April 10th, 2020
Simply put, a WordPress shortcode is a "shortcut" that will allow you to add many specialized features to your WordPress website that generally would require complicated computer code and technical knowledge. A shortcode is created inside brackets. You will find a list of all the shortcodes available on WordPress.org. Also, many third-party plugins (which can be installed on Cloud Web Hosting and Small Business Web Hosting Plans) use shortcodes too. You can read the specific instructions for assembling the shortcode, then add the shortcode to any page or post using a shortcode block.
Shortcodes are easy to use and do not require any coding knowledge. Here is a list of shortcodes available:
Video
- [dailymotion] embeds a DailyMotion video
- [flickr] embeds a Flickr video
- [hulu] embeds a Hulu video
- [kickstarter] embeds a Kickstarter video
- [ted] embeds a TED Talks video
- [twitchtv] embeds a Twitch.tv stream
- [ustream] embeds a Ustream.TV video
- [vimeo] embeds a Vimeo video
- [wpvideo] embeds a VideoPress video
- [youtube] embeds a YouTube video
- [archiveorg] embeds a video from The Internet Archive
Audio
- [audio] displays uploaded audio file as an audio player
- [playlist] displays a playlist for uploaded audio files
- [soundcloud] embeds audio from SoundCloud.
- [spotify] embeds music from Spotify
- [bandcamp] embeds music from Bandcamp
- [8tracks] embeds music from 8-tracks
Images and Documents
- [gallery] inserts an image gallery into a post or page
- [instagram] embeds an image from Instagram
- [scribd] embeds a document/file from Scribd
- [slideshare] embeds a slideshow from Slideshare.net
- [slideshow] embeds a slideshow of uploaded photos
- [presentation] embeds a slideshow presentation
- [googleapps] embeds a document from Google Docs
- [lytro] embeds an image from Lytro
- [vr] embeds 360° photos and panoramas for use with VR headsets
- [office] embeds documents from Microsoft Office Live
- Excel documents
- Powerpoint documents
- Word documents
Miscellaneous
Useful shortcodes for adding a blog archive index, contact form, polls, and more.
- [archives] displays an archive index of your blog posts
- [beermenus] embeds a menu from BeerMenus
- [blog_subscription_form] embeds a subscription form allowing people to sign up for email updates
- [display-posts] lets you list posts of a specific category, author, or tag
- [contact-form] adds a contact form to your page
- [gist] embeds GitHub Gist code snippets
- [gravatar] shows a Gravatar image from an email address
- [googlemaps] embeds Google Maps
- [latex] embeds LaTeX formulas and equations
- [list-pages] lets you list pages, sibling pages, and child pages
- [poll] embeds a Crowdsignal poll
- [portfolio] embeds Portfolio projects
- [recipe] formats a recipe with basic metadata and an option to print
- [code] or [sourcecode] preserves the formatting of source code
- [sitemap] generates a sitemap of your site’s pages
- [tlkio] adds a Tlk.io channel to your post or page
- [twitter-timeline] embed a Twitter timeline
- [upcomingevents] displays an iCalendar Feed URL in a list
- [wufoo] embeds a Wufoo form
- [quiz] embeds a multiple choice quiz
- [bandsintown-tourdates] embeds a Bandsintown Tour Dates widget
- [rss] embeds RSS feed from a specified URL, e.g., a news feed
Conclusion
Often overlooked, WordPress shortcodes can make designing your WordPress website a lot easier. So if you have not yet looked into using shortcodes for WordPress, we suggest you take a further look into them.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this blog, feel free to contact us.