The Featured Page Widget plugin was created to allow WordPress users to feature a page in their sidebar and specifically for a client who wanted to manage the content in the widget from the page itself. The widget will take an excerpt from the page and place it in a sidebar widget. The sample screen shot to the right demonstrates the use of both an image in the widget and an image link (images not included in plugin).
Quick Instructions
You can add a widget without any extra custom fields on the page, however, there are currently two special fields you can use to customize the widget display. You will need to create these for the first page you customize as the plugin does not do this for you.
- featured-text: This text will be used in place of an excerpt for the page. The length value for the widget is ignored if this custom field exists.
- featured-link: If you want to use an image for the “Read More” link, you can place the full URL of the image in this field.
- featured-image: Full URL to an image to display in the widget that will be linked to the post.
This is a wonderful widget but I have one enhancement request. When using it as a shortcode, it’s inconvenient having to type in page ids. How about permitting a custom field (meta key-value) argument, or a filter hook for the WP_Query args? For now, I changed your code to add a hook like this:
$args = apply_filters('featured_page_shortcode_query', $args);$featured = new WP_Query($args);
If this was a feature, I wouldn’t need to alter your code.
Thanks.
Sorry this is such a late reply, but I like you suggestion and will look into implementing it in the next release.
Hi
Great plugin! One issue i appear to be having is the featured list with thumbnail and title is appears to randomise the list order. Is there a way to to turn off the random list order?
Thanks
Michael
thanks for your plagins
I think it’s a wonderful plugin! I know that you can determine the length of an excerpt from each page. I was wondering if it would be possible to START each excerpt a standard number amount in. For example, I’m working with a large archive- the top of each page has a disclaimer I would like to skip over and feature the content under it. Is there an easy code addition to start a certain length in as well as to end a certain length in? Thank you so much for your consideration.
Interesting thought. I will look into it, but probably not until after the first of the year.
I like the plugin very much. but I would would like to see the excerpt, when set, otherwise the first lines of the content.
i look forward to see the next versions. nice work, thank you!
What you are asking for is exactly what it should be doing. I will take a look and see if something has changed and update the plugin if needed. Thank you for pointing this out.
I was going to ask the same thing. I have excerpts set but it is truncating the main entry not using the excerpt. It ‘s a fantastic plugin – thank you for all the hard work!
OK, I will look into that code this weekend and see what it is doing. I was planning to release an update to this plugin soon, and will move it up in the queue.
And another request
I’m using it to show 4 pages but each time I refresh, the order randomises – can this be changed. I’d like it to remain fixed.
The original version always randomized the pages. I will look into adding an option to display them in a fixed order.
Hello,
I’m using your plugin. Now I want to add tags or custom fields tot the featured image. Is that possible through ‘allowed tags’ and if so how?
Thanks
I am not entirely sure what you mean by adding tags or custom fields to the featured image. The “featured image” is part of the WordPress core and not my plugin, so there is little I can do with it other than to use it in the widget. Can you explain more what you are looking for?
This is a very useful widget. I am looking for this ordering functionality too. Something that would allow be to control the order in which they are display but still have the option to randomize them in certain cases.
I will note that I have run into one small conflict with the plug-in. If I use it twice on the same page and the first instance of it pulls posts from a category and the second instance pulls from a list of selected pages (from list) the second widget will not display. If I change the order and place the one pulling from pages first it works.
Screen capture -> https://www.dropbox.com/s/vnqm11thg9est0x/featured-page-widget-issue.jpg
Let me know if I can help you solve it!
I believe the problem you describe has to do with the method I use to grab posts, which used to work until changes in the WordPress Core. I will be looking at changing that and adding some new features, but I cannot provide details on when that will be. Winter is a very busy month for me so it may be a couple of weeks before I get a good look at it. Thank you for the information.
In the case when I select a category post the widget shows recent randomly. Would it show only the last. Is that it possible?
I am not clear on your question. You should be able to select category and then also select the sort order. Is this not working for you?
this is such a useful plugin! many thanks for developing it and for your responsiveness — much appreciated.