# Getting Started

W4 Post List builds the lists WordPress core still can’t: posts **grouped** under year, month, category or author headings; category and term indexes; user directories; and combined Terms + Posts and Users + Posts lists — placed anywhere with a block, a shortcode, or a widget.

## Your first list in four steps

### 1. Create a list

Go to **W4 Post List → Add New** and give your list a title. Choose a **List Type**:

| List type | What it lists |
|---|---|
| Posts | Posts, pages, or any custom post type |
| Terms | Categories, tags, or any taxonomy’s terms |
| Users | Site users, filterable by role |
| Terms + Posts | Each term with its posts underneath |
| Users + Posts | Each user with their posts underneath |

Fresh installs include a draft **“Example: Recent Posts”** list — open it any time to see a working configuration.

### 2. Choose what to show

![The Start from a template picker in the list editor](https://w4dev.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/w4pl-docs-starter-picker.png)

Open the section named after your list type (for example **Posts**) and pick the post type, how many items to show, and the order. The advanced sections (Tax Query, Meta Query, Date Query) are optional filters — skip them for your first list.

**Shortcut:** pick a layout from **Start from a template**. It fills the Template and Style sections with a ready-made design (cards, archive, directory…) and sets any options it needs — then everything stays fully editable.

### 3. Publish

![The live preview pane rendering unsaved settings](https://w4dev.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/w4pl-docs-live-preview.png)

A default template is applied automatically, so you don’t need to touch the Template section to get output. Use the **Preview** button under the editor to see the rendered list before saving. Click **Publish**.

### 4. Place it on your site

![The Display this list box with the copyable shortcode](https://w4dev.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/w4pl-docs-shortcode-box.png)

Three ways to display your list:

- **Block** — add the “W4 Post List” block in the editor and pick your list.
- **Shortcode** — paste  into any content. Every list’s ready-made shortcode is in the **Shortcode column** on the All Lists screen, and in the **“Display this list”** box while editing.
- **Widget** — add the W4 Post List widget to any widget area.

In theme files: `<?php echo do_shortcode( '' ); ?>`

![The welcome notice and example list on a fresh install](https://w4dev.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/w4pl-docs-welcome.png)

## If your list shows nothing

1. Make sure the list is **Published**, not Draft.
2. Check the shortcode ID matches — copy it from the Shortcode column.
3. If you edited the template, it must keep the loop tags for its list type: `[posts]…[/posts]` for posts, `[terms]…[/terms]` for terms, `[users]…[/users]` for users.
4. Re-check the query options — the list may simply have matched no items.

Logged-in editors see an inline explanation when a shortcode points to a missing list; visitors see nothing.

Source: https://w4dev.com/docs/w4-post-list/getting-started/