywhere your theme normally lists them — homepage, archives, search results, widgets — not just the post itself. ### Can anyone see the preview? No. Only logged-in users who have the permission level chosen in the settings (Editors and above, by default) can see it. ### Does this change the actual post data? No. The post status in the database is never modified. It is only treated as “published” in memory while it’s being displayed; the real status stays `future` (WordPress’s internal name for “scheduled”). ### Does it work with pages and custom post types? Yes. The “Target post types” setting lets you choose which post types the preview applies to, individually. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “WST Date Simulator” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ webtatsu ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webtatsu/) [Translate “WST Date Simulator” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/wst-date-simulator) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wst-date-simulator/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/wst-date-simulator/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/wst-date-simulator/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/wst-date-simulator/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.0.0 * Initial release ## Meta * Version **1.0.0** * Last updated **2 days ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 7.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.1** * PHP version ** 8.2 or higher ** * Tags * [content](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/content/)[editorial workflow](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/editorial-workflow/) [Future Posts](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/future-posts/)[preview](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/preview/) [scheduled posts](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/scheduled-posts/) * [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wst-date-simulator/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wst-date-simulator/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wst-date-simulator/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ webtatsu ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webtatsu/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wst-date-simulator/)