Shortcodes Ultimate for WordPress

WordPress Posts Shortcode

Want to show selected posts inside a page, widget or template? The Posts shortcode helps you display WordPress content wherever you need it, with customizable queries and templates.

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  • Show recent, selected or category-specific posts
  • Use built-in templates or your own layout
  • Place post lists in pages, widgets and templates

Display WordPress posts without rebuilding the same layout again and again

A WordPress site often needs post lists in places that are not the main blog archive: a recent posts block on a landing page, hand-picked articles on a service page, category resources in a hub, or related content inside a long guide.

The Posts shortcode gives you a reusable way to query WordPress content and render it with a template. Add the shortcode where your theme or editor processes shortcodes, adjust the query options, and reuse the same workflow across different content areas.

Manual links become outdated

Hand-built lists take extra work every time you publish, update, or reorganize content.

Custom query code takes time

A custom WP_Query block is powerful, but it adds development and maintenance work for small content sections.

Separate plugins add maintenance

Installing a new plugin for every post list can make a site harder to keep consistent.

Posts shortcode keeps it reusable

Use one shortcode workflow to query content and render the result with a template.

Use the Posts shortcode wherever curated content helps visitors keep reading

Use it to show recent posts on landing pages, category-specific articles in resource hubs, related content inside long posts, featured articles on service pages or custom post lists in templates.

Recent posts on landing pages

Add a compact list of fresh articles below product, service or homepage content.

[su_posts posts_per_page="3"]

Category posts in resource hubs

Show articles from a specific topic area without manually updating the page every time you publish.

[su_posts taxonomy="category" tax_term="resources" posts_per_page="6"]

Related content inside long posts

Insert a focused list of recommended articles inside tutorials, guides and documentation pages.

[su_posts taxonomy="category" tax_term="tutorials" posts_per_page="4" template="templates/list-loop.php"]

Featured articles on service pages

Highlight selected posts by ID when you want full control over which articles appear.

[su_posts id="123,456,789" template="templates/teaser-loop.php"]

Custom post lists in templates

Developers can output shortcode-powered post lists in theme or plugin templates where appropriate.

<?php echo do_shortcode('[su_posts posts_per_page="4" template="templates/list-loop.php"]'); ?>

Custom post type sections

Display entries from custom post types using the same shortcode workflow.

[su_posts post_type="docs" taxonomy="docs_category" tax_term="shortcodes" posts_per_page="4"]

Build your post list with Shortcodes Ultimate

Create recent posts, category resources, selected post lists and custom post type sections with one shortcode workflow.
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Control which posts appear and how they are displayed

The Posts shortcode is built for practical WordPress content queries. You can start with a simple recent posts list, then refine it by category, tag, post type, author, selected IDs, order and template.

Query options

  • Post type: Show posts, pages or custom post types.
  • Taxonomy and terms: Filter by category, tag or custom taxonomy.
  • Selected IDs: Hand-pick specific posts when the list should not change automatically.
  • Author: Show content by one or more authors.
  • Ordering: Sort by date, title, modified date, comments, menu order, random order or meta values.
  • Status: Show published content by default; use advanced statuses only in controlled admin or developer contexts.

Display options

  • Number of posts: Set how many items should appear.
  • Template: Choose a built-in template or a custom template.
  • Offset: Skip the first items when combining several content sections.
  • Sticky posts: Control whether sticky posts are moved to the front.
  • Custom CSS: Use the broader Shortcodes Ultimate Custom CSS editor when you need additional styling.

Start with built-in templates, then customize the layout when needed

Choose a built-in output template for the post list, then switch to a custom template when the section needs markup that is specific to your theme.

Default loop

templates/default-loop.php

A full post loop with featured image, date, title, excerpt and comments link.

Teaser loop

templates/teaser-loop.php

A compact visual list with featured image and title.

Single post

templates/single-post.php

A focused template for displaying one post at a time.

List loop

templates/list-loop.php

A simple unordered list of post titles for lightweight content sections.

Create a WordPress post list in a few steps

Start from the WordPress.org plugin listing or the Shortcodes Ultimate download page, then add the shortcode where your WordPress setup supports shortcodes.

  1. 1

    Choose what to display

    Recent posts, selected posts, posts from a category, or entries from a custom post type.

  2. 2

    Configure the shortcode

    Set options such as post type, taxonomy, term, number of posts, order and template.

  3. 3

    Insert it where you need it

    Add it to a page, widget or template file where shortcodes are processed.

  4. 4

    Preview and refine

    Adjust the query or template until the post list matches the page goal.

WordPress Posts shortcode examples

These examples use real [su_posts] syntax. Replace category names, taxonomy names, post IDs and post types with values from your own site. For full syntax details, read the Posts shortcode documentation.

Recent posts

[su_posts posts_per_page="5"]

Posts from a category

[su_posts taxonomy="category" tax_term="news" posts_per_page="6"]

Posts from a tag

[su_posts taxonomy="post_tag" tax_term="featured" posts_per_page="4"]

Selected posts by ID

[su_posts id="123,456,789" template="templates/list-loop.php"]

Custom post type with custom taxonomy

[su_posts post_type="docs" taxonomy="docs_category" tax_term="shortcodes" posts_per_page="4" template="templates/teaser-loop.php"]

Random posts

[su_posts posts_per_page="3" orderby="rand"]

Posts ordered by title

[su_posts posts_per_page="10" orderby="title" order="asc" template="templates/list-loop.php"]

More than a posts shortcode

Shortcodes Ultimate is not limited to post lists. It gives WordPress users a library of reusable content elements for everyday site-building tasks: tabs, accordions, buttons, boxes, sliders, carousels, lightboxes, columns, media elements and more.

That makes it useful when you want one maintained toolkit instead of a separate plugin for every small content feature. You can also compare related shortcodes such as Tabs, Accordion, Button, and Columns, or browse the shortcodes library and documentation hub.

WordPress Posts shortcode FAQ

What is a WordPress Posts shortcode?

A WordPress Posts shortcode is a shortcode that displays a list of posts or other WordPress content inside an area where shortcodes are processed, such as a page, widget or template. In Shortcodes Ultimate, the Posts shortcode uses query options and templates to control what appears and how it is rendered.

Can I show recent posts with the Posts shortcode?

Yes. Use the Posts shortcode with a posts_per_page value to show a limited list of recent posts. You can also adjust the template and ordering options.

Can I show posts from a specific category or tag?

Yes. Use the taxonomy and tax_term options to show posts from a category, tag or supported custom taxonomy.

Can I display custom post types?

Yes. The post_type option can be used to query posts, pages or custom post types, depending on the content types available on your WordPress site.

Can I customize the layout of the post list?

Yes. You can choose a built-in template such as the default loop, teaser loop, single post template or list loop. Advanced users can copy templates into the theme directory and customize the markup there.

Can I use the shortcode in template files?

Yes, developers can output shortcodes in template files using WordPress shortcode functions such as do_shortcode(). Use this carefully and only in places where you control the shortcode content.

Does the Posts shortcode include pagination?

Current documentation says pagination is not available for the Posts shortcode. Use the shortcode for compact, curated post lists rather than full paginated archives.

Build flexible post sections with Shortcodes Ultimate

Display WordPress posts anywhere with a flexible shortcode workflow.
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