rtCarousel – Flexible Carousel & Slider Block for Images, Videos, Testimonials & More
A modular, high-performance carousel block for WordPress, powered by the Interactivity API and Embla Carousel.
Solid choice
rtCarousel is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 300+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 67/100 on our health check.
- Momentum — downloads up 54.1% vs the previous 30 days
- Small user base (300+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Needs PHP 8.2 or newer
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 rtCarousel stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| block | >100 |
| carousel | #39 |
| embla | #1 |
| interactivity api | #3 |
| slider | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About rtCarousel
From the official readme · v2.1.0Description
rtCarousel is a flexible, accessible carousel block for the WordPress block editor. Build dynamic carousels for posts, testimonials, images, and more—without writing code.
Features
- Compound Block Architecture – Mix and match any blocks inside the carousel
- High Performance – Powered by Embla Carousel v8
- Interactivity API – Reactive state management with zero hydration overhead
- Query Loop Support – Each post in a Query Loop becomes a slide automatically
- Accessibility – W3C-compliant roles, labels, and keyboard navigation
- RTL Support – Built-in support for Right-to-Left languages
Block Components
- Carousel – The main wrapper and controller
- Carousel Viewport – The visible scrolling area
- Carousel Slide – Container for individual slides
- Carousel Controls – Previous/Next navigation buttons
- Carousel Dots – Pagination indicators
Use Cases
- Image galleries and sliders
- Testimonial carousels
- Post/product showcases
- Logo showcases
- Hero banners with multiple slides
Source Code
This plugin release includes transpiled production assets for performance. The complete, human-readable source code is publicly available at:
- https://github.com/rtCamp/rt-carousel
Build scripts, development files, and original TypeScript/JavaScript/PHP sources are maintained in that repository.
Installation
- Upload the
rt-carouselfolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
- In the block editor, search for “Carousel” and insert the block
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with Full Site Editing?
Yes! rtCarousel is fully compatible with FSE. Use it in templates, template parts, and anywhere blocks are supported.
Can I nest other blocks inside slides?
Absolutely. Each slide accepts any WordPress block—images, paragraphs, groups, columns, and third-party blocks.
Does it support the Query Loop block?
Yes. Add a Query Loop inside the Carousel Viewport, and each post becomes a slide automatically.
Is it accessible?
Yes. The carousel follows W3C accessibility guidelines with proper ARIA roles, labels, and full keyboard navigation.
Can I have multiple carousels on the same page?
Yes. Each carousel instance maintains its own independent state.
I am using “Carousel Kit”. How do I upgrade to rtCarousel?
rtCarousel is the successor to Carousel Kit. Simply install and activate rtCarousel — it will automatically migrate all existing carousel blocks in your content. You will see an admin notice prompting you to deactivate the old Carousel Kit plugin. After deactivating it, you can safely delete it.
Changelog
Plugin renamed from "Carousel Kit" to "rtCarousel". Existing carousel blocks are automatically migrated on activation. You will see an admin notice prompting you to deactivate the old Carousel Kit plugin, which can then be safely deleted.
2.1.0
- New: add fade transition option.
- New: add Embla Auto Scroll plugin support with editor controls.
- New: Add LazyLoadImages toggle to Carousel block with per-slide override option.
- New: Added carousel tabs mode.
- Tweak: Add logic to reset autoplay and autoscroll on carousel interaction.
- Tweak: Fixes issues with tab not able to edit tab title and also removes tab lists when tabs are toggled off.
- Tweak: Mark query loop slides with the active-slide directives.
- Tweak: Improve Auto Scroll UX and enforce compatible transition settings.
- Tweak: Add logic to reset autoplay and autoscroll on carousel interaction.
2.0.3
- Tweak: Update plugin display name to a more descriptive title for discoverability.
2.0.2
- New: Carousel Counter block with an accessible current/total slide indicator
- New: Slide template picker and starter templates for new carousel blocks
- New: Terms Query support and Terms Query carousel pattern
- Tweak: Confirm compatibility with WordPress 7.0
- Tweak: Update JavaScript dependencies for upstream security and maintenance fixes
2.0.1
- New: Add a11y announcements for carousel slide changes
- Fix: Carousel dot focus loss with VoiceOver activation
- Refactor: Replace automatic plugin deactivation with an admin notice
2.0.0
- New: Carousel progress bar block
- New: Vertical alignment support for carousel slides
- New: wp-env configuration for local development
- Fix: Navigation buttons and drag not working in vertical Query Loop carousels
- Fix: Block toolbar remaining visible when selected slide scrolls out of view
- Fix: Carousel initialization state not properly tracked
- Fix: Remove development files from distribution package
- Refactor: Rename plugin from “Carousel Kit” to “rtCarousel” with automatic content migration
1.0.4
- New: Update minimum requirements to PHP 8.2 and WordPress 6.6
- New: Implement PHP class autoloader for better performance and security
- New: Add localization support and updated .pot files
- New: Add uninstall.php for clean data removal upon plugin deletion
- New: Add placeholder logos and updated hero carousel patterns
- New: Add new screenshot images for WordPress.org plugin preview
- New: Add direct access protection for core PHP files and Autoloader
- Fix: Resolve CSS linting issues and remove unnecessary grid properties
- Fix: Improve transition effects and clean up unused style properties
- Fix: Update package dependencies (minimatch, serialize-javascript, svgo, and immutable)
- Fix: Update @wordpress/scripts to allow minor updates and maintain compatibility
- Fix: Refine .distignore and distribution targets to minimize package size
- Fix: Standardize script paths in composer.json to use local binaries
- Fix: Correct release links in documentation and update contributor lists
- Fix: Update PHPCS and PHPStan configurations for better development workflow
Screenshots
For developers
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FAQ
rtCarousel: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 16, 2026
Is rtCarousel free?
Yes. rtCarousel is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is rtCarousel safe to use in 2026?
rtCarousel is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 300+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 67/100 on our health check.
How many websites use rtCarousel?
rtCarousel is active on 300+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,183 times since it launched in June 2026. It was downloaded 1,196 times in the last 30 days.
Does rtCarousel work with WordPress 7.1?
rtCarousel 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 rtCarousel need?
rtCarousel requires PHP 8.2 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was rtCarousel last updated?
The latest version, 2.1.0, was released on August 4, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes rtCarousel?
rtCarousel is developed and maintained by rtCamp.
What are the best alternatives to rtCarousel?
The most popular alternatives to rtCarousel are Spectra Legacy (1M+ installs), Breadcrumb NavXT (800K+ installs) and PDF Embedder (300K+ installs).
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