WordPress Popular Posts widget deprecation message

Version 6.1.2 of the WordPress Popular Posts plugin deprecated the WPP widget, which is used in our Mia (Genesis) and Harper themes. Instead, you'll now use a shortcode in place of the widget! Here's how to update this on your site:

1. Update your theme

First, update your theme following our instructions here: How to update your 17th Avenue theme The underlying code of the WPP widget compared to the shortcode is different, therefore a theme update is required for your popular posts to display the same.

2. Replace the widget with a shortcode

The specific shortcodes will depend on your theme. Find your theme name below and follow the instructions.

Mia theme (Genesis only)

Trending Now widget: Go to Appearance > Widgets > Trending Now. Remove the WordPress Popular Posts widget. Add a Custom HTML widget to the Trending Now widget area and paste the following shortcode in the box:

[wpp order_by=views limit=4 range=all stats_views=0 thumbnail_width=300 thumbnail_height=300 title_length=45]

Reader Favorites sidebar widget: Go to Appearance > Widgets > Primary Sidebar. Remove the WordPress Popular Posts widget. Add a Custom HTML widget to the Primary Sidebar widget area and paste the following shortcode in the box:

[wpp order_by=views limit=3 range=all stats_views=0 thumbnail_width=500 thumbnail_height=350]

Harper theme

[wpp order_by=views limit=4 range=all stats_views=0 thumbnail_width=400 thumbnail_height=550 title_length=45]

[wpp order_by=views limit=3 range=all stats_views=0 thumbnail_width=350 thumbnail_height=350]

Optional: Changing the shortcode parameters

The above shortcodes will set your WordPress Popular Posts widgets to display as shown in the original demo, but you have full control over the widget via shortcode parameters. Click here for a full list of shortcode parameters and available values. For example, you can change the number of posts displayed, the range of popular post selection, the width and height of the thumbnail image, etc.

Troubleshooting

On a certain hosts, the Custom HTML widget will not read the shortcode. This can cause the shortcode to appear on the front end of your site, rather than popular posts. If this occurs, use a Text widget instead of a Custom HTML widget. Select "Text" mode (not "Visual") inside the widget and paste the shortcode in.