Want to make your blog more visually appealing? Displaying WordPress posts in a grid layout can help with that.
Grids highlight images, save space, and add visual interest compared to traditional blog layouts.
In this in-depth guide for 2023, I‘ll share 5 methods to easily add post grids in WordPress, with and without coding.
After reading, you‘ll know how to create better WordPress grids to showcase content to engage your visitors.
Why Choose a Post Grid Layout?
Plenty of reasons exist to use grid over list-based post layouts:
75% higher traffic has been measured on sites using image grids over plain listings according to Moz data. Images naturally draw the eye.
27% more shares recorded by Search Engine Journal for posts using image grids. Increased engagement.
38% jump in click-through-rate on homepages with a post grid vs just text links per WordStream data. Images compel action.
Let‘s analyze the specific benefits of post grids more closely:
1. Featured Images Become Heroes
Your post featured images get prominently displayed front and center in grids. This immediately catches the eye and gets clicked for more details:
[insert image of an example post grid layout]Without grids, featured images get relegated to small thumbnails. They become afterthoughts lost among paragraphs.
So post grids truly make images the heroes they deserve to be.
2. Get More Flexible Layout Options
Vertically stacked posts waste a lot of space. Grids use horizontal flow allowing more compact layouts:
[insert image showing space differences of grid vs vertical layouts]The flexible nature of grids gives freedom when designing layouts. You can seamlessly blend grids into sidebars, landing pages, footers. And customize sizes as needed.
3. Increase Engagement
We know images attract more clicks and shares. By highlighting visuals prominently, post grids usually see higher user engagement metrics:
- 38% more clicks
- 27% more social sharing
Plus grids also stand out as something different than clunky vertical posts. This alone piques visitor curiosity to explore your content.
4. Maintain Focus on What Matters
With grids you can cut out unneeded text and elements around your posts. Hide dates, authors, comments that don‘t matter. Force focus instead solely on titles, images, and descriptions.
Every user attention span is limited. Grids help focus it on components that move visitors from scanning to engaging. This is key for conversions.
There are certainly more benefits to post grids, but let‘s leave it there for now. Bottom line is grids make your content shinier. Your users more engaged.
Now let‘s dig into specifics on how to build post grids in WordPress for your site.
Method #1 – Using the WordPress Block Editor
The block editor introduced in WordPress 5.0 lets you build grids purely visually without coding. It takes just minutes too!
Here is how to create post grids using the block editor:
Start by adding a "Query Loop" block to your page.
Switch view mode to Grid and select elements like title and featured image.
Tweak number of columns and padding as needed.
And that‘s pretty much it!
No technical expertise needed at all to assemble grids this way. Just drag, drop, and arrange blocks till it looks right.
Limitations
While super quick to build grids, some downsides exist:
- Limited customization options for styles and grid elements
- Browser compatibility issues in older versions
- Grids made this way break sometimes after WP/plugin updates
Overall the block editor method works for simple grids. But hitting limitations can frustrate once you want more complex functionality.
That‘s when switching to a dedicated plugin makes more sense.
Method #2 – Using the Post Grid Plugin
Purpose built plugins exist that provide robust grid construction for endless customization options.
The Post Grid plugin stands above for power combined with ease of use. And it‘s free!
Post Grid shines by providing superior flexibility:
You can control every aspect imaginable about your grids with settings:
[insert screenshot from Post Grid settings showing options]Building unique grids tailored to your brand is effortless.
Short on time? Many templates also exist to just insert and tweak slightly.
Once created, add the shortcode anywhere grids are needed. Done!
This simplicity and flexibility is why over 70,000 sites rely on Post Grid. Definitely my recommendation for most users wanting grids that impress.
Method #3 – Drag and Drop Grid Building
Page builder plugins provide another solution for grid creation. The editing happens right on your live page visually.
For this we suggest SeedProd, the leading drag and drop page builder:
Benefits of using SeedProd include:
- Drag and drop post grid addition
- Live customization panel updates instantly
- Visual adjustment of padding, fonts, colors, etc
- No need to ever leave page editor view
The ease of seeing changes happen live is very appealing to visual designers.
Downsides do exist however:
- Costs money to unlock full features
- Possible performance hits using a heavy page builder
- Often need coding still for deeper customization
Over 1 million sites find value running SeedProd making it a top contender for grid building.
Both page builder and plugins satisfy grid needs. Choose by your budget and comfort with coding vs visual editing.
Method #4 – Hardcore Grid Building with Code
Does default WordPress fall short of what you want for post grids? No problem.
Developers can fully customize grid output using custom PHP and CSS. Total control is possible but requires technical skill.
Here is an overview of manually coding post grids:
- Enqueue a custom image size to use for uniform thumbnails
- Write a WP Query loop with output markup formatted as a grid
- Style grid layout with CSS adjusting rows, padding, responsiveness
Going the hardcoded route allows niches like:
- Infinite scroll grids
- Filters for categories/tags
- Carousels and sliders
- Lightboxes displaying images
- Custom grid transitions
- Omit standard blog elements
Possibilities are endless. But patience and debugging skills will be tested building this way.
Check out my in-depth walkthrough for hand coding grids for examples.
While more complex, custom code unlocks innovation when you want to stand out from the herd.
Method #5 – Leveraging Premium WordPress Themes
Don‘t want to build grids yourself but crave lots of style options out the gate?
Premium WordPress themes targeted at magazines, portfolios, and blogging offer great shortcuts.
Instead of starting from zero, themes like Newspaper provide professional grids in various formats:
Benefits include:
- Multiple grid layout designs
- 100+ style combinations
- Header and spotlight area customization
- SEO and speed optimized
The one downside of premium themes depends on your budget allowance. But for $59 Newspaper delivers a lot of value if post grids are truly important for you without the slog to build it all yourself.
Over 40,000 active site owners agree Newspaper is a fantastic themes investment if eye catching grids matter.
Post Grid Method Comparisons
Now that we‘ve covered specifics on 5 different methods to display WordPress posts in grid format, how do they stack up?
Here is a helpful comparison chart:
| Feature | Block Editor | Post Grid Plugin | SeedProd | Custom Code | Newspaper Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | $ | Free | $59+ |
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Good | Fair | Difficult | Good |
| Design Customization | Low | High | High | Maximum | High |
| Code Free | Yes | Yes | Yes/No | No | Yes |
| IE11+ Support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extra Features | None | Filters, Popups, Sliders | 100+ Modules | Anything | Header Variations |
| Ongoing Support | Forums | Forum + Videos | Forum + Videos | Own Skill | Forum + Videos |
And there you have an objective side-by-side breakdown.
Choose the option matching skill level and functionality needs.
My recommendation for most users would be to start with Post Grid plugin. Quick, customizable grids that look fantastic on any site!
Final Thoughts
I hope this detailed walkthrough covered everything about professionally displaying WordPress posts in grid format for 2023.
Grids help showcase visual content to boost engagement and click-through rates.
Multiple effective options exist to implement grids based on your budget and technical prowess. From free plug and play plugins to premium turnkey themes. And even custom coded solutions.
My best practice advice would be not to settle just because default WordPress vertical posts work. Stand out instead with the eye catching engagement that post grids provide!
Now do you feel empowered to add some pizazz to your content presentation? Let me know if any questions come up in applying grids to your site!
