Web Directory WordPress Plugin
When I started using WordPress, I liked the idea that you can store personal bookmarks on your blog. When I started using it, there are some functions that I wanted so I started searching for a plugin. I couldn’t actually find a plugin that fits my requirements so I decided to start creating my own Web Directory plugin.
I decided to use the existing WordPress tables so that I could re-use existing functions like adding/editing/deleting bookmarks. I wrote down a list of features and functions that I want to put into this plugin.
Features
Some of the current features of the Web directory WordPress plugin include the following:
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Add/Edit/Delete directory entries using the current bookmark management functions existing in WordPress
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Easy setup of a main Web directory page by just using a single WordPress shortcode in a page you create in WordPress
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Easy integration into WordPress themes by detecting and using defined theme stylesheets
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Use of pretty permalinks in the Web directory structure to provide better search engine indexing and optimization
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Automatic creation of search engine friendly titles and description meta tags when web directory categories are accessed.
- Paging the list of links if the list gets too long
- Support for adding a “site submission” form using the Contact Form 7 plugin
Planned Features
Some of the planned features for the Web directory plugin are:
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Support for sub-categories – although the current WordPress core tables already support the creation of parent-child sub category relationships, there are no core functions for doing this.
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Backup / restore of categories/bookmarks – I’m also thinking of creating a Firefox plugin to be able to sync my bookmarks.
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Some WordPress shortcodes to handle automatic link formatting in posts and other pages.
Installing the Web Directory plugin
After downloading the plugin, just unzip it into your WordPress plugins directory and activate the plugin from your WordPress plugins administration page.
Once the plugin has been activated, a sub menu called “Manage Directory” will be created under the “Links” menu of WordPress. There are several steps you need to do to start using the Link Directory plugin.
First, you will need to create a page inside WordPress and insert the [wplinks] shortcode that the Web Directory plugin uses to determine where to insert the contents of the bookmark directory. Check the screenshot below:
You can insert optional text between an opening [wplinks] and closing [/wplinks] shortcode. The text will be formatted in an enclosed div with a class of “intro-box”. This will allow you to format it differently than the rest of the text. As an example, you can checkout the Code Stuff link directory. I use it to put instructions.
Second, tell the Web Directory WordPress plugin which page is you will be using to display the link directory by selecting it under “Manage Directory”. You can also set a description for your web directory. This will be used when generating the description meta tag of the main link directory page. If you leave it blank, the plugin will generate a description for you.
You can customize the default styles that the Web Directory WordPress plugin use. This will allow you to modify how your link directory will look when it is displayed. Do this by creating a file named kih-web-directory.css inside the directory of the WordPress theme that you are currently using. The plugin will detect it and use that stylesheet instead of the default.
That’s it, you can start populating your WordPress bookmarks table.
Enabling the “site submission” feature
I have incorporated some code to enable users to allow visitors to their site to fill up a form for submitting requests to be added to the web directory as of version 2.6.3. The partial support can be enabled using the Web Directory plugin in conjunction with the excellent Contact Form 7 plugin. You can create your own site submission using Contact Form 7. When the Web Directory plugin detects that the Contact Form 7 plugin is installed, it will load some code stuff that will allow you to use a [linkcat] contact form 7 shortcode. The shortcode enables the display of a “Link Category” select field in your form. The [linkcat] shortcode will take care of retrieving the available WordPress Link Categories from your site database and display it as a select field in your form. At least Contact Form 7 version 2.0 is required for this feature to work and you will still need to create your own form.
You can read a tutorial on how to use the Contact Form 7 plugin with the Web Directory plugin.
Changelog
- 2.0.2 – 2009-04-16 – created as a plugin
- 2.5.0 – 2009-05-17 – finished basic functioning web directory
- 2.5.5 – 2009-05-29 – fix permalink issues
- 2.6.0 – 2009-06-22 – automatically use a custom style sheet in the site’s default theme dir
- 2.6.1 – 2009-07-17 – added option in manage directories to enable/disable display of
“Websites / Blogs under” prefix label - 2.6.4 – 2010-02-15 – fixed permalinks to work for blogs under a subdirectory
- 2.6.5 – 2010-05-26 – fixed linkcat validation issue for submission form
Notes
- You can also download the plugin from the Web Directory Plugin page at WordPress.org.
- Let me know if you’re using my plugin by following me at Twitter
Related Posts
Download
Version 2.6.5
Updated: May 26, 2010
Size: 18.82 KB
Downloaded: 980 times
This is a good looking plugin. I’ve been searching for a directory plugin for a while now.
Do you have the example text (or a screen shot) from your contact form on the connected phone site? I’d like to see the configuration of that form. I am missing something on my form. I can’t get the linkcat shortcode to work.
Keep up the great work!
Hey kihbord,
I am having trouble getting Contact Form 7 to play nice with Web Directory. Do you have any more information on how to get the two to sync up? Thank You.
Hi, Thanks for the plugin. I’m looking to have mine set up similar to the one in your demo with a table format. How do I go about this. (unless I missed it in the instructions)
Thx.
C.
