WordPress: Sticky Posts

Recently, someone posted a question on one of the forums asking if there was a way to make a particular blog post sticky, or always the first post displayed on the home page of the blog.

I know of a way to edit the theme files to add static content, but that is the extent of my knowledge. So I got to thinking, there must be other ways to add static content … and perhaps I had missed something with this “sticky post” issue. So I set out to find some alternative methods for adding static content to a WordPress blog.

Creating a Static Front Page

There is a simple way to add a static page, based on the same theme as your blog.

You start by creating a page in WordPress from your admin panel. (Click ‘Write’ and then ‘Page’)

Then proceed to your settings (Click ‘Settings’ on the upper right) and click on the ‘Reading’ section.

Here, you can let WordPress control the front page automatically with your latest blog post. Or you can manually select one of your newly created static WordPress pages as the start page for your blog.

Use a Plug-in

The most popular plug-in for sticky blog posts is Wp-Sticky from Lester ‘GaMerZ’ Chan. A plug-in is an easy and painless method for adding this functionality. I have not yet used this plug-in, so I would welcome any comments you may have.

If you simply want to add a small message to your readers, you could also consider the WWSGD WordPress plug-in (What Would Seth Godin Do). This plug-in allows you to set a message for new visitors that changes when the visitor returns. The message can be placed at the top or bottom of the first post on the home page, and on the post page.

The WordPress Loop

As with everything on the Internet, there is an easy way and a hard way. WordPress is no exception and has the ability to be edited to provide you with more flexibility. Be warned, this is not recommended for the average Internet user and requires some knowledge of coding.

The WordPress Loop is a reference to the part of code that processes you blog posts. By inserting your own code in specific locations, you can add static content to the beginning of a page, group specific posts, display more than one group of posts, and so on.

For the brave, you can find out more about the Worpress Loop in the online documentation.