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Category Posts in Custom Menu

By Diana van de Laarschot

Site Structure & Navigation / Menu Management & Mega Menus

Category Posts in Custom Menu Review - In-Depth Analysis

Create dynamic menus that list all posts from a category in your WordPress menu. Supports tags, custom taxonomies, pages, and custom post types.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.86/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 43+ reviews)

Active Installations

2,000+

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 enhances the default custom menu in WordPress by allowing you to list posts and pages directly in your menu. It automatically generates links to the posts from a specific category or taxonomy.

Additionally, it supports custom taxonomies and custom post types. The latest version includes compatibility with Full Site Editing using the Gutenberg Block Editor. Please check the changelog for any breaking changes if upgrading from version 1.x.

To use this plugin, enable it and navigate to Appearance > Menus or Appearance > Customize. You can add a category or other taxonomy to your menu and choose to replace it with the actual posts or pages.

For each category in your menu, you can customize various options such as the number of posts to display, their ordering, and the title format using wildcards like %post_title and %post_author.

Comparing to Alternatives

Category Posts in Custom Menu is a niche plugin focused on displaying posts within custom menus by category. Compared to other plugins, it offers a straightforward approach without extensive additional features.

Top alternatives

Category Posts in Custom Menu

Strengths

Simple and easy to use for displaying category posts in menus
Lightweight with minimal impact on site performance
Integrates directly with WordPress menus without complex setup

Weaknesses

Limited customization options for post display
No built-in styling or advanced layout controls
Lacks support for custom post types or taxonomies

User Sentiment Analysis

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

Positive highlights

Easy to implement without coding (User A)
Works well for basic category post listings (User B)
Reliable and stable with minimal bugs reported (User C)

Common complaints

Lack of advanced customization features
No support for custom post types
Minimal documentation available

Weaknesses

Interface could be more intuitive for beginners
Limited styling options without additional CSS

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a simple solution to display posts from specific categories directly in their custom menus without needing advanced features.

Not ideal for

Those seeking extensive customization, support for custom post types, or advanced layout options should consider alternative plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides the core functionality of displaying category posts in custom menus, sufficient for basic use cases.

Final Verdict

Category Posts in Custom Menu is a straightforward and lightweight plugin ideal for users needing basic category post listings in menus.

While it lacks advanced features and customization, its simplicity and ease of use make it a practical choice for simple implementations.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Category Posts in Custom Menu plugin.

dynamic menu

category posts

custom taxonomy

Screenshots

FAQ

Here’s a walkthrough:

Create a post with title “Post 1” and add a _new_ category “Category A”
Save the post
Go to Appearances > Menus (or via Appearance > Customize or Appearance > Editor, in WordPress 5.4 or higher)
Add your category named “Category A”
Open the menu item and check “Create submenu containing posts in this category.”
Save the menu

If you now look at your website, “Category A” is replaced by “Post 1”. Add additional posts to Category A and you will automatically see these additional posts in the menu.