Need to manually rearrange WordPress posts? In this 2023 guide, our WordPress experts will show you 5 different methods to re-order blog posts, WooCommerce products, and custom post types using drag and drop.
Why You Should Reorder Posts in WordPress
First, let‘s look at some key reasons why post order matters:
75% of site visitors never scroll past the first page of blog posts or products [1]. If you want important content to get visibility, it needs to appear above the fold and not get buried over time.
Ranking high in Google relies heavily on click-through-rate and time-on-page, both of which are higher for posts shown earlier [2].
Post order impacts user experience. Organizing content helps visitors find information quicker with less effort.
As you can see, optimizing post order directly benefits visitors and search engines alike.
And user experience is crucial since over 60% of the web runs on WordPress today [3] meaning the majority of sites can leverage these tips.
| Benefit | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Visitors who don‘t scroll past first post page | 75% |
| Search ranking factors | Click-through-rate & time-on-page |
| User experience for 60% WordPress market share | Significant impact |
New: Drag and Drop Order Posts Plugin
Manually changing post dates or making posts "sticky" used to be common (yet limited) solutions.
Now in 2023, the purpose-built Drag and Drop Order Posts plugin is the superior option to reorder any post type with an intuitive drag and drop interface.
Compared to jerry-rigging post dates, this gives you fine-grained control over post position while keeping dates accurate.
Here‘s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Change Date | Sticky Post | Drag & Drop Plugin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy visual ordering | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Handles all post types | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Keeps real dates intact | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Actively maintained | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
As you can see, the plugin has all benefits without downsides. Let‘s see how to use it.
Step-By-Step Guide: Reorder Posts by Drag & Drop
From install to done, follow these steps:
1. Install the Plugin
Search "drag and drop order posts" in Plugins > Add New. Click install.
Activate it.
2. Navigate to Reorder Screen
Go to Posts > Order Posts.
This is your new reordering dashboard.
3. Click Edit to Start Sorting
Press "Edit" to unlock drag and drop powers.
Boxes will now be sortable.
4. Drag and Drop Items into Place
Rearrange posts by clicking, dragging, and releasing posts into your desired order. Simple!
Save order automatically on fly or press "Save changes".
5. Repeat for All Post Types
Set a manual sort order for pages, products, attachments, etc by going to their admin list screen and rearranging there too.
And that‘s all it takes to reorder posts with drag and drop flexibility!
Bonus: Complementary Tactics
Along with using the Order Posts plugin, here are bonus tips to further improve post order:
- Pin 1-2 announcements by making them sticky posts
- Add categories to posts and sort by category
- Order posts within date archives (useful for seasonal posts)
- Manually rearrange WooCommerce products from the product list
Combining these post ordering strategies gives you maximum control over what visitors see first.
Conclusion
Visitors only see a sliver of content before leaving. That‘s why optimizing post order directly impacts site traffic, sales, and user experience.
The Drag and Drop Order Posts plugin makes it easy to arrange WordPress posts exactly how you want them.
Give it a try and let us know if you have any other questions!
