About this plugin
fraew Category Posts List is a lightweight, flexible widget that displays posts from the same category as the currently viewed post. Perfect for blogs, news sites, and any WordPress site that wants to help visitors discover related content.
Features:
- Display posts from the current post’s category in a widget
- Three display formats: List, Comma-separated, or Inline
- Customize spacing between posts (Compact, Normal, Comfortable, Spacious)
- Toggle post separators (borders) on or off
- Current post is highlighted in bold
- Post Category Navigation widget – Display previous/next posts with filtering support
- Configure global settings that apply to all widget instances
- Works with any theme
- Lightweight and performant (minimal overhead when not using advanced features)
- Zero bloat – only loads CSS on pages where the widget appears
Advanced Features (Disabled by Default):
All three advanced features are disabled by default to keep the plugin lightweight. Enable them in Settings → Category Posts List to activate.
- Advanced Filtering – Filter by date range (last 7/30/90 days, custom), author inclusion/exclusion, and per-author limits
- Post Metadata Display – Show publication date, author, comment count, and reading time estimates (inline or block format)
- Featured Images – Display post thumbnails with configurable sizes, positions (left/top/right), and layout modes (list/2-column/3-column grid)
Display Formats:
- List – Traditional vertical list, one post per line
- Comma-Separated – Posts displayed inline: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3
- Inline – Posts displayed inline with spaces: Post 1 Post 2 Post 3
Spacing Options:
- Compact – 3px padding (tight list)
- Normal – 8px padding (default)
- Comfortable – 12px padding
- Spacious – 15px padding (generous spacing)
Post Separators:
Toggle borders between posts on or off to match your site’s design.
Usage
Widget Setup
- Go to Appearance → Widgets
- Find and add “Category Posts List” widget to a widget area (sidebar, footer, etc.)
- Settings:
- Posts Per Page – How many posts to display (default: 100)
- Sort Posts – Choose sort order:
- Title (A-Z)
- Title (Z-A)
- Date (Newest First)
- Date (Oldest First)
Note: The widget will automatically display the category name as its heading.
Global Settings
Go to Settings → Category Posts List to configure:
- Post Separators – Show or hide borders between posts
- Display Format – Choose how posts are presented (List, Comma-separated, or Inline)
- Spacing Between Posts – Adjust vertical spacing in list format
These settings apply to all widget instances on your site.
How It Works
When a visitor views a post, this plugin:
- Detects the post’s category
- Retrieves all posts in that category
- Displays them according to your configured settings
- Highlights the currently viewed post in bold
The widget only appears on single post pages and does not display on category archives, search results, or homepage.
Configuration Examples
Example 1: Clean, Minimal List
– Display Format: List
– Separators: OFF
– Spacing: Compact
Example 2: Prominent Related Posts
– Display Format: List
– Separators: ON
– Spacing: Spacious
Example 3: Compact Inline
– Display Format: Comma-separated
– Spacing: Compact (irrelevant for inline format)
Example 4: Bold Discovery
– Display Format: Inline
– Spacing: Normal (irrelevant for inline format)
Support
Need help? Visit the plugin documentation or report issues:
- WordPress.org Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/fraew-category-posts-list/
- Support Forum: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/fraew-category-posts-list/
Donate
Love this plugin? Support future development:
com/fraew
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later. For more information, visit:
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