A better blog front page

  • The front page isn’t what you might expect.
    Default WordPress Twenty Twenty One Theme Front Page
    Default WordPress Twenty Twenty One Theme Front Page
  • Options:
    • Add a better front page
    • Change theme
    • Settle for the default
  1. To create a better blog front page, use ‘New|Page’ again.
  2. Use the title ‘Blog’.
    Open the Block Editor New Block Selector
    Open the Block Editor New Block Selector
  3. In the block editor select a ‘Latest Posts’ block.
    Selecting the Latest Posts Widget in Block Editor
    Selecting the Latest Posts Widget in Block Editor
  4. Select your preferred styles for the ‘Latest Posts’ widget
    Latest Posts widget additional settings open on right of page editor
    Latest Posts widget additional settings open on right of page editor
    Image properties for Latest Posts Widget
    Image properties for Latest Posts Widget
    Selecting post metadata to show in Latest Posts Widget
    Selecting post metadata to show in Latest Posts Widget
    Posts to include in Latest Posts Widget
    Posts to include in Latest Posts Widget
  5. Publish the ‘Blog’ Page
  6. Select the ‘Menus’ option
  7. Add the ‘Blog’ page to the menu. Note you can move the Blog page to top (left when displayed) and ‘Save Menu’.
    Screenshot of WordPress Primary Menu with 'About' and 'Blog' present and 'Blog' open for modification
    Screenshot of WordPress Primary Menu with ‘About’ and ‘Blog’ present and ‘Blog’ open for modification
  8. In ‘Appearance|Customize’, ‘Homepage Settings’, set ‘Your homepage displays’ to ‘A static page’, and set ‘Homepage’ to ‘Blog’, and ‘Publish’.
    Screenshot of theme Customization menu (for 2021 theme) in which we set Homepage to 'Blog'
    Screenshot of theme Customization menu (for 2021 theme) in which we set Homepage to ‘Blog’