Title: Latest Content by Anything Author: Jonny Quinn Published: May 8, 2024 Last modified: January 18, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/latest-content-by-anything/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3083330) ![](https://ps.w.org/latest-content-by-anything/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3083330) # Latest Content by Anything By [Jonny Quinn](https://profiles.wordpress.org/themecanvas/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/latest-content-by-anything.2.0.0.zip) * [Details](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/#description) * [Reviews](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/#reviews) * [Installation](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/#installation) * [Development](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/) ## Description **Latest Content by Anything** is a lightweight yet powerful shortcode plugin that displays your latest content from any post type with flexible taxonomy filtering. #### Key Features * **Universal Post Type Support** – Works with posts, pages, WooCommerce products, and ANY custom post type * **Taxonomy Filtering** – Filter by category, tag, or any custom taxonomy * **WooCommerce Integration** – Automatically displays product prices when showing products * **Flexible Layouts** – Choose between horizontal or vertical layouts * **Customizable Display** – Control titles, excerpts, thumbnails, and more * **Developer Friendly** – Clean code with proper escaping and sanitization * **Lightweight** – No bloat, minimal CSS, no jQuery dependency #### Use Cases * Display latest blog posts on your homepage * Show featured products from a specific WooCommerce category * Create a portfolio grid from custom post types * Build related content sections * Display team members from a custom post type * Show testimonials filtered by service type * Feature recent news articles by category #### Basic Usage Simply add this shortcode to any page, post, or widget: ``` [latest_content_by_anything] ``` #### WooCommerce Example Display your latest products with prices: ``` [latest_content_by_anything post_type="product" num_items="4" layout="horizontal"] ``` #### Pro Features Looking for more? **[Latest Content by Anything Pro](https://themecanvas.co.uk/pro/)** adds: * Multiple design templates * Visual shortcode builder * AJAX pagination (load more) * Masonry and carousel layouts * Gutenberg block * Custom field display (ACF compatible) * Priority support ### Shortcode Parameters #### Display Options * `num_items` – Number of items to display (default: 5) * `post_type` – Post type to query: post, page, product, or any CPT (default: post) * `display_titles` – Show post titles: true or false (default: true) * `excerpt_length` – Excerpt length in words, 0 to hide (default: 100) * `thumbnail_size` – WordPress image size: thumbnail, medium, large, full (default: thumbnail) #### Filtering Options * `taxonomy` – Taxonomy slug to filter by (e.g., category, product_cat) * `term` – Term slug within the taxonomy to filter by #### Layout Options * `layout` – Display layout: vertical, horizontal, or grid (default: vertical) * `columns` – Number of columns for grid layout, 1-6 (default: 3) #### Sorting Options * `orderby` – Sort by: date, title, modified, rand, menu_order (default: date) * `order` – Sort direction: ASC or DESC (default: DESC) #### Additional Options * `exclude` – Comma-separated post IDs to exclude * `offset` – Skip the first N posts (default: 0) * `show_date` – Display post date: true or false (default: false) * `show_author` – Display author name: true or false (default: false) * `show_read_more` – Add “Read More” link: true or false (default: false) * `read_more_text` – Custom “Read More” text (default: Read More) * `cache` – Enable query caching: true or false (default: true) #### WooCommerce Options * `hide_price` – Hide product prices: true or false (default: false) #### Complete Example ``` [latest_content_by_anything num_items="6" post_type="product" taxonomy="product_cat" term="featured" thumbnail_size="medium" excerpt_length="20" display_titles="true" layout="horizontal" hide_price="false" ]

Additional Resources

``` * [Full Documentation](https://themecanvas.co.uk) – Detailed guides and examples * [Feature Requests](https://themecanvas.co.uk/feature-requests/) – Suggest new features* [Pro Version](https://themecanvas.co.uk/pro/) – Unlock advanced features ## Installation #### Automatic Installation 1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress admin 2. Search for “Latest Content by Anything” 3. Click Install Now, then Activate #### Manual Installation 1. Upload the `latest-content-by-anything` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/` 2. Activate through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress 3. Use the `[latest_content_by_anything]` shortcode anywhere ## FAQ ### How do I display WooCommerce products? Use `post_type="product"` in your shortcode: ``` [latest_content_by_anything post_type="product" num_items="4"] ``` To filter by a product category, add the taxonomy and term: ``` [latest_content_by_anything post_type="product" taxonomy="product_cat" term="clothing"] ``` ### How do I filter posts by category? Use the taxonomy and term parameters: ``` [latest_content_by_anything taxonomy="category" term="news"] ``` For tags, use: ``` [latest_content_by_anything taxonomy="post_tag" term="featured"] ``` ### Can I use custom post types? Yes! Replace “post” with your custom post type slug: ``` [latest_content_by_anything post_type="portfolio"] [latest_content_by_anything post_type="testimonials"] ``` ### How do I create a horizontal layout? Use the layout parameter: ``` [latest_content_by_anything layout="horizontal" num_items="4"] ``` ### Does it work with Elementor? Yes! Simply add the shortcode using Elementor’s Shortcode widget. The plugin has been tested with Elementor