Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.

Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.

wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.

3 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 3 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 95% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band today and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 80K.

1. ★★★★★ Pieter Bos

   1.2y ago

   Any plugin coming from Bill Erickson can be trusted as an excellent coded tool! And this Display Posts plugin doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for an easy way to add posts anywhere you want without hacking theme files, the Display Posts plugin is the one you want to install! Lightweight and highly customisable. Thanks Bill!

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ Aliandro

   1.4y ago

   It’s amazing that at this time, we still have a fully functional free plugin with no paid version!

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ ste_yeu

   2.8y ago

   Very useful and easy to use

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ NightL

   2.9y ago

   Themes often override page layout/template options when designating them to built in posts archive page – this plugin allowed a simple display of posts just as I required using a shortcode, allowing me to have full control over the environment it was placed in.Will require CSS knowledge to adjust appearance. If that is not for you then purchase a plugin that offers those adjustments via GUI.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ primitivenet

   3.0y ago

   Really useful tool for showing posts and custom post types by tag, category, etc

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ nmottet

   3.1y ago

   This plug is very easy to use and the best solution we have found to display lists of posts. We did do a bit of CSS/customization work to display the posts just the way we wanted (Small image, title only, etc), but there are out-of-the-box customization options that are very good. We have added their shortcodes on hundreds of pages to automatically display related posts that have the same tag (at the end of each post). You will need to spend at least 10-15 minutes to review their documentation on “Display settings” or “Filter settings” to understand how the shortcodes work. Overall: A+

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ yaelduckwen

   3.2y ago

   Muy bueno si necesitas control para mostrar tus entradas

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Sunny

   3.4y ago

   I have used this more then once when the Query block can not handle it.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.6.1 2.6.1
2. — Version 2.6 Add support for author=”current” Add support for multiple wrapper classes Add support for excerpt_length parameter Add support for excerpt_more parameter 2.6
3. — Version 2.5.1 Fix an issue with manually specified excerpts 2.5.1
4. — Version 2.5 Add support for date queries Exclude child pages with post_parent=”0″ Query by current taxonomy terms. Ex: [display-posts taxonomy=”category” tax_term=”current”] Display the post’s categories with [display-posts category 2.5
5. — Version 2.4 Add ‘include_author’ parameter Add ‘exclude_current’ parameter for excluding the current post from the results If you display the full content of results, additional uses of the shortcode within those posts are now turne 2.4
6. — Version 2.3 Include the shortcode attributes on wrapper filter Add ‘no_posts_message’ parameter to specify content displayed if no posts found Add filters to the title and permalink Limit private posts to logged in users Add support 2.3

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.6.2

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-10-31 80K+ → 70K+ down after 298 days in tier
2. 2026-01-06 90K+ → 80K+ down after 402 days in tier
3. 2024-11-30 100K+ → 90K+ down after 2574 days in tier
4. 2017-11-13 90K+ → 100K+ up after 116 days in tier
5. 2017-07-20 80K+ → 90K+ up after 252 days in tier
6. 2016-11-10 70K+ → 80K+ up after 237 days in tier
7. 2016-03-18 60K+ → 70K+ up after 219 days in tier
8. 2015-08-12 50K+ → 60K+ up

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more: 70K+ active installs, 4.8★ (164 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/display-posts-shortcode