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Genesis Columns Advanced

By Nick Diego

Design & Themes / Themes & Templates

Genesis Columns Advanced Review - In-Depth Analysis

Genesis Columns Advanced allows users to create up to 42 different column layouts using shortcodes. It is designed for the Classic Editor but is now standalone.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.08/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 25+ 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

Genesis Columns Advanced is nearing the end of its life. The plugin was built for the Classic Editor and is not needed in the block Editor (Gutenberg). Critical support will still be provided in the support forum, but the plugin is no longer being actively developed. Consider transitioning to the native WordPress Columns block.

This plugin was originally designed to generate shortcodes for every column configuration available with the column classes provided by the Genesis Framework, hence the name. We are pleased to announce that as of version 2.0, the plugin is completely standalone and does not require Genesis. The plugin now loads its own CSS styles, which can be disabled if you desire. See the FAQ for more details. By moving away from Genesis, we have been able to add new features, such as the inclusion of fifths, and it opens the door to more enhancements in the future!

Shortcodes are easily added using a custom button in your WordPress editor. They can also be added manually if you so choose. See the FAQ for more details. Check out the video below for a short demo on the plugin.

Plugin highlights include being fully translatable, loading its own CSS column classes without requiring Genesis, including fifths for five even columns, and offering 42 different responsive column configurations. It allows adding custom CSS classes to any column and includes three utility shortcodes to assist with layout. Only one button is added to your WordPress editor, and there are no plugin settings to configure.

Comparing to Alternatives

Genesis Columns Advanced is a straightforward plugin focused on simplifying column width management in WordPress, especially for classic editor users. Compared to other column plugins, it emphasizes ease of use and responsive support.

Top alternatives

Genesis Columns Advanced

Strengths

Very easy to use with minimal setup required.
Responsive and helpful developer support.
Lightweight and does not bloat the site.
Simplifies column width adjustments without coding.
Works well with classic editor environments.

Weaknesses

Lacks compatibility with Gutenberg editor.
No advanced customization options.
No pro version with extended features.
Limited to basic column management functionality.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's simplicity and excellent support, though some note limitations with newer WordPress editors.

Positive highlights

'Does exactly what I want and more. Nick (the developer) is VERY responsive and helpful.' - drdrerde
'Good plugin, makes the task for column widths quick and simple.' - SK
'Very easy to use, and support quickly answered and resolved the one problem I had.' - melissabushwaykeyser
'Very useful!' - eir3apps
'It takes up very little space. I recommend it to those who use classic editors.' - aga2442

Common complaints

Not compatible with Gutenberg editor.
Lacks updates to support the latest WordPress editor.
Limited features compared to some alternatives.

Weaknesses

Does not support block editor workflows.
No premium version to unlock additional features.
Basic functionality may not meet advanced user needs.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who primarily work with the classic WordPress editor and want a simple, lightweight solution for managing column widths without coding.

Not ideal for

Users who rely on the Gutenberg block editor or need advanced column customization features will find this plugin limiting.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides all core features needed for basic column width management and includes responsive developer support.

Final Verdict

Genesis Columns Advanced is a reliable and user-friendly plugin for those using the classic WordPress editor who want an easy way to manage column widths without coding.

However, its lack of Gutenberg compatibility and absence of advanced features may limit its usefulness for users on the latest WordPress versions or those seeking more customization options.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Genesis Columns Advanced plugin.

Columns

Genesis

Shortcode

Screenshots

FAQ

Standard Method – The easiest way is to click the “Insert Columns” icon that is added to the top bar of your WordPress editor. This will open a dropdown where you can quickly select a standard column layout. You can also choose “Advanced Layouts” to launch a popup window where you can then choose from any one of the 42 available layouts. Click insert, and the correct shortcodes will be added to your editor’s content field.

Manual Method – If you don’t want to bother with the popup interface, or want to use the shortcodes outside the editor, you can manually type out the shortcodes. Below is all the available shortcodes that this plugin supports. Note that the “first” shortcodes are used for the first column in a row of columns.

Main Column Shortcodes

[one-half-first] …Column Content… [/one-half-first] [one-half] …Column Content… [/one-half]  [one-third-first] …Column Content… [/one-third-first] [one-third] …Column Content…[ /one-third] [two-thirds-first] …Column Content… [/two-thirds-first] [two-thirds] …Column Content…[ /two-thirds]  [one-fourth-first] …Column Content… [/one-fourth-first] [one-fourth] …Column Content… [/one-fourth] [two-fourths-first] …Column Content… [/two-fourths-first] [two-fourths] …Column Content…[ /two-fourths] [three-fourths-first] …Column Content… [/three-fourths-first] [three-fourths] …Column Content…[ /three-fourths]  [one-fifth-first] …Column Content… [/one-fifth-first] [one-fifth] …Column Content…[ /one-fifth] [two-fifths-first] …Column Content… [/two-fifths-first] [two-fifths] …Column Content…[ /two-fifths] [three-fifths-first] …Column Content… [/three-fifths-first] [three-fifths] …Column Content…[ /three-fifths] [four-fifths-first] …Column Content… [/four-fifths-first] [four-fifths] …Column Content…[ /four-fifths]  [one-sixth-first] …Column Content… [/one-sixth-first] [one-sixth] …Column Content… [/one-sixth] [two-sixths-first] …Column Content… [/two-sixths-first] [two-sixths] …Column Content…[ /two-sixths] [three-sixths-first] …Column Content… [/three-sixths-first] [three-sixths] …Column Content…[ /three-sixths] [four-sixths-first] …Column Content… [/four-sixths-first] [four-sixths] …Column Content…[ /four-sixths] [five-sixths-first] …Column Content… [/five-sixths-first] [five-sixths] …Column Content…[ /five-sixths]

Utility Shortcodes

[clearfix] - Adds a clearfix [vertical-spacer] – Adds a clear as well as some vertical separation [columns-container] …Column Content… [/columns-container] – Useful for wrapping column rows

Yes! All column and utility shortcodes currently support three attributes: id, class, and style. Multiple classes can be specified, but they must be space separated and all style requires proper markup. See below for usage examples:

[one-half-first id="main_column" class="col1" style="color:red; border: 1px solid #333"] …Column Content… [/one-half-first] [clearfix class="class1 class2"] [columns-container class="wrapper-class" style="background-color: green"] …Column Content… [/columns-container]

If you are already using a Genesis theme, it is likely that it includes column classes. In which case you might not want to use the built-in styles that come with this plugin. You can easily disable the stylesheet using the filter below. Just add it to your functions.php file. Note: Genesis themes do not support fifths, so if you disable this plugin’s built-in stylesheet, the fifths shortcodes won’t do anything.

add_filter( 'gca_load_column_styles', '__return_false' );

Contributors and developers

“Genesis Columns Advanced” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Nick Diego

Outermost

Free Version

WPS

7.08

Very Good

Ratings

4.8 out of 5 | 25

Version

2.0.5

Last updated

2 years ago

Active installations

10,000+

WordPress version

6.1.10 or higher

PHP version

or higher

Languages

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Genesis Columns Advanced 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

Screenshots

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (25)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Changelog

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (1)

WPS

7.08

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SVG Support