and works without any issues. ### Does it work with WPBakery Page Builder? Yes, the shortcode works perfectly in WPBakery’s Text Block or Raw HTML elements. ### Does it work with the Gutenberg block editor? Yes! Use the Shortcode block in Gutenberg to add the shortcode. The Pro version includes a native Gutenberg block with a visual interface. ### Can I hide the featured image/thumbnail? Set an empty or invalid thumbnail size, or you can style it with CSS: ``` .latest-content .content-item img { display: none; } ``` ### How do I change the excerpt length? Use the excerpt_length parameter (in words): ``` [latest_content_by_anything excerpt_length="20"] ``` To hide the excerpt entirely, set it to 0: ``` [latest_content_by_anything excerpt_length="0"] ``` ### Can I display posts in random order? Currently, posts are displayed by date (newest first). Random ordering is available in the Pro version. ### Is the plugin translation ready? Yes, the plugin uses WordPress internationalization standards with the text domain‘ latest-content-by-anything’. ### How do I style the output? The plugin uses CSS classes you can target in your theme’s stylesheet: * `.latest-content` – Main container * `.content-item` – Individual item wrapper * `.content-title` – Post title * `.content-excerpt` – Excerpt text * `.product-price` – WooCommerce price (products only) * `.horizontal-layout` – Applied when layout=”horizontal” * `.vertical-layout` – Applied when layout=”vertical” ### What CSS classes are available for styling? Example custom CSS: ``` .latest-content .content-item { background: #fff; border: 1px solid #eee; padding: 20px; } .latest-content .content-title a { color: #333; text-decoration: none; } .latest-content .content-title a:hover { color: #0073aa; } ``` ### Does the plugin slow down my site? No, the plugin is very lightweight. It makes a single database query and outputs minimal HTML and CSS. The Pro version adds optional caching for even better performance on high-traffic sites. ### Is there a Pro version? Yes! [Latest Content by Anything Pro](https://themecanvas.co.uk/pro/) adds design templates, visual shortcode builder, AJAX pagination, Gutenberg block, and more. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/729c135e8f7c828b3053c79a4e6efe544e113878bdf5822fad05015686417ad4? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[simple and efficient!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/simple-and-efficient-421/)󠁿 [tiniewini](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tiniewini/) May 21, 2024 1 reply super easy and straightforward to use! the setup is quick and the interface is simple.. so anyone can use it, even for non tech-savvy… it works smoothly without any problems… highly recommended for its simplicity and efficiency. thank you author! 🙂 [ Read all 1 review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Latest Content by Anything” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Jonny Quinn ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/themecanvas/) [Translate “Latest Content by Anything” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/latest-content-by-anything) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/latest-content-by-anything/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/latest-content-by-anything/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/latest-content-by-anything/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/latest-content-by-anything/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 2.0.0 – 2025-01-17 * NEW: Grid layout with customizable columns (1-6) * NEW: Sorting options – orderby and order parameters * NEW: Display post date with show_date parameter * NEW: Display author with show_author parameter * NEW: “Read More” link option with customizable text * NEW: Exclude specific posts by ID * NEW: Offset parameter to skip posts * NEW: Query caching for improved performance * NEW: Admin documentation page under Settings * NEW: CSS custom properties for easy theming * NEW: Responsive grid layouts * IMPROVED: Modern class-based architecture * IMPROVED: Better code organization and documentation * Fixed: WooCommerce compatibility – no longer causes errors on sites without WooCommerce * Fixed: Frontend compatibility issue with plugin detection * Updated: Minimum WordPress version 5.0 * Updated: Minimum PHP version 7.4 #### 1.0.14 * Fixed: WooCommerce compatibility – no longer causes errors on sites without WooCommerce installed * Fixed: Frontend compatibility issue with plugin detection function * Updated: Tested up to WordPress 6.7 * Improved: Better code standards and security practices #### 1.0.13 * Minor bug fixes * Improved documentation links #### 1.0.12 * Fixed: Error with WooCommerce categories * Fixed: Error with WooCommerce price display #### 1.0 * Initial release ## Meta * Version **2.0.0** * Last updated **4 months ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 5.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.7.5** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/) * Tags * [content](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/content/)[display](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/display/) [list](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/list/)[posts](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/posts/) [shortcode](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/shortcode/) * [Advanced View](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/latest-content-by-anything/advanced/) ## Ratings 5 out of 5 stars. * [ 1 5-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 0 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Jonny Quinn ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/themecanvas/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/latest-content-by-anything/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://themecanvas.co.uk/donate/)