In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to customize and optimize category pages using the settings available in Carbon. Category pages play a vital role in organizing content, enhancing user experience, and improving SEO. Let’s explore the different settings that allow you to fine-tune the display and functionality of your category pages.
To open the category settings page:
- Navigate to Posts > Categories from your WordPress dashboard.
- Select an existing category from the list, or create a new category and then open its setting page.
This will allow you to access and customize the settings specific to that category.
Under the default setting fields for a category (such as category name, slug, and description), you’ll see additional options provided by the theme. These theme-specific settings allow you to further customize the appearance and functionality of the category page. Let’s explore what each option does.
1. Feature Post Area
The key settings for configuring the Feature Post Area are displayed in the image below:
- Feature Post Area: The Feature Post Area allows you to display a grid layout of featured content at the top of your category page. This section is ideal for drawing attention to specific posts, such as trending articles or important updates.
- Default (From Theme Option): This option uses the layout defined in the Theme Options Settings (Global Option). It serves as the default setting for the feature area.
- Disable Option: Selecting this option will disable the feature area entirely on this category page.
- Other Layout Options: The remaining options offer different layouts for the feature area. Once you select a specific layout, it will override the setting from Theme Options (Global Option).
- Posts in Feature Area: This option lets you choose the type of articles displayed in the feature area. You can select between:
- Show Featured Posts (Sticky Posts)
- Show Latest Posts
These settings provide flexibility in showcasing the most relevant content to your audience, ensuring that key articles receive the attention they deserve.
2. Content Listing Area
The Content Listing Area controls how posts within a category are displayed, allowing you to customize the layout, style, and content presentation for readers browsing your category pages.
Key Settings:
- Content Layouts:
The theme supports 32 different layout styles as shown in the above image, ranging from grid, list, and masonry formats to more advanced configurations. This flexibility lets you tailor the content display to match your site’s design or the specific needs of each category.
- Default (From Theme Option): This option uses the layout defined in the Theme Options Settings (Global Option). It serves as the default setting for the feature area.
- Other Layout Options: The remaining options offer different layouts. Once you select a specific layout, it will override the setting from Theme Options (Global Option).
- Pagination
The Pagination settings allow you to control how posts are navigated on category pages. Depending on the amount of content in each category, the right pagination style can enhance user experience and encourage further browsing. Available Options:
- From Theme Options: This option uses the setting defined in the Theme Options Settings (Global Option). It serves as the default setting for the pagination.
- Default Pagination: The default pagination in WordPress uses a simple numeric style, located at the bottom of a post listing. It includes links to navigate through different pages of posts
- Ajax Pagination: This uses a simple numeric style, located at the bottom of a post listing. It includes links to navigate through different pages of posts using the Ajax method. This allows for seamless loading of content without requiring a full page reload, enhancing the user experience by providing smoother transitions between pages.
- Ajax Load More: The Ajax Load More option allows posts to be dynamically loaded without requiring a full page refresh. When a user clicks the “Load More” button at the bottom of the post listing, additional posts are fetched via Ajax and seamlessly added to the existing content.
- Ajax Infinity Scrolling: This option provides a continuous, automatic content-loading experience as users scroll down the page. Instead of clicking through pagination or “Load More” buttons, posts are dynamically fetched and displayed as the user reaches the bottom of the page.
- Layout-Specific Settings:
Depending on the selected layout for the Content Listing Area, this group of options may differ slightly. These settings allow you to fine-tune the display and functionality of your chosen layout, ensuring your category pages are tailored to your design and content needs.
- [Content Section] Exclude Posts: When this option is enabled, any posts that are highlighted in the Feature Post Area will be excluded from the main content section of the category page. This ensures that there is no repetition of content, giving more room to display other posts.
- Text Color on Background Color: Based on the layout of the Content Section and the Color Settings, the background of the articles may vary between light and dark colors. This option allows you to configure the text color to ensure optimal readability against the background. Select “From Theme Options” to use the setting defined in the Theme Options Settings (Global Option). It serves as the default setting for the this option.
- Bookmark: This option allows readers to save specific posts for easy access later. This feature enhances user experience by enabling users to keep track of content they find interesting or wish to revisit.You can visit the demo page here to see how the bookmark feature works.
- Page Sidebar: The Page Sidebar option allows you to choose which sidebar to display on this page. This setting will override the category page sidebar configuration in the Theme Options (Global Options).
- Sidebar Position: The Sidebar Position option lets you determine whether the sidebar appears on the left or right side of the page. This setting will override the category sidebar position specified in the Theme Options (Global Options).
- Sticky Sidebar: When the Sticky Sidebar option is enabled, the sidebar remains fixed as users scroll through the content on this page. This setting will override the sticky sidebar configuration in the Theme Options (Global Options).
- Category color: The Category Color option allows you to assign a unique color to each category. This color can be used for various category-specific elements, such as category labels, backgrounds, etc. depending on the theme’s design.
- Featured Image: The Featured Image option allows you to assign a representative image to your category. This image is primarily used to display in Category Widgets or Category Modules, providing a visual identity for the category.