What is Post Format in WordPress? How to use Post Formats

Enhancing WordPress Posts with Diverse Formats

In WordPress, the inclusion of post formats offers a unique way for theme creators to craft a distinct look for various types of content. While a range of predefined formats is at their disposal, the creation of new, custom formats by themes or plugins is not supported. It’s also not mandatory for theme designers to incorporate every available post format.

Exploring Post Formats

WordPress provides a selection of post formats, each with its own style and purpose, to enhance the visual appeal and structure of content. Below is a list of these formats:

Standard – The typical format for posts
Aside – Similar to a brief note, often displayed without a heading
Gallery – A collection of images showcased together
Link – Directs readers to a different website
Image – Showcases a single image or photo
Quote – Highlights a cited quotation
Status – A concise update, akin to a tweet
Video – Features a video within the post
Audio – Contains an audio clip
Chat – Presents a transcript of a conversation

Default Format: Standard

The standard format is the go-to choice in WordPress and can encompass a variety of content types, including articles and blog entries. Users have the flexibility to utilize their theme’s formatting capabilities for specific post formats or stick with the standard option.

Quick Insights with Asides

Asides offer a way for bloggers to share brief tidbits of information that don’t warrant a full post. This could be a noteworthy fact, a link to an external discussion, or any other content that falls outside the usual range of blog topics. WordPress themes may include support for this format, allowing for a unique visual presentation.

Showcasing Visuals: Gallery

The gallery format in WordPress enables the integration of multiple images into posts or pages. Users can insert several galleries into one post, and theme developers can offer support for this format, dictating how galleries appear within their themes. Galleries are added using the ‘Add Media’ button followed by the ‘Create Gallery’ option and are inserted via a shortcode.

Connecting with Links

When the primary intent is to share a web link, the link post format is ideal. Users can simply provide the link’s title and URL, and optionally, their own commentary.

Spotlight on Images

For posts centered around a single visual element, the image post format is the perfect choice, allowing for the prominent display of an image or photograph.

Emphasizing Words: Quote Format

When highlighting a particular quotation, the quote post format is especially useful. This format is ideal for featuring quotes outside the context of a standard post, and users can choose to enclose the text within a <blockquote> HTML tag.

Sharing Moments: Status Updates

The status post format is designed for sharing brief updates, similar to those found on social media platforms like Twitter. However, users are not limited to short snippets and can opt for more extended updates if they prefer.

Engaging with Video

Posts that contain videos fall under the video post format. These can include videos embedded from external hosting services or those uploaded directly to WordPress. Since version 3.6, WordPress supports native video uploads and playback.

Listening to Audio

For posts that feature audio content, the audio post format is available. This format supports embedding audio files from external services or uploading them directly via the WordPress media uploader.

Conversational Content: Chat

The chat post format is tailored for displaying conversation transcripts, allowing readers to follow along with dialogues as if they were part of the chat.