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List category posts

By Fernando Briano

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

List category posts Review - In-Depth Analysis

Customizable plugin to list posts by category, tag, or author in posts, pages, or widgets. Uses the [catlist] shortcode for easy integration.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.92/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 254+ reviews)

Active Installations

80,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

4.88 / 10 (Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

List Category Posts allows you to list posts by category in a post or page using the [catlist] shortcode. When you are editing a page or post, directly insert the shortcode in your text and the posts will be listed there. The basic usage would be something like this:

The shortcode accepts a category name or id, the order in which you want the posts to display, and the number of posts to display. You can also display the post author, date, excerpt, custom field values, even the content! A lot of parameters have been added to customize what to display and how to show it. Check the full documentation to learn about the different ways to use it.

The [catlist] shortcode can be used as many times as needed with different arguments on each post/page. There is an options page with a few options, new options will be implemented on demand as long as they make sense.

The different elements to display can be styled with CSS. You can define an HTML tag to wrap the element with, and a CSS class for this tag. Check the documentation for usage. You can also check a nice tutorial which gives lots of tips and how-to's to customize how to display the posts.

Great to use WordPress as a CMS, and create pages with several categories posts.

Comparing to Alternatives

List Category Posts is a versatile plugin for displaying posts by category, with several other plugins offering similar functionalities.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly flexible shortcode implementation for listing posts by category or tag.
Supports various use cases such as navigation pages, related pages, and portfolio descriptions.
Simple to use with effective content organization and presentation.
Compatible with popular page builders like Beaver Builder.
Regular updates have addressed past security issues.

Weaknesses

No pro version available, limiting advanced premium features.
Security history includes multiple vulnerabilities, though fixed in recent versions.
Interface and customization options may feel basic compared to some alternatives.
Relies on shortcode usage which may be less intuitive for some users.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a strong 4.7 out of 5 rating from 254 reviews, users overwhelmingly praise the plugin's flexibility and ease of use, reflected in the high proportion of 5-star ratings.

Positive highlights

'Fantastic' and versatile for many uses, including navigation and related pages (Jlwp).
'Great Plugin' that simplifies workflow significantly (trevalyan).
'Very useful' for content management (d2pren).
Enables efficient content updates by avoiding data replication (WebSprite).
Enhances content organization and presentation with simple shortcode use (Alex De Py).

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Past security vulnerabilities may concern cautious users despite fixes.
Lacks a paid version with advanced features.
Customization options may be limited compared to some competitors.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a straightforward, reliable plugin to list posts by category or tag with flexible shortcode options and who prefer a free solution.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced premium features or extensive customization beyond shortcode capabilities, or users concerned about the plugin's past security issues.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers comprehensive shortcode functionality to list posts by category or tag with various display options.

Final Verdict

List Category Posts is a highly rated and versatile plugin that effectively meets the needs of users wanting to display posts by category or tag with ease. Its strong user satisfaction and flexibility make it a valuable tool for content organization, especially for those who prefer a free solution.

However, users should be aware of its history of security vulnerabilities, now addressed in recent updates, and the absence of a pro version may limit advanced customization. Alternatives exist for those seeking more features or different interfaces.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free List category posts plugin.

FAQ

Check out the Wiki

Please read the instructions and the FAQ before opening a new topic in the support forums.

The widget is quite simple, and it doesn’t implement all of the plugin’s functionality.

Since WordPress 4.9, you can use a shortcode in a widget. If you’re using a previous WordPress version, add this code to your theme’s functions.php file:

add_filter('widget_text', 'do_shortcode');

Then just add a new text widget to your blog and use the shortcode there as the widget’s content.

Contributors and developers

“List category posts” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Fernando Briano

zymeth25

Free Version Docs

WPS

6.92

Average

Ratings

4.7 out of 5 | 254

Version

0.96.0

Last updated

3 months ago

Active installations

80,000+

WordPress version

7.0.7 or higher

PHP version

5.6 or higher

Languages

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List category posts Review - In-Depth Analysis

Performance Overview

What It Does

Comparing to Alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

Who Should Use This?

Pricing & Value

Final Verdict

Other Notable Features

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (254)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Changelog

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (9)

Previous Versions

WPS

6.92

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