What is the Inherit Status in WordPress? #
“Inherit” is one of the eight default post statuses available in WordPress. It is possible to create new WordPress statuses if you require more options.
Six of the default post statuses are easily visible. That leaves only two statuses that are harder to see in WordPress: Auto-Draft and Inherit. In this guide, I’m going to explain the Inherit status.
The Inherit Status in the Database #
If you browse the wp_posts table in your database, you may see hundreds or thousands of items with the “inherit” status. You can see examples in the screenshot below. These items are likely to be either Attachments or Revisions.
Why do post types use the “Inherit” status? #
The “Inhert” status is used because both Attachments and Revisions are child items that are tightly linked to parent posts.
Attachments are files uploaded to the Media Library when you're writing a post. Afterwards, they are “attached” to that particular post. So if you publish a post with an image, it makes perfect sense for both the post and the attachment to have the same status. WordPress uses the “inherit” status to make sure they share that same status.
Revisions are inextricably linked to a single post so it also makes sense for them to share the same status.
You will almost never see the “inherit” status in the WordPress admin area, but it's a very useful status that helps keep your site running smoothly.