How to Re-Order Posts in WordPress (A Comprehensive Guide for 2024)

Managing the order of blog posts on a WordPress website plays a critical role in improving the site’s layout and user experience. Whether you’re a blogger, running a business site, or managing an online store, the ability to customize the display of your content can be a game changer.

Having control over how your posts are ordered allows you to highlight essential content, improving your site’s engagement and overall navigation.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to re-order posts in WordPress. From manual methods to plugin solutions, this guide provides step-by-step instructions tailored for both beginners and advanced users. By the end, you’ll know how to reorder posts effectively without compromising your website’s performance or SEO.

Why re-ordering WordPress posts matters

By default, WordPress displays posts in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post appearing first. While this approach suits many sites, it can be limiting for website owners who want to prioritize specific content.

Customizing the order of posts allows you to take control of your content’s visibility and helps you achieve specific objectives for your site. Let’s look at why re-ordering posts can be so valuable:

Improved navigation

Users often visit a website searching for specific content. When blog posts are organized thoughtfully, it becomes easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. For instance, if a blog consistently receives high traffic on certain evergreen articles, moving these to the top improves accessibility. Visitors won’t have to sift through less relevant content to reach the posts they care about.

Better content promotion

If your site publishes a mix of time-sensitive and evergreen content, having the ability to reorder posts can help you keep critical articles visible. For example, an online store may want to display promotional posts or feature best-selling products at the top, ensuring users see the most important information first.

Increased engagement

Featured posts are often your best-performing content. Reordering posts allows you to highlight these articles, keeping visitors on your site longer. For instance, blog owners can prioritize high-value articles or most-read posts, resulting in better engagement metrics such as time on page or reduced bounce rates.

When strategically reordering posts, the goal is not just to display posts chronologically but to create a layout that emphasizes high-impact articles. As a result, visitors have a better experience navigating through your site and are more likely to engage with the content that matters most to them.

Common problems with default WordPress post ordering

WordPress’s default functionality orders posts based on their publish date, and while this suits most blogs and websites, it creates challenges when you need more flexibility. Here are some common problems website owners face when relying on WordPress’s default post ordering system:

Limited control over post visibility

For many sites, being able to reorder posts manually is essential. However, WordPress does not offer a built-in feature to rearrange posts. This means that as you add new content, older but still relevant posts can get pushed further down the page, reducing their visibility.

For example, if you have a cornerstone article or product update that should remain at the top of your site, the default post order makes it difficult to keep that content front and center.

Relying on manual workarounds

Some users try to change the order of posts by manually updating the publish date. While this method works to some extent, it can quickly become frustrating for larger sites. Manually adjusting dates for multiple blog posts is time-consuming, especially for content-heavy websites.

Moreover, changing publish dates may confuse visitors, as the dates no longer reflect the actual timeline of the content’s release.

SEO concerns

Reordering posts without considering SEO can have unintended consequences. For instance, rearranging content might lead to broken internal links or a disorganized sitemap, making it harder for search engines to crawl your site effectively.

This is especially problematic if the order change disrupts the flow of linked posts or alters how search engines understand your site’s hierarchy. To maintain SEO health, it’s important to reorder posts in a way that preserves internal links and ensures that your content structure remains intact.

Additionally, if your site has a specific SEO strategy, such as focusing on certain keyword-rich articles, reordering posts may change how search engines prioritize these articles. It’s essential to use methods that won’t affect the URLs or the linking between posts, so the SEO strength of each post remains the same.

How to easily re-order posts in WordPress (without coding)

For those new to WordPress or looking for a quick solution, reordering posts can be done easily without needing any custom code. WordPress provides several user-friendly options, including plugins that offer drag-and-drop functionality. Below, we’ll explore some of the most efficient ways to reorder posts without coding.

1. Manual method: Changing the publish date

One of the simplest ways to reorder posts is by changing the publish date. This method allows you to control where each post appears in the reverse chronological order that WordPress uses by default.

