How to Add an Article Gallery to Your WordPress Site

Image galleries are a fairly popular way to display visual content on the web. However, WordPress article galleries are seen less often, despite how useful they can be for promoting featured content and driving reader engagement.

Fortunately, with the new Templates add-on for WP RSS Aggregator, creating an article gallery for your WordPress site is easier than ever. With this handy tool, you can now improve browsing on your blog, news site, or similar online content hub.

In this post, we’ll explain some reasons you may want to add an article gallery to your WordPress site. Then we’ll walk you through how to do so with WP RSS Aggregator Templates. Let’s get to it!

Why You May Want to Incorporate an Article Gallery On Your WordPress Site

Like an image gallery, article galleries can be a visually appealing way to showcase posts on your WordPress site. A clean grid format enables you to give readers a taste of what each of your featured posts has to offer, including their featured images and short excerpts of their text:

An example of a WordPress article gallery.

This layout makes it easier for readers to browse your posts. They can quickly scan each tile in the gallery to find the type of content they’re looking for. In some cases, this may even keep users engaged and encourage them to stay on your site longer.

Plus, by selecting specific articles to include in your gallery, you can draw special attention to certain posts. Whether you want to put your best foot forward with your highest-performing content, promote sponsored posts to increase revenue, or spotlight high-converting articles to draw users in, a gallery can help you do it.

How to Add an Article Gallery to Your WordPress Site (In 4 Steps)

Achieving a gallery layout for your posts usually requires choosing a theme that includes this feature. However, the new Templates add-on for WP RSS Aggregator makes it possible for you to keep your current WordPress theme and still display your posts gallery-style. Even better, you can do it in four simple steps.

Step 1: Acquire WP RSS Aggregator and the Templates Add-On

There are two related tools you’ll need to create your WordPress article gallery. The first is WP RSS Aggregator:

This plugin makes it possible to import and display feeds on your website. It has a wide variety of uses and can be adapted with the help of several add-ons. One such extension is Templates:

The WP RSS Aggregator plugin Templates add-on.

When combined with WP RSS Aggregator, this add-on enables you to display various types of content – including articles or posts – in pre-built layouts. There are two ways you can go about adding these features to your WordPress site.

The first option is to combine the free version of WP RSS Aggregator and the Templates add-on. This is ideal for current WP RSS Aggregator users. The plugin is available in the WordPress Plugin Directory, and you can purchase Templates for $39 per year.

The more cost-effective option is to invest in a premium WP RSS Aggregator plan. The Basic plan starts at just $59 per year and includes the Categories, Keyword Filtering, and Templates add-ons.

Once your purchase is complete, you’ll receive an email containing your add-on download(s) and your license key(s). Head on over to your WordPress dashboard and make sure you have WP RSS Aggregator installed and activated. Then, navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.

Upload the Templates add-on .zip file, then install and activate it. You’ll then receive a notification to enter your license key:

A notification from the Templates add-on to add your license key.

Click on the corresponding link or navigate to RSS Aggregator > Settings > Licenses to do so:

Adding the license key to WP RSS Aggregator Templates.

Hit the Activate License button and you should be ready to start using WP RSS Aggregator Templates.

Step 2: Set Up Your RSS Feed to Display Your Desired Posts

Before you can create your custom WordPress article gallery, you’ll need to add an RSS feed to display your posts. To start, navigate to WP RSS Aggregator > Feed Sources > Add New:

In the URL field, enter the address for your blog, a specific category, or another site you want to source content from. Then, click on Validate Feed below the field to ensure the URL you entered will produce a working feed.

Once you have a valid URL, you can customize your feed source’s settings. There are many options available here, but some highlights include:

Limit. Determine the number of posts the feed should store at any given time.
Link Source. Include a link back to the original source. This is recommended if you’re bringing in content from other sites.
Featured Image. Choose how the feed should determine which image to use as the item’s featured image. You can also set up a default featured image to use for all or some items.

Click on the blue Publish Feed button when you’re done. You should see a list of items in the Feed Preview widget to the right of the main editor once the feed is active:

Now all you need is to display the feed in a gallery template.

Step 3: Create a New Article Gallery Template

With your feed source in place, navigate to WP RSS Aggregator > Templates > Add New to set up your custom gallery layout. Start by naming your template and choosing its type from the dropdown menu:

Setting up a new WP RSS Aggregator template.

You can display your feed’s articles in a list, grid, or as excerpts and thumbnails. The grid template will give you the most traditional gallery-style layout. However, the excerpts and thumbnails option can also be effective:

The Excerpts & Thumbnails WP RSS Aggregator template.

Next, you’ll want to choose what information each item in your article gallery should display. Your options will vary slightly depending on which template type you’re using, but generally speaking, they include:

A link to the original article
The post’s initial publication date
The name of feed source
An image or thumbnail
An excerpt from the article

Once you’re happy with your template, click on the blue Publish button.

Step 4: Display Your WordPress Article Gallery

Once your gallery template is ready, displaying it is simple. If you’re using the Block Editor, navigate to the post or page where you want to showcase your articles. Click on the plus (+) icon and select the WP RSS Aggregator block:

Selecting the WP RSS Aggregator block.

Then, specify which feed source or sources to display from the sidebar, and select your template from the dropdown:

Choosing the grid template for a new article gallery.

That’s all it takes! If you’re using the Classic Editor, publishing your gallery is just as simple. In the editor toolbar, select the WP RSS Aggregator icon:

The WP RSS Aggregator icon in the Classic Editor toolbar.

This will open the shortcode window. Choose your feed source and template just as you would in the Block Editor:

Choosing the feed source and template for the WP RSS Aggregator shortcode generator.

Then, click on the Add Shortcode button. This will generate a custom shortcode for your gallery. Now your featured articles are ready for your readers.

Conclusion

Whether you want to promote specific posts or just improve your readers’ user experience in general, incorporating a WordPress article gallery is a simple way to boost engagement. Plus, it’s fairly easy to do.

You can create your own article galleries for WordPress in just four steps: