Custom Post Display
You can use the Custom Post Display plugin to display the contents of any custom post type in your WordPress site, either as a widget or anywhere in your content using a shortcode.
Solid choice
Custom Post Display is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 3.7/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 66/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (50+ active installs)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Custom Post Display stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| custom post type | >100 |
| custom post widget | >100 |
| display custom post content | #66 |
| shortcode | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 3.7 from 6 reviews
About Custom Post Display
From the official readme · v2.0.0Description
You can use the Custom Post Display plugin to display the contents of any custom post type in your WordPress site, either as a widget or anywhere in your content using a shortcode.
Features include:
- Widget and [custom_post_display] shortcode for placing anywhere (including the block editor via the Shortcode block)
- Options to order by Post Title, Date and Menu Order
- Inclusion of Featured Image with centered, left or right alignment
- Customize number of posts displayed
- Specify number of words per post excerpt
More information and a demo can be found at my site.
Installation
- Download and unzip the file.
- Upload the Custom Post Display folder to your WordPress plugins folder
- Log in to WordPress and go to Plugins
- Click on the Activate link for Custom Post Display.
- Go to Appearance > Widgets and add the Custom Post Display widget to your sidebar, or use the [custom_post_display] shortcode in any post or page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this widget for Posts and Pages?
Yes, you have the option to choose Posts or Pages when you choose a custom post type. You can actually just use this widget to display recent posts or pages.
How do I use the shortcode?
Add [custom_post_display] to any post or page. You can pass options, for example: [custom_post_display posttype="product" postnum="5" postlength="20" byorder="name" sorter="ASC" show_image="1" image_pos="left" moretext="Read more"] Available attributes: posttype, postnum, postlength, byorder (empty for date, menu_order, or name), sorter (ASC or DESC), show_image (1 or 0), image_pos (centered, left, right) and moretext.
Can I choose which posts to feature?
Yes, if you have the Page Attributes box enabled for your custom post type (or Post/Page), when you edit that post, just enter a number in the Order box. Number your posts according to the order you want them to appear, then, in the Widget options, just choose ‘Menu Order’ in the ‘Order By’ field and choose your Sort order.
Changelog
Important compatibility update. Fixes a fatal error on PHP 8 and modern WordPress, and adds a [custom_post_display] shortcode. Please update.
2.0.0
- Compatibility rewrite for modern WordPress and PHP 8
- Fixed fatal error on PHP 8 by removing create_function()
- Replaced the deprecated PHP4-style widget constructor with __construct()
- Added a [custom_post_display] shortcode so the plugin works in post content and the block editor, not just widget areas
- Escaped all output and sanitized all saved options
- Replaced a direct database query with get_post_types()
- Added direct-access protection and internationalization
- Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 7.0
1.2
- Replaced deprecated WP Widgets construct
- Added option for thumbnail alignment
1.1
- Fixed issue with missing word trimmer function
1.0
- Initial release
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Custom Post Display alternatives
All custom post type plugins →
FAQ
Custom Post Display: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 16, 2026
Is Custom Post Display free?
Yes. Custom Post Display is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Custom Post Display safe to use in 2026?
Custom Post Display is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 3.7/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 66/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Custom Post Display?
Custom Post Display is active on 50+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 8,888 times since it launched in June 2012. It was downloaded 82 times in the last 30 days.
Does Custom Post Display work with WordPress 7.1?
Custom Post Display is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Custom Post Display need?
Custom Post Display requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Custom Post Display last updated?
The latest version, 2.0.0, was released on August 12, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes Custom Post Display?
Custom Post Display is developed and maintained by Cris Puno.
What are the best alternatives to Custom Post Display?
The most popular alternatives to Custom Post Display are Custom Post Type Permalinks (200K+ installs), Custom Post Type Widgets (10K+ installs) and Custom Post Types and Custo… (10K+ installs).
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