Here’s how to do it:

• Log into your WordPress dashboard by navigating to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin and entering your username and password.
• In the WordPress dashboard, look at the left-hand menu.
• Click on Posts > All Posts. This will bring up a list of all your published posts.
• Scroll through the list to find the post you want to move.
• Hover over the post title, and click Edit to open the post editor.
• Once in the post editing screen, look to the Publish box, usually on the right-hand side.
• Click on the Edit link next to the publish date. This is labeled as either Publish immediately or will show the current publish date.
• A date and time picker will appear, allowing you to adjust the publish date.
• Adjust the date and time to reflect where you want the post to appear in the post order. For example, to move a post to the top, set a future date. To move it further down, set an earlier date.
• Once done, click OK to confirm the new date and click Update to save the changes.

If you need to reorder multiple posts, repeat this process for each one.

Drawbacks of this method

Although changing the publish date is easy, it has some downsides:

• Time-consuming: Manually adjusting publish dates for many posts can take a lot of time, especially if you have a large website.
• Reader confusion: Changing the date can confuse your visitors. They may think old content is new or that newer content was published earlier than it actually was.
• SEO issues: Updating publish dates frequently might confuse search engines. This could harm your site’s search rankings.
• Not practical for large sites: As your website grows, this method becomes harder to manage. Changing the order of posts by adjusting dates doesn’t scale well for sites with lots of content or regular updates.

While the manual method works for simple post rearrangements, it can be time-consuming and impractical for larger websites with a lot of content. If you’re looking for a more flexible and efficient solution, using a plugin offers a far easier way to reorder posts with just a few clicks.

2. Using plugins to re-order posts

When it comes to reordering posts in WordPress, plugins provide the most efficient and scalable solution. Two popular plugins that can help are Post Types Order and Simple Custom Post Order. Both allow you to change the order of posts easily using drag-and-drop functionality, but they differ in terms of user experience and interface.

Post Types Order plugin

The Post Types Order plugin is a straightforward tool that allows users to reorder posts by dragging and dropping them in a custom order.

• Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
• Search for Post Types Order and click Install Now.
• Once installed, click Activate.

After installing and activating the plugin, a new option called Re-order will appear under the Posts menu in the WordPress dashboard.

• Navigate to Posts > Re-order in the WordPress dashboard.
• You will see a list of your posts in a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Drag the posts into the order you want.
• Once you’re satisfied with the order, click Update to save the changes.

While the Post Types Order plugin works well for reordering posts, the interface is not very visually appealing. The reordering happens in a plain list format, and users may find it lacks the visual clarity they expect when managing a large number of posts.

Simple Custom Post Order plugin

For a more user-friendly experience, the Simple Custom Post Order plugin provides a visually intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes reordering posts, pages, and custom post types easier. The plugin integrates seamlessly with the Posts section in your WordPress dashboard. This, in turn, allows you to reorder content directly from the list of posts without having to go to a separate screen.

• Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
• Search for Simple Custom Post Order and click Install Now.
• Once installed, click Activate.

• Go to Settings > Simple Custom Post Order.
• Select the post types you want to reorder, such as Posts, Pages, or custom post types.
• Click Save Settings to apply the changes.
• Navigate to Posts > All Posts in the dashboard.
• You will see a drag-and-drop interface integrated within the posts list, allowing you to reorder posts directly.
• The new order is saved automatically, and you don’t need to click an update button.

3. Use drag and drop in WooCommerce (product post types)

If you use WooCommerce for your online store, reordering products is simple and highly effective. The built-in drag-and-drop interface lets you change the order of products in just a few clicks. This is particularly useful for highlighting featured items, best-sellers, or seasonal products at the top of your store.

Reordering your products in WooCommerce can have a positive impact on sales and user experience. Customers often gravitate toward the first items they see, so it’s essential to have your key products prominently displayed.

