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Simple Custom Post Order

By colorlibplugins

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

Simple Custom Post Order Review - In-Depth Analysis

Easily order posts and custom post types using a drag and drop interface. No configuration is needed.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.25/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 583+ reviews)

Active Installations

300,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin allows you to order posts, including any custom post types, using a simple drag and drop sortable JavaScript interface. It requires no configuration and can be used directly in the default WordPress administration area.

It is important to note that this plugin does not support custom queries that utilize order or orderby parameters, such as in get_posts or query_posts.

The plugin is currently supported and maintained by Colorlib.

Comparing to Alternatives

Simple Custom Post Order competes in a crowded field of drag-and-drop ordering plugins, but it stands out for combining post and taxonomy term sorting in a single tool without extra setup pages.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Handles both post ordering and taxonomy term ordering in one plugin
Clean, minimal UI with no separate reorder page needed
No upsells or pro nags cluttering the experience
Responsive developer support noted by long-term users

Weaknesses

Doesn't reliably work with some custom post type ecosystems like JetEngine
Had a historical authorization vulnerability requiring a patch
Sorting can unintentionally interfere with search results or query behavior in edge cases

User Sentiment Analysis

With 572 ratings and a 4.8/5 average, sentiment is overwhelmingly positive—over 90% of reviewers give 5 stars—though a small but vocal minority (4.5%) report functional issues at the 1-2 star level.

Positive highlights

"Does what it promises in a clean, slick and tidy all-in-one solution" — Jamie Burchell
"Works like a charm" — Claudiu T.
"This plugin has it all: efficient, discreet, and highly configurable" — mengeco
"Great plugin but the win here is on their support" — Bodhi McGee, describing a fast fix to a reported search bug
"An extension that simply works and solves what could be a basic WP feature" — V.

Common complaints

Plugin reportedly not working with no response from support (whitedd)
Fails to reorder custom post types on the frontend, specifically with JetEngine (john_6x6)

Weaknesses

A patched medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability exists in versions before 2.5.8
Compatibility gaps with certain custom post type plugins and page builders
Some reports of interference with search query results or debug warnings in specific setups

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Site owners and developers who want a straightforward, no-frills way to manually reorder standard posts, pages, and taxonomy terms via drag-and-drop, especially those who value a lean interface without upsells.

Not ideal for

Users relying heavily on complex custom post type setups like JetEngine, or those who haven't updated past 2.5.8 and remain exposed to the known authorization vulnerability, should verify compatibility and update before use.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers full drag-and-drop ordering for posts, pages, and taxonomy terms, covering the core functionality most users need at no cost.

Final Verdict

Simple Custom Post Order earns its strong 4.8-star reputation through a focused, well-executed feature set and a support team that reviewers praise for responsiveness. The vast majority of feedback is enthusiastic, highlighting its all-in-one approach to sorting both content and taxonomy terms without unnecessary complexity or upsells.

That said, prospective users should be aware of a patched authorization vulnerability from versions prior to 2.5.8 and occasional compatibility issues with certain custom post type plugins. Given the free-only pricing, strong average rating, and several established alternatives, it remains a solid choice for straightforward reordering needs—provided users keep it updated and confirm compatibility with their specific CPT setup.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Simple Custom Post Order plugin.

Custom Post Order

Js Post Order

Page Order

Post Order

Posts Order

Screenshots

FAQ

An answer to that question.

Yes. With WP_Query, a query for an enabled post type that sets its own orderby (for example 'orderby' => 'title', 'order' => 'DESC') keeps it. A query without an orderby gets the custom order.

get_posts() is different: it fills in `orderby => date, order => DESC` before the plugin sees the query, so the plugin can't tell what you actually asked for. It gives the default date sort the custom order and, for compatibility, turns a descending sort ascending — except on the date columns `post_date`, `modified` and `post_modified`. So to get the newest items first with `get_posts()`, use `'orderby' => 'post_date'`; for any other descending sort, use `WP_Query`.

For taxonomy terms, get_terms() and similar calls get the custom order for the usual sorts (name, slug, ID, WooCommerce’s category order). Sorts that mean something else are respected: count, include, slug__in, name__in, parent, term_taxonomy_id, meta values and none. Clicking a column heading in the admin always wins.

WordPress’s own previous/next functions already follow the custom order for every enabled post type, pages included. Many themes only print those links on blog posts, though. In a block theme, add the Previous Post and Next Post blocks to the relevant template (Appearance > Editor > Templates). In a classic theme, call the_post_navigation() in the template, or add the links under every page’s content from your child theme’s functions.php:

add_filter( 'the_content', function ( $content ) {     if ( ! is_page() || ! in_the_loop() || ! is_main_query() ) {         return $content;     }     return $content . get_the_post_navigation(); } );

For pages, the links follow the order shown under Pages > All Pages: each parent, then its children. Use the scpo_reverse_adjacent_posts filter if “previous” and “next” come out the wrong way round for you.