How to Re-order Blog Posts & Custom Post Types in WordPress (5 Methods)

WordPress is the backbone of millions of websites. It offers incredible flexibility for content creation, but organizing that content can sometimes be a challenge. By default, your blog posts appear in reverse chronological order. That means the newest post always shows up first. This default post order works well for a standard blog, but what if you need more control?

Many site owners, especially those using custom post types for portfolios, products, or directories, require a specific, non-date-based content order. Learning to reorder blog posts and custom post types is crucial for enhancing site navigation and user experience.

This guide will provide a comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial on mastering content organization in WordPress, ensuring your site’s structure makes a huge difference to your visitors and search engine rankings.

We will explore five effective methods, from simple built-in feature adjustments to powerful drag-and-drop plugins and custom code solutions.

Understanding WordPress Post Order

Before we dive into the methods, it’s essential to understand how WordPress manages its content order.

By default, the main blog page and archive pages display content sorted by the post’s published date, from newest to oldest. This is the reverse chronological order. However, you might need a different sorting logic when working with various content types, such as standard WordPress posts and custom post types.

For example, on an e-commerce site, you might want specific products (e.g., a custom post) to always appear at the top of a category page. On a portfolio site, you might need to arrange projects in one particular, curated sequence.

The ability to manually order posts or use a simple drag-and-drop interface is vital for presenting content exactly how you intend. This is why the tools and techniques used to reorder WordPress posts and multiple posts are valuable.

Effective Methods to Re-order Blog Posts & Custom Post Types

There are several proven ways to change the post order in WordPress. Each method caters to different needs and technical skill levels. We will explore practical options for easily reordering blog posts and custom post types.

Watch this step-by-step video to learn how to install plugins, reorder posts and custom post types, explore advanced sorting, and get our final verdict.

Method 1: Reordering Posts by Changing the Publish Date

Modifying the publication date is the simplest, most manual way to change the order of WordPress posts on your blog page.

Since WordPress primarily uses the publish date to determine the default post order, adjusting this date allows you to rearrange posts manually.

Step-by-step Guide:

• Navigate to your WordPress admin panel.
• Go to “Posts” → “All Posts.”
• Click “Edit” on the blog post you want to move.
• On the post edit screen, find the “Publish” section (usually in the right sidebar).
• Click on the date next to “Published on.”
• Change the date to an earlier time if you want the post to appear later in the feed, or to a more recent time if you want it to appear earlier.
• Click “Update.”

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: This is a built-in feature of WordPress. It requires no third-party plugins or custom code and gives you full control over the chronological order.

• Cons: This method is cumbersome, especially for multiple posts. It’s not a true manual; it relies on time manipulation, which can sometimes be confusing. It does not work effectively for reordering custom post types where date order is irrelevant.

Method 2: Utilizing the Post Types Order Plugin

A dedicated plugin is the best solution for most users who need a manual drag-and-drop interface. The Post Types Order plugin is one of the most popular and easiest tools for reordering posts.

This plugin provides a dedicated reorder interface for WordPress posts, pages, and custom post types. It allows you to reorder posts directly using drag-and-drop functionality.

Step-by-step Guide:

• In your WordPress admin panel, go to “Plugins” → “Add New.”
• Search for the Post Types Order plugin.
• Install and activate the plugin.
• Navigate to “Settings” → “Post Types Order” to configure the plugin’s settings. You can select which post types (e.g., standard blog posts, ‘Products’, ‘Portfolio items’) to enable the sorting feature.
• After saving settings, a new menu item, often under “Posts” or the specific custom post type menu (e.g., “Re-Order”), will appear.
• Click the “Re-Order” menu item. You will see a list of your posts.
• Use the drag and drop interface to rearrange your posts into the desired custom order.
• Click the “Update” button to save settings and apply the new post order.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: It provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop sorting solution. It easily handles multiple post types and is ideal for reordering blog posts with custom post types. It’s the most straightforward way to easily reorder posts.

• Cons: It requires installing third-party plugins on your WordPress site.

Method 3: Implementing Custom Code for Advanced Reordering

Advanced users and developers who prefer not to rely on third-party plugins can implement custom code to change the post order. This usually involves modifying the main WordPress query by using the pre_get_posts action hook.

This method gives you the most precise control over how content is displayed on specific archive pages or the front page.