Step-by-step guide to reorder products in WooCommerce

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard:
   • Open your web browser and navigate to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.
   • Enter your username and password, then click Log In.
2. Go to the products section:
   • On the left-hand side of the WordPress dashboard, click on Products. This will take you to the page where all your WooCommerce products are listed.
   • The products are displayed in their current order, as they appear in your store.
3. Enable sorting mode:
   • At the top of the Products page, you will see several management options.
   • Look for the Sorting tab and click it. This activates WooCommerce’s drag-and-drop interface for reordering products.
4. Reorder products using drag and drop:
   • Once sorting mode is enabled, you can begin reordering your products.
   • Click and hold the product you want to move. Then, drag it to the desired position in the list.
   • You can reorder products based on importance, such as best-sellers, new arrivals, or seasonal items.
   • Repeat this process for any additional products you wish to move.
5. Automatic saving of changes:
   • WooCommerce automatically saves the new order of your products. There’s no need to click a save button after reordering.
   • To check the new order, visit your store’s front end. Refresh the page to see the updated product arrangement.

Why use WooCommerce’s drag-and-drop feature?

• Easy to use: The drag-and-drop interface is user-friendly. You can reorder products without needing technical knowledge or code.
• Efficient product prioritization: This method makes it easy to highlight key products like best-sellers or new arrivals. Reordering products can drive sales by putting important items in front of customers.
• Real-time updates: Your store’s layout updates immediately after you reorder products. This saves you time and makes it easy to respond to changing priorities.

Pro tips for reordering WooCommerce products

• Prioritize high-value items: Reorder products so that your most valuable or high-conversion items are at the top of the product listing. Customers are more likely to see and purchase these items.
• Seasonal adjustments: Change the order of products based on the season or sales campaigns. For example, move summer products to the top in warmer months, and winter items to the top when the weather changes.
• Reorder by category: Instead of reordering all products, you can focus on individual categories. This allows for better control over specific product groups, like shoes, apparel, or electronics.
• Track performance: After reordering, monitor your sales analytics to see if the changes are having the desired impact. If certain products perform better after being moved up, consider keeping them in prominent positions.

4. Make WordPress posts sticky (best for highlighting specific posts)

The Sticky Post feature in WordPress allows you to keep certain posts at the top of your blog, regardless of their publish date. This is a great way to feature important content like announcements, evergreen articles, or promotional posts that need extra visibility. Once a post is made sticky, it remains at the top until you remove the sticky setting, ensuring maximum exposure.

Why should you use sticky posts?

• Highlight key content: Sticky posts allow you to ensure that important content remains easily accessible to your visitors. This is particularly useful for highlighting featured posts, promotions, or announcements.
• Better engagement: By sticking your most valuable or engaging content to the top of the blog, you can boost interaction and keep readers focused on posts that matter most.

Step-by-step guide to make a post sticky in WordPress

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard:
   • Open your browser and go to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.
   • Enter your username and password to access the dashboard.
2. Go to the posts section:
   • In the left-hand menu, click on Posts > All Posts.
   • This will bring up a list of all your posts in WordPress, ordered by their publish date.
3. Select the post you want to make sticky:
   • Scroll through the list and find the post you want to keep at the top of your blog.
   • Hover over the post title and click Edit.
4. Enable the sticky post feature:
   • In the post editing screen, look at the right-hand side where the Publish box is located.
   • Under Visibility: Public, click the Edit link.
   • Check the box that says Stick this post to the front page. This action will ensure that the post remains at the top of your blog feed.
5. Save your changes:
   • After selecting the sticky option, click Update to save the changes.
   • Your post will now be “stuck” to the top of the blog and will stay there until you uncheck the sticky option.

When to use sticky posts?

