Do you want to add multi-column content in your WordPress posts? Columns can be used to create engaging layouts for your posts and pages.
Traditional print media, like newspapers and magazines, have been using multi-column layouts since the very early days of printing. Their goal was to make it easier for users to read the smaller text while utilizing the available space economically.
Single column layouts are more commonly used on the web. However, multi-column grids are still useful for highlighting content and making it easier to scan and read.
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add multi-column content in your WordPress posts without writing any HTML code.
Adding Multi-Column Content in WordPress – The Easy Way
Creating multi-column content aka grid column content in WordPress is now easy because it comes as a default feature. The new WordPress Block Editor Gutenberg includes a columns block.
To add a multi-column layout, you need to create a new post or edit an existing one. Once you’re in the post edit area, click on the ‘Add’ icon on the top to add a block.
Next, you need to select the ‘Columns’ block located under ‘Layout Elements’ tab.
You will now see the mouse cursor jumping on the left column and a text placeholder will appear on the right column.
As you can see in the above screenshot, the Columns block seems just an empty area at first. If you mouse over to the left, you can see the block border highlighted.
You will also be able to see the block settings on the right column of the post edit screen.
By default, the columns block will adds two columns. You can increase the number of columns you want to add from the block settings on the right. It allows you to add up to six columns in a single row.
Simply click on a column and start typing to add content. You can use the tab key on your keyboard for switching to the next column.
Adding Media and Other Content in Your Columns
In addition to the text content, you can also add images and embed videos in WordPress columns.
The columns block allows you to add blocks inside each column. Simply take the mouse to a column, and you will notice the ‘Add new block’ icon inside it. You can also add a block by typing / and then the block name.
Your selected block will now appear inside the column. You can now go ahead and add content to it.
Here’s how your new column may look in the default Twenty Nineteen theme. In this example, we are using three columns and the last column contains an image.
If you only want to add an image and some text next to it, then you can also use the ‘Media and Text’ block instead of columns. This particular block is made specifically for showing media like images and videos next to some text.
Adding Multiple Columns in Old WordPress Classic Editor
In case you haven’t upgraded your WordPress to Gutenberg and still using the Classic Editor, then you’ll need to install a separate plugin for creating a grid column layout.
First, install and activate the Lightweight Grid Columns plugin. For detailed instructions, follow our step by step guide on how to install a plugin in WordPress.
Upon activation, you can create a new post or open an old post to edit. Next, click on the ‘Add Columns’ button from the visual editor toolbar.
Now you will see a popup window to add your first column. You can choose how much area your column can cover, in desktops, tablets, and mobile devices differently.
For example, if you set the desktop grid percentage 50%, your column will cover the half row.
There’re plenty of options to set your column width, from 5% to 100% in the interval of 5. You can choose one by clicking the dropdown.
After that, you need to add your column content in the ‘Content’ box and then click the “OK” button to insert it into your post.
The plugin will now generate the required shortcode with your content and add it to your post editor.
Now that your first column is added, you can repeat the process to add more columns. For the last column in row, don’t forget to check the box ‘Last column in row’.
After that, you can save your post and preview it. Here’s how it looked on our test site using Twenty Seventeen theme.
We hope this article helped you learn how to add columns in your WordPress posts and pages. You may also want to see our simple guide on how to easily align images in WordPress posts.
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Is there a way to automatically transfer the columns? When I set up my 2 columns, I put the images in the 1st column, then the text in the 2nd. I noticed that the mobile version can’t display the 2 columns next to each other, so the images are displayed first, then the text. I would like the text to be displayed first, then the images. Do I have to retype it all, or is there a clever way to switch the content of the 2 columns?
Not at the moment, you could create a 2 column area beneath where you have it currently and place the content how you want it there then delete the original.
Using the multi-column (2) columns, the videos overlap themselves. is there anyway to adjust the max with of the videos since the only way I can seem to add them is via url, not embed code.
You may want to check if the videos overlap on the when not viewing in the editor, otherwise, you could look in the advanced CSS section and set the width using that selector: https://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/css/
Any way to vertically center things in a column with new blocks/Gutenberg editor? Like I’d want a vertically centered image on the left, and text on the right. So say 30 lines of text and a 200 px height image – is there an easier way than manually inserting and sizing spacer blocks?
For what it sounds like you’re wanting, you may want to use the media and text block rather than the columns block.
Hi
How do I write in 1 column and then 2 columns for next paragraph and then back to 1 column for the 3rd p/graph?
Any help much appreciated?
Thanks
Rob
Why can’t we just elementor or any such page builder plugin. It is a lot more easier to use with so many additional features.
This plugin has not been updated for 3 years and to top it all it won’t work with Gutenberg plugin
Hello,
I tried adding columns to one of my pages and the Advanced Column button did not appear. I checked my plugins and it said it’s installed. Do you know what the problem would be?
Thank you!
Jenny
You need to install an advanced visual editor such as TIny MCE in order to see the button. It won’t display on the standard default visual editor. Just had the same problem but it now shows after installing the above which is free.
Hope that helps
Rob
Great. Just what I was looking for and finally, someone who can explain everything step by step.
I installed the plugin and activated it. It is displaying as “activated.” Still, there is no button. How do I troubleshoot this; I already know how to install a plugin so that fix is not applicable.
Installed the plugin with a basic free theme, and the column button never appeared in my Pages editor. I know you’re not the creator of the plugin, just wanted to share our experience
upon pasting from text edit, the text spacing is weird as there are no “clean format” selection for advance WP column.. how can you fix it?
Hey, this sounds great! But how will it look on phones? I’m using a similar plugin to have two columns, one for Norwegian and one for English. But when people read my blog via phone, the second column comes right after the first column so it looks like a full text – in two different languages!
What plug in are you using to display two columns of text? I am trying to do the same for English and Esperanto.
How do you activate the puglin??
Hey Elizabeth,
Please see see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Is there a way to ensure the text in these columns displays as a list, i.e. with hard line breaks between items rather than as a single block of run-on text?
Many thanks in anticipation of your advice
Is there a way to five these columns a background color?
I cannot copy/paste material that I have already typed , into these columns.
i am using wordpress version 4.5 , but this plugin is not compatible with my theme can i use this plugin for my theme ??
Can you add images to each column? Or can you add action buttons to each column?
Yes.
Columns working but when trying to embed VIDEO within columns only text of the code is showing…
It looks good when columns are added to the post, but when I look at it published it has reverted to 1 centered column. I’ve tried it multiple times and in two browsers. Any thoughts?
This is by far the easiest plugin. I REALLY want to use it.
Many thanks,
Daniel
Can you add images to each column? Or can you add action buttons to each column?
Hi,
My site uses the responsive Customizr theme, and I don’t wanna lose that responsiveness. Can I add responsive columns using this plugin?
Ηι!
Is there a way to present a layout with columns but not one post with 2-3-4 columns etc.?
Each column withing a page will be a seperated post. Something like Joomla’s Blog Layout…
For that you would want to look into a multi column WordPress theme, there are plenty of such themes out there.
Thank you! I’ve been wanting to learn how to do this for a while now – all good now! xx
This is exactly what I needed! Been trying to use tables for columns and getting so frustrated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I must say – if you need to use multiple columns on a regular basis, this looks like a great solution even if you DO know HTML/CSS! Love the fact that they included a breakpoint in the Options for adapting to responsive designs…