Preface
Are you looking to take your Elementor website to the next level? Do you want to display dynamic content without shelling out for Elementor Pro? You’re in the right place! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to add dynamic content to Elementor Free using clever workarounds and powerful plugins. Get ready to make your website more engaging and personalized!
What is Dynamic Content and Why Does it Matter?
Dynamic content is website content that changes based on user behavior, preferences, or other variables. Unlike static content, which remains the same for every visitor, dynamic content adapts to provide a more personalized and relevant experience.
Here’s why dynamic content is crucial for your website:
- Increased Engagement: Personalized content grabs attention and keeps visitors hooked.
- Improved User Experience: Tailoring content to user preferences makes your website more user-friendly.
- Higher Conversion Rates: Relevant content can lead to more leads, sales, and conversions.
- Better SEO: Search engines favor websites that offer personalized experiences.
Info: Dynamic content adapts to individual user preferences or behaviors, offering relevant and personalized experiences and increasing user engagement.
Limitations of Elementor Free
While Elementor Free is a fantastic page builder, it has limitations when it comes to dynamic content. Out of the box, Elementor Free offers limited dynamic content options with custom fields. To unlock the full potential of dynamic content, you typically need Elementor Pro. However, fret not! We’re here to show you how to bridge that gap without spending extra money.
Workarounds and Plugins for Dynamic Content in Elementor Free
1. Custom Fields and the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Plugin
The Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin is a game-changer for adding dynamic content to Elementor Free. ACF allows you to create custom fields for your posts, pages, and even custom post types. You can then use these custom fields to display dynamic information on your website. Here’s a quick how-to
Step 1: Install and Activate ACF
Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins,” and click “Add New.” Search for “Advanced Custom Fields” and install the plugin. Once installed, activate it.
Step 2: Create Custom Fields
In your WordPress dashboard, you’ll find a new menu item called “Custom Fields.” Click on it and then click “Add New” to create a new field group.
Hint: Name your field group something descriptive, like “Product Details” or “Event Information.”
Add the fields you need, such as text fields, image fields, or date fields. For each field, you’ll need to define a label (the user-friendly name), a name (the internal identifier), and a field type (e.g., text, image, date).
Step 3: Assign the Field Group
In the “Location” section of the field group, specify where you want these custom fields to appear (e.g., posts, pages, or a specific custom post type).
Step 4: Populate the Custom Fields
Now, when you create or edit a post or page (or whatever you specified in the “Location” section), you’ll see your custom fields. Fill them in with the appropriate information.
Step 5: Display the Custom Fields in Elementor
Edit the page or template with Elementor. Drag and drop a “Text Editor” widget onto your page. Click on the “Dynamic Tags” icon (it looks like a cylinder) in the text editor settings. Select “ACF Field” and then choose the custom field you want to display.
Info: The “Dynamic Tags” icon looks like a cylinder and is located within the text editor settings, allowing direct integration of ACF fields into your Elementor designs.
That’s it! The content of your custom field will now be displayed dynamically on your page.
2. Custom Post Types and Taxonomies
Custom Post Types allow you to create different types of content than the standard “Post” or “Page”. This is useful when organizing your specific content (e.g. products, team members, recipes, etc.). You can create custom post types manually with code or use plugins like “Custom Post Type UI.”
Custom Taxonomies are like categories and tags, but they are also customizable. By combining Custom Post Types and Taxonomies with Elementor, you can create dynamic listings.
Step 1: Create a Custom Post Type and Taxonomy
Use a plugin like “Custom Post Type UI” to create your custom post type (e.g., “Books”) and associated taxonomies (e.g., “Genre”).
Step 2: Populate Your Custom Post Type
Add several books to your new post type, assigning them to different genres.
Step 3: Design a Template with Elementor
Create an Elementor template to display your books including the ACF. Use Elementor’s loop grid to display all your book posts.
Info: If you want to delve deeper into creating templates and custom post types, check out Elementor Pro. It offers advanced dynamic content capabilities and template building features.
3. The Power of Post Types Anywhere Plugin
Post Types Anywhere is an incredible plugin that enhances Elementor’s capabilities by allowing you to display custom post types in various creative ways. This plugin is particularly useful for creating dynamic content displays without needing the Elementor Pro version.
Step 1: Install and Activate Post Types Anywhere
Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins,” and click “Add New.” Search for “Post Types Anywhere” and install the plugin, then activate it.
Step 2: Configure the Plugin
Once activated, you’ll find a new option in the Elementor settings to enable post types. Select the post types you want to use with the plugin.
Step 3: Use the Shortcode
Post Types Anywhere uses shortcodes to display your custom post types. The basic format is:
[pta id=THE-POST-ID]
Replace THE-POST-ID with the ID of the post you want to display. You can also use more advanced shortcodes to create listings and grids.
Step 4: Embed the Shortcode in Elementor
Edit your page with Elementor and add a “Shortcode” widget. Paste the Post Types Anywhere shortcode into the widget. Your custom post type content will now be displayed dynamically on your page.
Hint: You can create customized styling and layouts using CSS to match your website’s design! Find the style.css file in the WordPress directory!
4. Displaying Content Based on User Roles
Sometimes, you might want to display content based on the user’s role (e.g., showing different content to logged-in users vs. guests). While this functionality is limited in Elementor Free, you can achieve it with a combination of plugins and shortcodes.
Step 1: Install and Activate a User Role Plugin
Install a plugin like “User Role Editor” to manage user roles and capabilities.
Step 2: Use a Conditional Shortcode Plugin
Install a plugin that allows you to display content based on conditions. One such plugin is “If Menu – Visibility Control”.
Step 3: Create Your Content
Create different content blocks in Elementor for each user role. Use the conditional shortcodes to display the appropriate content to each role.
Info: Always test your user role-based content to ensure it’s displaying correctly for each role!
SEO Considerations for Dynamic Content
When implementing dynamic content, it’s essential to keep SEO in mind. Here are some tips:
- Use Unique URLs: Each piece of dynamic content should have its own unique URL to ensure search engines can index it properly.
- Implement Schema Markup: Use schema markup to provide search engines with more information about your dynamic content.
- Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your dynamic content is responsive and looks great on all devices.
- Page Speed: Be careful not to add too many plugins that can slow down the page speed
Hint: Regularly check your website’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix any issues!
Conclusion
While Elementor Pro offers built-in dynamic content capabilities, you can still achieve impressive results with Elementor Free by using plugins like ACF, Post Types Anywhere, and conditional shortcodes. By implementing these workarounds and following SEO best practices, you can create a dynamic and engaging website that captivates your audience. So go ahead, unleash the power of dynamic content in Elementor Free and take your website to the next level!