I’ve created a tutorial on how to use the Contact Form 7 plugin with the Web Directory plugin.
This looks like an excellent plugin, I’m particularly impressed at the extent to which you’ve explained it.
I’m in need of an internal business directory for a site of mine, but I’d like to further sub-categorize the sub-categories (e.g. http://www.domain.com/links/sub-category/sub-sub-category). Is this possible?
Hi Chris, sub-categories aren’t possible right now. It’s one of those things I plan to put on a later version.
Hi kihbord, any feedback on my question about getting the table formatting? Thanks.
Hi C Noel,
I use DIV’s plus CSS for layout. You’ll need some CSS/HTML background to format it. It has a default css file in the plugins directory which you can use as a start-off point. Put it in your theme directory and modify it to soothe your liking.
I can’t seem to get the css to work. I uploaded the css you included with the plug-in and placed it in the theme directory but it is not seeing it. What am i doing wrong?
Hi Susan,
Pls check if you placed it inside the directory of the active theme. It should be in the directory of the theme that you are using.
Hi, I want translate your plugin to belorussian language. Please tell me Your email, simply reply me to email.
kihbord, why you ignore my comments? when you publish my belorussian translate? please answer me to email!
Hi Marcis,
I’m sorry for the delayed reply. I’ve been very busy lately. Anyway, I’d be glad to check out your translation. I’ll send you an email so we can communicate via email.
Hi,
Thanks for this great plugin.
It took me a bit of time to have it work, but now it’s ok, thanks to all the comments and answers. It runs ok on WP 2.9.2 (except the linkcat).
It would be even greater, as it has been said earlier, if it could take the _blank attribute into account (or even better, if the site name links and ‘home’ tag links on each box could be freely edited so as to lead to different pages).
Anyway, thanks for this already useful plugin.
If you need help for a translation into French one day, I am willing to help.
Hi,
Your plugin is awesome but I’m wondering if it’s possible to exclude certain categories from being listed? I would like to create a student site directory but am using a couple link categories elsewhere in the template.
Thanks for your help!
Angie
Hi Kihbord,
Got everything installed & working but when I try to add to my categories from the drop down, I get ‘please fill in all required fields’ yet its got something selected.
Please help as this seems a great little plug-in!
Thanks
It doesn’t list the links!
See here: http://a.ohhmy.info/?page_id=3
Any fix?
To Sharmaine and the others having problems with the link category in the submission form:
Sorry for the delay. I’ve been working on another WordPress project of mine. Anyway, I’ve finally got some time and already found the bug.
Will make the modifications and upload the corrections in the coming days. Stay tuned. Better yet subscribe to the Codestuff Feed to get an update.
This is a step in the right direction, however, I didn’t see any way to search the links after they are added. If you are able to search within your links, can you explain how to do it?
Thanks.
Hi,
First of all I have to say I really like this plugin.
But I’d like to change the target of the bookmarks.
Is there a possibility if someone click on a website link that this website opens in a new screen?
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks in advance.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I don’t handle targets when displaying the bookmarks at the moment. I’ll keep that in mind on the next version. In the meantime, you can already set the targets on your bookmarks so it will work when I put the feature. Nice idea. Thanks.
Can i install on WP 3.0 ?
Thanks
Hi Doobbe,
I haven’t tested it yet but it should work with WordPress 3.0.
Hi Nice Idea for as plugin
I was wondering if this plugin would work on WP 3.0 Multisite.
I don’t plan on letting add on blogs use it but you never know.
or on the main blog only.
Hi Mitch,
Thanks. If ever you get to try it out on a WP 3.0 multi-site, would be nice to get some feedback.
Hi
Great plugin,
I am having problems with my links page and my permalinks… i need all my cat links to come under url/index.php/directory ie. the index.php….?
i cant really work out how to do this ? using wp3.0
can you help me out?
Hi Belinda,
What’s the index.php for?
I’ve installed this and have it functioning, however when a user clicks on a category from the main directory page they are redirected back to the same main directory page. It never takes them to the category selected?
Where is it installed? I don’t see it on your web site.
Hi Kihbord
I have just installed on a wordpress 3, it is working to an extent but when you click on a category it goes to the correct permalink but just displays the categories again rather than the links in a particular category url is http://www.samui-beach-resort.org/directory. thanks for the work you have put in on this plug in. I will be donating as soon as i get it working right
Hi Kihbord, I see now that it is listing the links but I didnt see this earlier as it is displayed below the long list of categories.
Hi Peter,
I checked it and it’s working.
Hi!
I’ve been trying to install the plugin, yet somehow the “manage directory” page doesn’t show up in the backend, do you have any idea why?
Second, I’d like to ask when you will release your next version. For now it would be very nice to set the directory up, but after a while, without sub-categories I guess the directory will get a little confusing.
Thanks for you nice plugin!
Hi Heinze,
What version of WordPress are you using?
If what you mean by sub-categories is categories under the main categories, yes I’ve been thinking about that and some other features but haven’t started coding them yet ‘coz I’m planning to make the plugin expandable using “sub-plugins”.