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Taxonomy List Widget

By Erick Hitter

Site Administration & Utilities / Site Health & Diagnostics

Taxonomy List Widget Review - In-Depth Analysis

Create customizable lists of non-hierarchical taxonomies like tags. Supports multiple widgets with various formatting options.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.98/10

User Rating

4.3/5 (based on 12+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

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

This plugin creates lists of non-hierarchical taxonomies, such as post tags, as an alternative to term clouds. Users can utilize multiple widgets, each with its own configuration options.

It offers numerous formatting features, including the ability to set maximum term numbers, order terms, and truncate term names. The list styles are fully customizable, with built-in support for both bulleted and numbered lists.

Additionally, the taxonomy_list_widget function allows users to generate lists for use outside of the included widget.

Note that this plugin should only be used with version 1.2 or higher alongside WordPress 4.2 and later releases, as changes in WordPress 4.2 affect how taxonomy information is stored in the database, impacting the plugin's functionality.

This plugin was previously known as the Tag List Widget and has been completely rewritten for version 1.0.

Comparing to Alternatives

Taxonomy List Widget offers a straightforward way to display taxonomy terms in a widget area, focusing on simplicity and ease of use.

Top alternatives

Taxonomy Dropdown Widget ( WPS: 7.2)

Strengths

Simple and easy to configure widget for listing taxonomy terms.
Lightweight and does not add unnecessary complexity.
Integrates well with most themes without styling conflicts.

Weaknesses

Limited customization options compared to some alternatives.
No support for dropdown or other display styles.
Lacks advanced filtering or sorting features.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback is limited but generally positive regarding the plugin's simplicity and functionality.

Positive highlights

Easy to set up and use with minimal configuration.
Works reliably without causing conflicts.
Provides a clean and straightforward list display.

Common complaints

Lack of customization options for appearance.
No support for alternative display formats like dropdowns.

Weaknesses

Limited features compared to other taxonomy widgets.
No updates or active development noted recently.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple and lightweight widget to display taxonomy lists without needing advanced customization.

Not ideal for

Those who require more display options, styling flexibility, or advanced taxonomy filtering features.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes a basic widget to list taxonomy terms in a sidebar or widget area, suitable for straightforward use cases.

Final Verdict

Taxonomy List Widget is a solid choice for users who want a simple and reliable way to display taxonomy terms without extra features.

However, users looking for more customization or advanced display options may find it lacking and should consider alternatives.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Taxonomy List Widget plugin.

taxonomy list

tag widget

customizable lists

FAQ

Since I first wrote the Tag Dropdown Widget plugin upon which this plugin is based (in November 2009), WordPress introduced custom taxonomies and, as more-fully discussed below, saw a new widgets API overtake its predecessor. As part of the widgets-API-related rewrite, I expanded the plugin to support non-hierarchical custom taxonomies, which necessitated a new name for the plugin.

Insert the function <?php if( function_exists( 'taxonomy_list_widget' ) ) echo taxonomy_list_widget( $args, $id ); ?> where the list should appear, specifying $args as an array of arguments and, optionally, $id as a string uniquely identifying this list.

taxonomy – slug of taxonomy for list. Defaults to post_tag.
select_name – name of first (default) option in the list. Defaults to Select Tag.
max_name_length – integer representing maximum length of term name to display. Set to 0 to show full names. Defaults to 0.
cutoff – string indicating that a term name has been cutoff based on the max_name_length setting. Defaults to an ellipsis (…).
limit – integer specifying maximum number of terms to retrieve. Set to 0 for no limit. Defaults to 0.
orderby – either name to order by term name or count to order by the number of posts associated with the given term. Defaults to name.
order – either ASC for ascending order or DESC for descending order. Defaults to ASC.
threshold – integer specifying the minimum number of posts to which a term must be assigned to be included in the list. Set to 0 for now threshold. Defaults to 0.
incexc – include or exclude to either include or exclude the terms whose IDs are included in incexc_ids. By default, this restriction is not enabled.
incexc_ids – comma-separated list of term IDs to either include or exclude based on the incexc setting.
hide_empty – set to false to include in the list any terms that haven’t been assigned to any objects (i.e. unused tags). Defaults to true.
post_counts – set to true to include post counts after term names. Defaults to false.
delimiter – sets list style. Native options are ul, ol, and nl for bulleted list, numbered list, and line breaks, respectively. By passing an array with keys before_list, after_list, before_item, and after_item, you can completely customize the list style.
rel – either dofollow or nofollow. Can still use taxonomy_list_widget_link_rel filter to specify link relationship.