Sticky posts are ideal for:

• Promotions: When you’re running a limited-time promotion or sale, keeping a promotional post at the top ensures maximum visibility.
• Evergreen content: If you have articles that are relevant year-round (like tutorials or guides), making them sticky ensures that visitors see this content first.
• Announcements: Use sticky posts to keep announcements visible. For example, if you’re launching a new product or service, this ensures your news remains front and center.

5. Re-order WordPress posts using code (advanced)

For more advanced users or developers, reordering WordPress posts can be done through custom code. This method gives you full control over how posts are displayed by using custom queries to modify the order based on parameters like publish date, custom fields, or categories.

While plugins provide a user-friendly solution for most users, writing your own code allows you to tailor post order exactly how you need it. For example, you can reorder posts based on a specific field, such as event dates, popularity, or even custom metadata.

Why use custom code to reorder posts?

• Full flexibility: Using code to reorder posts in WordPress gives you more control than plugins. You can modify the query to reorder posts based on various criteria.
• Tailored post order: You can create specific rules for how blog posts should be displayed, which is helpful for custom post type like events or products.
• Better performance: By adding code directly to your theme’s files, you reduce the reliance on third-party plugins, which could improve performance on large sites.

Step-by-step guide to re-order WordPress posts using code

1. Access the functions.php file:
   • To reorder posts using custom code, you’ll need to access your theme’s functions.php file.
   • Log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor.
   • In the theme editor, locate and open the functions.php file, which controls various theme functionalities.
2. Write a custom query to reorder posts:
   • You can create a custom query to reorder posts based on various criteria. For instance, to reorder posts by a custom field, you can use this code snippet:

function custom_post_order( $query ) {
    if( $query->is_main_query() && !is_admin() ) {
        // Replace 'event_date' with your custom field
        $query->set( 'meta_key', 'event_date' );
        $query->set( 'orderby', 'meta_value' );
        $query->set( 'order', 'ASC' ); // Change to 'DESC' for descending order
    }
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'custom_post_order' );

In this example, the posts will be ordered by the event_date field. The orderby parameter ensures posts are sorted by the value of the custom field, and order specifies whether the posts should be listed in ascending or descending order.

3. Customize the query for specific needs:
   • To reorder posts based on other factors (like post IDs, publish dates, or categories), you can adjust the custom query. Here’s an example of how to reorder posts by publish date:

function reorder_by_date( $query ) {
    if( $query->is_main_query() && !is_admin() ) {
        $query->set( 'orderby', 'date' );
        $query->set( 'order', 'DESC' ); // Change to 'ASC' for ascending order
    }
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'reorder_by_date' );

This code snippet ensures that posts are ordered by publish date, with the most recent posts appearing first. You can change the ASC or DESC parameter to reverse the order as needed.

4. Save and test the new order:
   • After adding the custom code, click Update File to save your changes.
   • Test your site by refreshing the blog page. Check to ensure that posts are now displayed according to the new order you’ve set.

Advanced customizations for re-ordering posts

Using custom code provides a wide range of options for reordering posts in WordPress. Here are some other scenarios where custom queries can be useful:

• Reorder posts by category: You can modify the query to reorder posts based on their assigned categories, ensuring that posts from a specific category are listed first.
• Reorder custom post types: If your site uses custom post type (e.g., portfolios, products), you can reorder them in the same way by adjusting the custom query to target the specific blog post type.
• Reorder by popularity: For sites that track views or user engagement, you can add a custom field to track blog post popularity and reorder posts based on this metric.

Drawbacks of using custom code

• Technical knowledge required: Unlike drag-and-drop plugins, this method requires familiarity with WordPress coding and PHP.
• Theme limitations: Changes made to the functions.php file are tied to your current theme. If you switch themes, you’ll need to reapply the custom code.
• Risk of errors: If not coded correctly, modifying the query could lead to display errors or conflicts with other WordPress functions.

The SEO impact of re-ordering posts

When you decide to re-order posts in WordPress, it can have an effect on your website’s SEO. Search engines, like Google, use several factors to rank content, and the way your posts are ordered can influence how both search engines and users interact with your site.

