How to Display Recent Posts by Category in WordPress

How to Showcase Your Latest Posts by Category on Your WordPress Website

Wouldn’t it be great if you could highlight recent posts from a specific category on your WordPress website? By filtering posts by category, you can improve user engagement and ensure that your visitors see the most relevant content. In this article, we will walk you through several simple methods to effortlessly display recent posts by category in WordPress.

Using the Latest Posts Block Method

WordPress provides a handy default feature called the “latest posts block” in its block editor. This block allows you to showcase recent posts within any page or post on your site while also giving you the option to filter them by category. Follow these steps to implement this method:

1. Edit the post or page where you want to display recent posts by category.
2. Click on the “+” button to add a new block and search for the “latest posts block”.
3. Select the block, and the settings for the block will appear on the right side of the editor.
4. In the “Sorting and filtering” section, enter the category name(s) from which you want to display posts. If you want to include multiple categories, separate their names with commas.
5. Save your post or page and preview it in a browser window to see the changes.

Showcasing the Latest Posts Block in the Sidebar

If you prefer to display recent posts from specific categories in the sidebar of your WordPress site, you can make use of the Latest Posts block. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the “Appearance” » “Widgets” page in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Add the “Latest Posts” block to the desired sidebar area.
3. In the block settings, select the category from which you want to display posts.
4. Customize the block settings according to your preferences, such as whether to show featured images, excerpts, author information, etc.
5. Save your changes.

Implementing Code Snippets

If you are an advanced user comfortable with adding code to your WordPress theme, you can follow this method. Here are the steps:

1. Copy and paste the provided code into your theme’s functions.php file or use a code snippets plugin.
2. Replace “travel” with the slug of your desired category, and save the changes.
3. You can use a plugin like WPCode to safely add code without editing your functions.php file. Install and activate the free WPCode plugin, then go to “Code Snippets” » “+ Add Snippet” to add the code snippet.
4. When creating a post, page, or sidebar widget, use the shortcode [categoryposts].

Enhancing the Styling of Your Recent Posts

If you’re not satisfied with the default styling of your recent posts, you can easily customize it using CSS code. Follow these steps:

1. Go to “Appearance” » “Customize” » “Additional CSS” in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Add the provided CSS code to modify the styling as per your preference.
3. Save your CSS code changes.

Adding Recent Posts by Category Shortcode to Sidebar Widgets

If you want to display recent posts by category using a shortcode in your WordPress sidebar or any other widget area, follow these steps:

1. Go to the “Appearance” » “Widgets” page in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Add the “Shortcode” block to the desired widget area.
3. Paste the shortcode [categoryposts] in the block settings.
4. Save your widget settings.

Wrapping It Up

Now you have the knowledge you need to effortlessly showcase recent posts from a specific category on your WordPress website. This exciting feature allows you to highlight customized content, boost user engagement, and improve your website’s SEO.