How to Add a Featured Slider in WordPress (4 Plugins)

Do you want to make sure that your fresh content is not ignored by website visitors? If so, you may have tried to display a single post or a grid of articles at the top of your homepage. However, both of these approaches have their downsides, which is why a featured slider can come in handy.

With a featured slider, you’re able to grab the user’s attention right away (something that can be difficult with busy grids). Plus, you won’t need to choose the most “important” posts to be featured, as you can create a dynamic carousel of content instead.

What is Featured Slider in WordPress?

There are a few different types of sliders when it comes to WordPress web design. So, you might be wondering what exactly is a “featured slider”.

In essence, it is a slider that displays dynamic (usually recent) content such as news articles, blog posts, or even magazine features:

Typically, you can click on the content of a select slider using the arrows. This type of slider is achieved by combining the slider and “post feed” functionalities.

Unfortunately, though, most WordPress themes do not come with a featured slider option, nor does WordPress provide any sort of core featured slider functionality.

It’s also important to note that a featured slider is different from a regular slider. This is because traditional sliders display images or videos, whereas a featured slider dynamically pulls in featured posts.

What are the benefits of using the Featured Slider?

There are many benefits to implementing a featured slider in your web design. First of all, one of the main problems faced by site owners when it comes to blogging is a cluttered homepage:

Whether you run a news site or a recipe blog, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm your reader. A featured slider can provide a straightforward, visually appealing option.

What’s more, if you want to make sure that all of your most important articles are getting their due attention, a slider is the ideal solution. That way, you don’t have to choose just one “top story” to feature.

Furthermore, a featured slider essentially enables content-focused sites to implement something similar to a hero image. This is because most featured slider tools let you choose an image to accompany your content.

Overall, Featured Sliders are a win-win. They can upgrade your web design and improve the user experience (UX).

Four Best WordPress Featured Slider Plugins

There are tons of excellent WordPress slider plugins out there. However, many focus on images or videos. Hence, we are going to share four excellent slider plugins that provide featured slider functionality, exclusively meant for showcasing content. Let’s dive right in!

1. Smart slider
2. Soliloquy
3. Meta slider
4. Master slider

1. Smart Slider

First up, we have the Smart Slider.

Smart Slider is not only one of the most popular WordPress slider plugins, but it is also one of the few all-purpose slider plugins that lets you create a featured post slider. to free,

You can easily control the design, content, and timing of your sliders using Smart Slider’s visual builder.

With the free version, you can create featured sliders by dragging and dropping them into regular posts, including selecting specific posts or using category and/or tag filters.

If you need more flexibility, the premium version also adds support for creating featured sliders from custom post types, including WooCommerce products.

Price determination

You can use the free version to create featured sliders for regular WordPress posts. To add support for custom post types and other advanced features, the premium version starts at $49.

2. Soliloquy

If you want to create a featured slider, Soliloquy is another great tool for the job:

While its free version doesn’t offer this feature, investing in a premium tool may be worth it. With the right Soliloquy Premium plan you’ll get dynamic “External Slider” functionality.

This means that you will be able to create a featured content slider in just a few steps. Then, you can customize your slider how you see fit. For example, you can choose the number of posts to display, include an accompanying featured image, and more.

Plus, everything you build using Soliloquy is responsive by default. Therefore, all your slider designs will look great on all mobile devices.

Price determination

To get the featured slider functionality, you’ll need at least a Soliloquy Developer plan, which costs $89 per year,

3. Meta slider

Next, let’s take a look at Meta slider. It is one of the most popular slider plugins on the market, and for good reason:

When you get the premium version of the tool, you will be able to use any type of content in your sliders. In particular, its “Post Feed Slider” option allows you to create highly customizable sliders.

Plus, with MetaSlider, you’ll be able to create all of your slider designs using an intuitive slider builder. The tool is also compatible with WordPress Blocks. Plus, everything you build with it will be responsive and optimized for peak performance.

Price determination

You can sign up for the Metaslider plan for as little as $39.50 per year, All plans include post feed slider feature.

4. Master slider

Completing our list is the Master Slider:

This premium WordPress plugin allows you to create elegant and highly customizable featured sliders.

Similar to the other tools on this list, all Master Slider designs will be responsive out of the box. In addition, you will be able to add lots of dynamic content to your featured sliders, such as the title and author of the post, its published date, and more.

Price determination

To create a featured slider with Master Slider, you will need the WordPress Pro edition plan, which cost $34,

Create your first featured slider today 🚀

Luckily, you can use a featured slider to create a practical yet visually appealing experience for your users. While WordPress does not offer this functionality by default, you can easily get it when using a premium plugin such as soliloquy Or meta slideras well as free plugins like smart slider,