Changing the order of posts without considering SEO implications could cause confusion for search engines and disrupt the user experience. However, when done correctly, reordering posts can improve the visibility of important content and enhance site structure.

1. Impact on post’s published date and content freshness

One of the most immediate effects of reordering posts, especially through the manual method, is a change in the post’s published date. When you reorder posts by changing the publish date, search engines might interpret this as an update to the content.

• Positive impact: Search engines like Google value fresh content. When you modify the publish date of a post, it can signal to search engines that the content has been refreshed or updated. This can result in a temporary boost in rankings, especially if the content was previously considered outdated.
• Negative impact: On the other hand, frequently changing the publish date without making substantial updates to the content could confuse search engines. Google may view these changes as manipulative if the content remains largely unchanged, leading to potential penalties or a drop in rankings. It’s best to only change the publish date when content has genuinely been updated.

2. Chronological order and user experience

WordPress naturally orders posts in reverse chronological order by default, with the most recent posts appearing first. While this structure is great for time-sensitive content, reordering posts can improve the user experience on blogs that feature evergreen or pillar content.

• Improved content visibility: By reordering posts and keeping important content at the top (such as with the sticky post feature), you help users find the most relevant information first. This can reduce bounce rates and increase engagement, both of which are important signals for SEO.
• Potential SEO risks: If you change the post order frequently or disrupt the natural flow of posts (e.g., switching from chronological order to a custom order without clear structure), users might become confused. A poor user experience can result in increased bounce rates, negatively impacting SEO performance.

3. Internal linking and broken links

When you re-order WordPress posts, it’s important to consider your site’s internal linking structure. If your posts contain internal links based on their previous order, changing the post order may result in broken links or links pointing to outdated content.

• Positive SEO impact: If you reorder posts and update internal links to reflect the new structure, this can improve your site’s SEO. Internal linking helps distribute authority between pages and allows search engines to crawl your site more effectively.
• Negative SEO impact: Failing to update internal links after reordering posts could result in a poor user experience, with users landing on broken or irrelevant pages. Search engines may also struggle to understand your site’s hierarchy, which can hurt your rankings.

4. SEO advantages of using plugins

Using a post order plugin like Simple Custom Post Order or Post Types Order allows you to reorder posts without altering the post’s published date. This method helps you maintain the SEO benefits of your original publish dates while still controlling the order in which posts appear on your site.

• Maintaining content freshness: Since post order plugins don’t modify the publish date, they allow you to reorder content while maintaining the original timestamps. This is ideal for SEO because it ensures that search engines understand the age and relevance of each post.
• Boosting important content: By reordering posts using a plugin, you can keep your most important content visible without disrupting the natural flow of your blog. This allows you to promote key articles or evergreen posts without negatively impacting your SEO.

5. Considerations for custom post types and WooCommerce

If you manage a WooCommerce store or use custom post types, reordering products or posts can have SEO implications as well. For example, reordering products on your WooCommerce store helps prioritize high-converting products or new arrivals, which can increase engagement and sales.

• Positive impact: By improving the visibility of important products or custom posts, you can enhance the user experience, increase engagement, and improve search engine rankings.
• Potential drawbacks: As with regular posts, you need to ensure that internal links and product pages are updated after reordering. Make sure product reordering does not disrupt site navigation or user flow.

Final thoughts: The benefits of re-ordering posts in WordPress

Re-ordering posts in WordPress is key to enhancing content visibility and optimizing user experience. Whether you use manual methods, plugins, or custom code, it’s important to select the approach that best fits your needs. With plugins like Simple Custom Post Order, you can easily manage the sequence of posts without altering publish dates, preserving SEO benefits.

Reordering blog posts strategically keeps important content in front of your audience, improves site navigation, and boosts engagement, all of which are essential for maintaining a successful WordPress website.

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FAQs about re-ordering posts in WordPress