Planning Your Pods
Before you start making pods, you're going to want to figure out what you're going to make - what your custom post types will be called, what taxonomies it will need, whether the taxonomies will need to be hierarchical or not, etc.
Planning
- What custom post types you will be creating on your website (e.g. Books, Doctors, Products, etc)
- What taxonomies it will need (e.g. Categories, Tags, etc)
- Whether the taxonomies will need to be hierarchical (items grouped together and displayed as a checklist)
- What meta fields you will need (e.g. Description, Price, Variations etc)
For more detailed information about Planning Your Pods check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#plan
WP Dashboard
Getting Started
- Install and Activate: From plugins in WordPress Dashboard install Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields and Pods Beaver Themer Add-On
- Activate from plugins page
- For more detailed information about Getting Started check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/
Create Custom Post Type (Pod)
- From Dashboard > Pods admin > Add New
- Select a Content type (post types in this instance)
- Add a Label (the name of the post type, e.g. Books)
- Manage Fields (add meta data fields to your post type)
- For more detailed information about managing Pods Fields check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#mngfld
- Admin UI Tab (manage how your post type appears in the dashboard)
- Add a dashboard menu icon (You can select a dashicon here and use the dashicon name, or you can create a custom icon (18px or smaller, png) and use the following magic tag: {@template-url}/path/to/image.png “replace path and filename to match location and filename of your image”)
- Advanced Options Tab
- Select Supports (These are field options that are built into WordPress posts such as Post Title, Featured Image, Comments, etc. You would not need to add a field to your Pod when using these options.)
- Associate taxonomies with your custom post type (these can be custom created or built-in)
- Enable archive page
- Save your Pod
For more detailed information about Creating a Custom Post Type check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#cpos
Create Custom Taxonomy
- From Dashboard > Pods admin > Add New
- Select a Content type (taxonomy in this instance)
- Add a Label (the name of the taxonomy e.g. Categories)
- Manage Fields (add meta data fields to your post type)
- Admin UI Tab (customize the admin menu appearance of your custom taxonomy)
- Advanced Options Tab
- Select if your taxonomy will be hierarchical
- Assign the taxonomy to an Associated Post Type (or double check it is assigned to the proper post type)
For more detailed information about Creating a Custom Taxonomy check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#taxo
Extend a Post Type (add to an existing post type)
- Add new Pod From Dashboard > Pods admin > Add New
- Select a Content Type (Post Types, Taxonomies, Media, Users, Comments)
- Select a Post Type (e.g. Posts, Pages, Books, Products)
For more detailed information about Extending a Post Type check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#exte
Add New post to Your Custom Post Type
- From Dashboard hover or your new custom post type > Add New
- Fill out the fields and taxonomies you created
- Make sure they are set up and perform as you intended
- Publish your custom post
For more detailed information about Creating a New Post for you Custom Post Type check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/how-to-use-pods/#newcpt
Themer Layouts
Create Post Type - Singular Layout
- From Dashboard hover over > Beaver Builder > Add New
- Add Title > Select Type (Themer Layout) > Select Layout (Singular)
- Set Location click Add Location Rule
- Click "Choose" dropdown and scroll to bottom of list to find the Pod you created and select base Pod created (not the category option)
- Publish themer layout
For more detailed information about Creating a Singular Themer layout for Pods check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/#sing
Create Taxonomy - Archive Layout
- From Dashboard hover over > Beaver Builder > Add New
- Add Title > Select Type (Themer Layout) > Select Layout (Archive)
- Set Location click Add Location Rule
- Click "Choose" dropdown and scroll to bottom of list to find the Pod you created and select Category Archive for the Pod created and keep on All Categories
- Publish themer layout
For more detailed information about Creating an Archive Themer layout for Pods Taxonomy check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/#arch
Beaver Builder
Build Themer Archive Layout
- Launch Beaver Builder for the Archive layout
- Remove the default themer post template - it's easier to start with a blank slate
- Add a hero row or columns to the page to make it consistent with the layout on the rest of the site
- Add Standard Posts module or PowerPack Content Grid module
- Query Tab > Choose Main Query
- General Tab > Layout select custom
- Style layout to match site
For more detailed information about Creating a Custom Module layout and using Field Connections & Shortcodes check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/ and https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/#sing
Build Themer Singular Layout
- Launch Beaver Builder for the Singular layout
- Remove the default themer post template - it's easier to start with a blank slate
- Add a hero row or columns to the page to make it consistent with the layout on the rest of the site
- Style the rest of the page to match provided instructions
- You will use Field Connections & Shortcodes to build out most content on the page
For more detailed information about Creating a Custom Module layout and using Field Connections & Shortcodes check out the style guide: https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/ and https://styleguide.wdsgallery.com/pods-themer/#arch
Important!
Be sure to save the completed layout as template.
- Click Beaver Builder menu (top left)
- Select Save Template
- Name Template and click Save