unpublishing

Unpublishing refers to the act of removing content from public availability, reversing a prior publication or making it inaccessible. It can apply to articles, posts, software releases, or other media. Unpublishing may be temporary or permanent and may involve withdrawal, delisting, or suppression from search results.

Contexts vary by domain. In academic publishing, unpublishing is often called a retraction, withdrawal, or removal; in digital platforms it is commonly described as unpublishing or delisting. Online services such as blogs, news sites, and social platforms may hide or remove items; software repositories and app stores may de-list or unpublish items to prevent access.

Reasons for unpublishing include errors or inaccuracies, privacy concerns, legal issues, copyright conflicts, policy violations, or outdated or misleading information. The process typically involves a request by the content owner or platform moderation, sometimes accompanied by a formal notice. In scholarly contexts, publishers may issue a retraction notice, an expression of concern, or a correction.

The impact of unpublishing can be significant. It may affect discoverability, indexing, and citation metrics, and some traces of the content may persist in archives or through backups. The act can influence reputations and relationships with readers, but it also serves to correct misinformation or protect rights and safety.

Archivists and publishers balance the need to correct the record with preserving historical content. Guidelines from professional bodies outline when and how to retract, withdraw, or delist material, and many platforms maintain logs and provide explanations to readers.