Private Tags let your team use tags for internal organization, workflows, and integrations without showing those tags to readers. Mark a tag as private, and it stays available in your dashboard while Newspack keeps it hidden from supported public-facing areas of your site.
Marking a tag as private
From the tag editor: Go to Posts → Tags, add or edit a tag, and check Private tag.
Once a tag is marked private, that status is easy to see while you work:
- The Tags list includes a Private column, with a checkmark for private tags.
- Quick Edit includes a Private tag checkbox, so you can change the status without opening the full editor.
- In the block editor, private tags show a (private) label in the Tags panel.
This lets editors continue using tags in their everyday workflow while making it clear which tags are meant to remain internal.
What gets hidden
When a tag is marked private, it is hidden from supported public surfaces by default:
- Post tag lists — private tags do not appear in the tag list shown on posts.
- Tag cloud widgets — private tags are filtered out of tag clouds.
- Archive pages — a private tag’s archive page returns a “not found” (404), so readers cannot browse to it.
- RSS feeds — a private tag’s own RSS and Atom feeds are turned off, and private tags are removed from the tag lists in other feeds.
- Page source — private tag names are removed from the page’s CSS classes, so they do not appear when someone views the page source.
- Google Ad Manager — private tags are excluded from ad targeting data.
- Yoast SEO — private tags are excluded from Yoast structured data and XML sitemaps.
- Audience management data — private tag IDs are removed from the audience-management data sent to the reader’s browser, so private tags can’t be identified from it.
Fine-tuning where private tags are hidden
By default, private tags are hidden in all supported locations. Most publishers will not need to change anything.
If you need more control, go to Newspack → Settings → Advanced Settings, then find Customize where private tags are hidden.
Turn this setting on to reveal individual options, grouped into Public-facing site and Data and integrations. Each option is checked by default, so private tags are hidden everywhere Newspack supports. Uncheck a specific option only if you want private tags to remain available in that location.
For example, your ad team might use a private tag to target a campaign to an internal content group, or your newsroom might use one to identify content where ads should be suppressed — without showing that tag to readers.
Tip: The two RSS settings do different things. Disable private tag RSS feeds turns off the dedicated feed for a private tag, such as its own /feed/ page. Remove private tags from RSS feeds keeps private tags out of the tag lists in your other feeds. You can use these settings independently.
Good to know
- Private Tags hide tags from view — they do not lock down content. A private tag still exists in your site’s database and can still be used internally. Private Tags are meant for keeping operational tags out of readers’ way, not for protecting sensitive information.
- Custom code, custom themes, or third-party plugins may still show private tags. Newspack hides private tags from supported public surfaces, but custom implementations may need a quick check. If you notice a private tag showing somewhere unexpected, reach out to support.