[Resolved] Homepage advice, please…

[horizonblue]

I would like to create a magazine-style site.

For its homepage, I’d like latest articles to appear in set areas (blocks?), according to their categories. So perhaps a category header and two or three latest articles for each category – perhaps the ability to feature an image for top article in each category too.

Also I might like to have larger featured articles at the top of HP – possibly in a carousel, though I’m open to suggestions. Any advice on best way to proceed would be very welcome.

Would I start by making a static homepage? How would I go abut incorporating these elements? I read something about GenerateBlocks – would you recommend?

As much step-by-step guidance as possible would be appreciated, as I’m a WP beginner.

Many thanks in advance.

[David]

Hi there,

i would recommend:

1. Use a Static page for your home page.
2. The GenerateBlocks plugin will allow you to create ‘sections’ to your static page using the Container Block:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/generateblocks/

3. Use the WP Show Posts plugin to create different lists of posts.
The free version should be fine, it will allow you to set a number of posts, filtered by category, and you can decide what elements of the post you want displayed ( Image, Title, Excerpt, Post Meta, Read More Button ). You can also choose the number of columns you want displayed.

https://wpshowposts.com

I would start there. And if need be we can look at the other things you may want to do 🙂

[horizonblue]

Hi David

I’ll give that a go and let you know how I get on.

Thanks! 🙂

[David]

Please do 🙂

[horizonblue]

Hi David

I’m only just getting round to this, but have a couple of questions…

It’s my understanding that I need to create a static homepage, and then use GenerateBlocks to create containers, which will then contain WP Show Post lists.

So, I have created a WP Show Post as per video, but then there doesn’t seem to be the dropdown option to add it to the container on the page (as per video on this page: https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-show-posts/)

I wondered if I’ve misunderstood something?

Also, is there any guidance as to best image sizes to use for a site using premium version of GP?

Thanks in advance

[David]

It’s my understanding that I need to create a static homepage, and then use GenerateBlocks to create containers, which will then contain WP Show Post lists.

Thats correct.

The video was recorded before Block Editor was a thing.
You will need to go to Dashboard > WP Show Posts and edit your list, copy the Shortcode it provides. Now back in your post editor, add a new shortcode block and paste in the shortcode.

We’ll be updating WPSP to provide block support in the future.

[horizonblue]

Update on today’s earlier post: I see that you can paste WP Show Post shortcode into the containers and that makes it appear on the static homepage.

However, I wondered how you change the total width of this on the homepage. If for example, the container contains a WP SP that has one column, how do I get this to cleanly fill the page (currently lots of white space even when container padding is set to 0px).

Also, please can you explain what the columns gutter is, and how to change the appearance of ‘Read more’ (I’d like to change the aesthetics – background colour, not displaying it in a box, that kind of thing).

Finally, I’ve disabled the title on the homepage, but there is now a gap where that would be, please can you let me know how to close it?

Hope all this makes sense.

Thanks again.

[David]

If you want containers to fill the full width of the browser then set the Page Builder Container to Full Width using the Layout Meta box:

https://docs.generatepress.com/article/layout-metabox-overview/

[horizonblue]

Hi David

Thanks for the info, I’ll be sure to try that. In terms of the white space where the title was on the homepage, do you have any ideas of how to close this?

Thanks very much for your help 🙂

Francesca

[horizonblue]

PS – The layout meta box advice was spot on – thanks!

[Tom]

Hi there,

Any chance you can link us to your site so we can see where the whitespace is coming from?

[horizonblue]

Hi, sorry for the delay in responding. I’ve sorted the white space issue now.

Thanks for your help.

[Tom]

No problem!

[Author]

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