Example Code Snippet (For Developers):

This code snippet would be added to your theme’s functions.php file or a custom site-specific plugin. It changes the order of a custom post type called ‘product’ on its archive page.

function custom_product_order( $query ) {
    if ( $query->is_main_query() && is_post_type_archive( 'product' ) ) {
        // Change the post order to sort by 'title' in ascending order
        $query->set( 'orderby', 'title' );
        $query->set( 'order', 'ASC' );
    }
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'custom_product_order' );

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: No plugin is needed. It offers more control and flexibility than plugins, allowing for sophisticated sorting based on any post data or custom field.

• Cons: It requires technical knowledge of PHP and WordPress queries. Incorrect code can break the WordPress site. It’s not as user-friendly as a drag-and-drop interface.

Method 4: Leveraging Built-in WordPress Features

WordPress has a few built-in methods that offer limited yet effective ways to alter the display of certain content.

The Sticky Post Feature

The sticky post feature allows you to pin a specific post to the top of your main blog page, regardless of its publish date.

How to Use the Sticky Post Feature:

• Go to “Posts” → “All Posts.”
• Click “Quick Edit” on the post you want to highlight.
• Check the box labeled “Make this post sticky.”
• Click “Update.”

The post will now be featured as a “post sticky” item, always displayed at the top. This is an excellent way to highlight specific posts without altering their publication date.

Page Attributes for Hierarchical Post Types

WordPress includes a Page Attributes box on the edit screen for pages and other hierarchical custom post types (like a ‘Documents‘ custom post type).

You can set the page order in this box using a simple number in the “Order” field. Lower numbers appear before higher numbers. This is a straightforward, simple custom post-order method for pages and any hierarchical post types.

Method 5: Reordering Custom Post Types

Custom post types are the content workhorses for any complex WordPress site, such as an e-commerce site or a complex directory. Reordering them often requires dedicated tools because date-based ordering is usually inappropriate.

The best method to reorder custom post types is overwhelmingly Method 2: using a tool like the Post Types Order plugin. This plugin helps reorder blog posts and custom post types and provides a straightforward drag-and-drop content reorder solution that overrides the default post order for all chosen post types.

If you’ve created your custom post type with the ‘supports’ argument including ‘page-attributes’, advanced users can use the page attributes method to set a custom order via a numerical field.

SEO Considerations When Reordering Content

When you reorder posts or custom post types, the primary goal is often to improve the user experience. However, you must consider the impact on SEO.

• URL Consistency: Do not change post URLs when adjusting the post order. This could lead to 404 errors, damaging your SEO.

• Highlighting Important Content: Using the sticky post feature or manual reordering helps to place your highest-value content on the front page or at the top of an archive page. This sends strong relevance signals to users and search engines, as important links appear more prominently.

• Site Navigation: A logical custom order improves your site’s internal linking and general navigation. This allows search engine bots to crawl your site more efficiently, which is a significant factor in good SEO.

Smart content sorting in CMS improves the user journey, leading to lower bounce rates and higher engagement, all positive signals for search engines.

Best Practices for Efficient Content Reordering

Effective post reordering is more than just dragging and dropping content; it’s a strategic process.

• Plan Your Order: Before you start reordering posts, decide on the optimal sequence. Is it a chronological path, a curated list of “bestsellers,” or an alphabetical directory?

• Prioritize User Experience: Always think about your user. The goal of any custom post order should be to make information easier to find. A well-organized site enhances user-friendly navigation and reduces frustration.

• Test on Archive Pages: When you order WordPress posts using a plugin like Post Types Order, check the corresponding archive pages and the blog page to ensure the new custom order is correctly applied.

• Backup Before Coding: Using the custom code method (Method 3), always create a full WordPress site backup before adding or modifying any code snippet in the theme’s files.

• Combine Methods: You can reorder multiple posts on your blog page using a plugin’s drag and drop functionality, but still use the sticky post feature to pin one truly critical blog post to the very top.

Conclusion: Enhancing User Experience and SEO through Smart Reordering

Gaining full control over your content’s display is a cornerstone of effective website management. While WordPress defaults to reverse chronological order, modern websites, especially those utilizing custom post types, demand flexibility.

Whether you choose the simplicity of manually adjusting the post’s published date, the user-friendly drag and drop interface of the Post Types Order plugin, or the power of custom code, the ability to reorder blog posts and custom post types is a vital skill.

By employing these methods, you move beyond the default post order and create a highly structured, logical, and easy-to-navigate WordPress site.

This strategic approach to reordering posts will not only significantly enhance the user experience but also send positive, clear signals to search engines, ultimately leading to a more successful and organized online presence. Take control of your content hierarchy today and watch your site’s performance improve.

FAQs on Blog Posts & Custom Post Types in WordPress