Custom-Single
This plugin enables themes to specify a different single.php template based on post category. As posts can have multiple categories assigned, it uses the following to select which possible custom template to use:
Consider an alternative
Custom-Single shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 12 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.7 (latest is 7.1)
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-Single stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| categories | >100 |
| custom | >100 |
| custom templates | >100 |
| posts | >100 |
| template | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Custom-Single
From the official readme · v1.0.0Description
This plugin enables themes to specify a different single.php template based on post category. As posts can have multiple categories assigned, it uses the following to select which possible custom template to use:
1) Categories directly assigned
— Check for extant single-CATEGORYID.php files and prioritize based on category order
2) Parents of categories
— Parents are checked based on category order of the directly assigned categories.
Note, the above assumes that there’s a category order plugin installed. If the categories are NOT in a specific order AND there are multiple categories assigned per post then the template selection will be left up to the server. Naturally, if there is only category assigned per post (or only one possible template per post), then there will be no issue.
Requirements
Installation
- Upload the folder
Custom-Singleto the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Create customized single.php template files as desired.
For developers
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Best Custom-Single alternatives
All categories plugins →
FAQ
Custom-Single: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 12, 2026
Is Custom-Single free?
Yes. Custom-Single is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Custom-Single safe to use in 2026?
Custom-Single shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Custom-Single?
Custom-Single is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,099 times since it launched in December 2013. It was downloaded 39 times in the last 30 days.
Does Custom-Single work with WordPress 7.1?
Custom-Single is officially tested up to WordPress 3.7.41, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Custom-Single last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.0, was released on December 11, 2013 (13 years ago).
Who makes Custom-Single?
Custom-Single is developed and maintained by Tor N. Johnson.
What are the best alternatives to Custom-Single?
The most popular alternatives to Custom-Single are List category posts (80K+ installs), Media Library Assistant (70K+ installs) and PublishPress Taxonomies (40K+ installs).
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