When managing a WordPress website, you might need to change the order of your pages to improve the user experience or adjust the site’s structure. While WordPress arranges pages by default in the order they were created or alphabetically, you can easily reorder them using built-in settings or plugins.
In this guide, we’ll explore several methods to reorder pages in WordPress, ensuring you have control over how your pages are organized and displayed.
Why Reorder Pages in WordPress?
There are several reasons why you may want to reorder your pages, such as:
- Improving Navigation: You want certain pages to appear first in your menu or as child pages in a specific order.
- Creating Logical Flow: Organizing pages in a sequence that tells a story or leads users to important sections of your site.
- SEO Optimization: Ensuring search engines and users can easily find high-priority pages.
- User Experience: Providing a better browsing experience by ordering your content in a way that makes sense.
Let’s explore how you can reorder your WordPress pages using a few different methods.
Method 1: Reorder Pages Using WordPress Page Attributes
WordPress has a built-in feature that allows you to control the order of pages using the Page Attributes section in the editor. This method works best if you want to manually reorder just a few pages.
Steps to Reorder Pages with Page Attributes:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Pages > All Pages to view a list of your existing pages.
- Click Edit on the page you want to reorder.
- In the Page Attributes box (usually located on the right side of the editor), you’ll see an option for Order.
- Enter a number in the Order field. Pages are displayed in ascending order, so a page with an order of “1” will appear before a page with an order of “2.”
- Update the page to save your changes.
Example:
- A page with an order of 1 will appear before a page with an order of 2.
- If you want to set up child pages under a parent page, you can use the Parent option within the Page Attributes to organize subpages.
This method is great for manually ordering a few pages but can be time-consuming if you have many pages to manage.
Method 2: Reorder Pages Using a Plugin
If you need to manage and reorder multiple pages, using a plugin can make the process much simpler. One popular plugin for this task is “Simple Page Ordering”, which allows you to reorder pages with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Steps to Reorder Pages Using Simple Page Ordering:
- Install the Plugin:
- Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for “Simple Page Ordering”.
- Click Install Now and then Activate the plugin.
- Reorder Pages:
- After the plugin is activated, navigate to Pages > All Pages.
- You can now drag and drop pages to reorder them directly from the All Pages screen. No additional settings are required.
- The plugin automatically updates the page order as you move them.
This plugin is ideal for users with many pages or anyone who prefers a more visual, intuitive way to reorder content. The changes are reflected in both the backend and the front end, depending on how your menu or page hierarchy is structured.
Method 3: Reorder Pages in the Navigation Menu
In many cases, you may want to reorder the pages as they appear in your navigation menu rather than changing their actual order in the WordPress dashboard. WordPress provides an easy way to customize your menus.
Steps to Reorder Pages in the Navigation Menu:
- Go to Appearance > Menus:
- In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Menus.
- If you have multiple menus, choose the one where you want to reorder the pages.
- Drag and Drop:
- You’ll see a list of all the pages that are currently part of your menu. Simply drag and drop the pages to rearrange their order.
- You can also make certain pages sub-items (child pages) by dragging them slightly to the right beneath a parent page.
- Save Menu:
- Once you’ve arranged the pages in your desired order, click Save Menu to apply the changes.
This method only affects how pages are displayed in the menu, not their overall page hierarchy or order within the dashboard.
Method 4: Reorder Pages with Custom Menus for Sidebar or Footer
If your site has custom menus in areas like the sidebar or footer, you can control the page order by creating a custom menu and assigning it to those locations.
Steps to Create a Custom Menu:
- Create a New Menu:
- Go to Appearance > Menus.
- Click Create a new menu, give it a name, and then select the pages you want to include.
- Drag and Drop Pages:
- Arrange the pages in the desired order using the drag and drop feature.
- Assign the Menu to Sidebar or Footer:
- In the same Menus area, look for the Menu Settings section and choose where you want this menu to appear (sidebar, footer, or other widget areas).
This allows you to reorder pages for specific areas of your site without changing the main navigation.
Method 5: Customize Page Order Using WordPress Themes
Some WordPress themes come with customization options that allow you to easily reorder pages, particularly if the theme uses page builders like Elementor or WPBakery Page Builder.
Steps to Reorder Pages Using a Page Builder:
- Open the Page Builder:
- If your theme includes a page builder, open the page you want to reorder in the builder interface.
- Rearrange Page Sections:
- Use the drag-and-drop tools in the page builder to move sections or pages into the desired order.
- Save the Changes:
- Save or publish the page to apply the new order.
This method depends on the theme you’re using and is most helpful when working with custom page templates.
Conclusion
Reordering pages in WordPress can help you organize your site more efficiently and improve user experience. Whether you prefer using built-in tools like Page Attributes, or you need more flexibility with plugins like Simple Page Ordering, WordPress provides several ways to arrange your pages.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily control the order of pages, optimize your navigation, and structure your content to better suit your audience.
Choose the method that fits your needs, and you’ll have a well-organized website in no time!