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Custom Post Type Widgets

By thingsym

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Custom Post Type Widgets Review - In-Depth Analysis

Custom Post Type Widgets plugin adds default custom post type widgets. You can filter by registered Custom Post Type or Taxonomy on widgets.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 14+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The Custom Post Type Widgets plugin provides default widgets for custom post types. Users can filter widgets by registered custom post types or taxonomies.

Widgets include recent posts, archives, categories, calendars, recent comments, tag clouds, and search forms. Each widget can be customized with titles, display options, and filtering settings.

For developers, the plugin includes hooks for further customization. Support is available through forums and GitHub for issues and contributions.

Comparing to Alternatives

Custom Post Type Widgets offers a straightforward way to display posts from custom post types via widgets, distinguishing itself from other post grid and display plugins.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple setup for listing custom post type posts in widgets
Compatible with many themes without complex configuration
Allows multiple widgets on the same page
Lightweight and focused on widget display

Weaknesses

Limited styling and customization options compared to grid plugins
Does not integrate with Gutenberg blocks
Some users report issues with filtering when used alongside certain CPT plugins
Lacks advanced filtering and layout features found in alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's ease of use and effectiveness, though some compatibility and feature limitations are noted.

Positive highlights

'Works perfectly for listing custom post type posts' - fev1967
'Rich widget functionality and multiple widgets on one page' - metaeditor
'Saves a lot of time' - yunysia
'Very useful and efficient' - dmsr
'Works well as a widget' - Sergioot

Common complaints

Does not appear as a Gutenberg block
Issues filtering posts when used with Custom Post Type UI plugin reported by some
Limited customization options for widget output

Weaknesses

Filtering issues with certain CPT plugins
No block editor integration
Minimal styling controls

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a simple, no-fuss way to display posts from custom post types in widget areas without needing advanced layouts or Gutenberg block support.

Not ideal for

Those seeking extensive customization, grid layouts, or integration with the Gutenberg block editor should consider more feature-rich alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides essential functionality to display custom post type posts in widgets, suitable for basic use cases without additional cost.

Final Verdict

Custom Post Type Widgets is a straightforward and effective plugin for displaying custom post type content in widget areas, ideal for users needing simplicity and quick setup.

However, it lacks advanced customization, Gutenberg block support, and may have compatibility issues with some CPT plugins, so users with more complex needs might prefer alternative solutions.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Custom Post Type Widgets plugin.

Custom Post Type

Taxonomy

Widget

Widgets

Screenshots

FAQ

You may need to edit the permalink of custom post type.

By default, WordPress will not work Date-based permalinks of custom post type.

For example, a month link generates a link in a format like /<custom post type name>/date/YYYY/MM/, if you set Numeric in Common Settings in Permalink Settings.

The month link has the following two patterns depending on the Common Settings.
But a link like below will not work.

/<custom post type name>/YYYY/MM/ (Day and name, Month and name, Post name)
/<custom post type name>/date/YYYY/MM/ (Numeric)

Recommend that you install the plugin in order to edit the permalink, if you are using a Date-based permalinks by the Widget.

And try the following:

Custom Post Type Rewrite
https://wordpress.org/plugins/custom-post-type-rewrite/

If you installed multiple plugins that can edit permalinks, the rewrite rules or permalinks may interfere.

In that case, you can disable the generation of permalinks by setting the following two constants in wp-config.php or the theme’s function.php.

CUSTOM_POST_TYPE_WIDGETS_DISABLE_LINKS_ARCHIVE
CUSTOM_POST_TYPE_WIDGETS_DISABLE_LINKS_CALENDAR

define( ‘CUSTOM_POST_TYPE_WIDGETS_DISABLE_LINKS_ARCHIVE’, true );
define( ‘CUSTOM_POST_TYPE_WIDGETS_DISABLE_LINKS_CALENDAR’, true );

You can use the action hook custom_post_type_widgets/recent_posts/widget/prepend to adding thumbnails.

Code sample is as follows:

function cptw_hooks_setup() {   add_action( 'custom_post_type_widgets/recent_posts/widget/prepend', 'cptw_recent_posts_prepend', 10, 4 ); } add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'cptw_hooks_setup' );  function cptw_recent_posts_prepend( $widget_id, $posttype, $instance, $recent_post ) {   if ( has_post_thumbnail( $recent_post ) ) {     echo get_the_post_thumbnail( $recent_post );   } }

Insert the above code into functions.php in your theme.