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Pre-publish check

A last look before a post goes live: list any errors in the pre-publish panel, or require the author to confirm before publishing.

Overview

The pre-publish check adds an Accessibility panel to the block editor's publish step, the panel that appears after you click Publish and before you confirm. It runs a fresh check as soon as it opens, so the result reflects your latest edits, and shows the number of errors as a badge next to its title.

What happens next depends on one setting, "Before publishing", under Accessibility → Settings → General. Show a summary, the default, lists up to four errors by title, adds "and N more" beyond that, and offers Review in the sidebar. Publishing is never blocked. Require confirmation shows the same list and keeps Publish disabled until the author ticks "Publish anyway — I will fix these later". Do nothing removes the panel.

When there are no errors, the panel says so. If some items still need review, it says how many and offers Review in the sidebar. If the check fails or takes longer than 20 seconds, the panel explains this and offers Try again. In Require confirmation mode the author can also tick "Publish without the check — I will check this later".

Why it matters

On a busy site, the sidebar is easy to ignore. The moment someone clicks Publish is the last chance to catch an image without alt text or a video without captions before visitors see it.

What you get

  • Show a summary: errors are listed in the pre-publish panel; publishing is never blocked.
  • Require confirmation: if there are errors, the author must tick "Publish anyway" first.
  • Or turn it off — your site, your workflow.

How it works

  1. Choose a mode

    In Accessibility → Settings, under Before publishing, choose Do nothing, Show a summary (the default) or Require confirmation.

  2. Authors click Publish

    The pre-publish panel shows any errors in the post.

  3. Fix or confirm

    Fix the issue, or publish anyway when there is a good reason.

Who it helps

  • Busy newsrooms and blogs

    Show a summary adds a last prompt without slowing anyone down. Authors see the errors at the moment they are about to go live.

  • Organizations with an accessibility policy

    Require confirmation makes publishing with known errors a deliberate choice, while urgent posts can still go out.

  • Sites training new editors

    A short, plain list at publish time teaches new authors which problems matter most, one post at a time.

Good to know

How it behaves, what it needs, and where its limits are.

Errors only
The panel lists and counts errors. Items that need review and tips never require confirmation; the panel only mentions how many need review.
Drafts are never locked
The lock exists only while the publish panel is open. Saving drafts, previews and autosaves work as normal in every mode.
Block editor only
The panel is part of the block editor's publish flow. The classic editor and Elementor have no pre-publish step from Lumtera.
Who sets it
Only administrators can change the mode. It applies to every author and to every content type Lumtera checks.
A prompt, not an approval process
Even in Require confirmation mode the author can override it. It asks people to look; it does not route posts to a reviewer.

Questions

Something else on your mind? Contact support

Will it stop urgent posts from going out?

Never permanently. Even in the strictest mode, the author can tick "Publish anyway".

Does it check my unsaved changes?

Yes. The panel starts a new check when it opens and accepts only the result of that check, so a result from before your last edit never counts.

What if the server is slow?

After 20 seconds the check counts as failed. With Show a summary you can publish as normal. With Require confirmation you can try again, or tick the option to publish without the check.

Can review items require confirmation too?

Not directly, because only errors trigger it. If a check matters more on your site, set it to Error under Accessibility → Settings → Checks.

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