Designing websites with Figma is popular for designers due to its user-friendly interface and collaborative features. However, once your design is ready, the real work begins—transforming that design into a fully functional WordPress website. One essential aspect of building a WordPress site that meets your needs is integrating custom post types and taxonomies. These elements allow you to organize content in a structured way, making it easier to manage and display information on your site.
In this Figma to WordPress article, we’ll explore how to integrate custom post types and taxonomies into your WordPress website, ensuring your Figma design comes to life seamlessly on WordPress. Whether you’re building a blog, portfolio, or business site, the ability to define your content and its structure will make your website more dynamic and flexible.
Table of Contents
ToggleWhat Are Custom Post Types and Taxonomies in WordPress?
Before diving into the integration process, it’s important to understand what custom post types and taxonomies are.
Custom Post Types (CPTs) are content types that extend beyond the default WordPress post and page. By default, WordPress supports posts, pages, and attachments. However, custom post types allow you to create new types of content, such as portfolios, testimonials, events, and more.
Custom Taxonomies are classifications that organize your custom post types. Just like categories and tags work with regular posts, custom taxonomies help categorize and group content for better organization and navigation.
Integrating these features post Figma to WordPress conversion allows you to tailor your website to your specific needs. It also provides more control over how you display and categorize content.
Read about: Best Prototyping Tools for UI/UX Designers
Why Do You Need Custom Post Types and Taxonomies?
Using custom post types and taxonomies will enhance your website’s flexibility and functionality. Here’s why they are beneficial:
- Organization: Custom post types and taxonomies help keep your content organized and easy to manage. For example, if you’re creating a real estate website, you could have a custom post type for properties and taxonomies like location, property type, or price range.
- Better User Experience: When you categorize content effectively, users can find what they are looking for faster. This leads to improved engagement and user retention.
- Scalability: As your website grows, it becomes easier to manage a large amount of content. Custom post types allow you to add more content types without cluttering the default post and page sections.
Know about: Must-Do Maintenance Tips Post Figma to WordPress Transition
Level Up Your WordPress Game with Custom Post Types and Taxonomies
From custom post types to taxonomies, we’ll organize content and streamline your site like a pro.
Steps to Integrate Custom Post Types and Taxonomies in WordPress Website
Now, let’s explore how to integrate custom post types and taxonomies into your WordPress website.
Step 1: Set Up Custom Post Types in WordPress
The easiest way to add custom post types to your WordPress site is through a plugin like Custom Post Type UI. You can install it directly from the WordPress plugin repository.
Create a New Custom Post Type
- Once activated, navigate to CPT UI ⟶ Add/Edit Post Types in your WordPress dashboard.
- Choose a slug (URL name) for your post type, such as “portfolio” or “events.”
- Set other options like the singular and plural names for your post type. For example, “Event” for singular and “Events” for plural.
- Under Supports, select features such as title, editor, featured image, etc., based on the requirements of your custom post type.
Configure the Post Type’s Settings
You can adjust the visibility, permissions, and how it appears in the WordPress admin panel. For example, you can choose whether the custom post type should appear in the menu or whether it should have custom icons.
Once you’ve set up your custom post type, save your changes. You will now see the new custom post type in the WordPress dashboard under a new menu section.
Which to choose: Figma to WordPress DIY or Hire a Professional Agency
Step 2: Add Custom Taxonomies
You can use the Custom Post Type UI plugin to create custom taxonomies as well. Once you’re in the CPT UI plugin settings, select Add/Edit Taxonomies.
Define Your Taxonomy
- Give your taxonomy a name, such as “Category” or “Tag,” based on the content type you’re categorizing.
- Choose the post types it will apply to, which in this case would be the custom post types you’ve already created.
- You can define whether the taxonomy is hierarchical (like categories) or non-hierarchical (like tags).
Configure Other Settings
You can adjust how the taxonomy behaves, its visibility in the admin menu, and front-end display.
After setting up your custom taxonomy, save your changes. Now, your custom post types will be neatly categorized using the new taxonomy.
Learn: How to Maximize SEO Performance in Figma to WordPress Conversions
Step 3: Integrating Your Figma Design into WordPress
With your custom post types and taxonomies set up, it’s time to integrate your Figma design into WordPress. The process involves several steps:
- Export Your Figma Design: Figma allows you to export your design assets like images, icons, and SVGs. Make sure to export all necessary elements are in web-friendly formats.
- Convert Figma Layout to HTML/CSS: WordPress themes use HTML and CSS for layout. You can either code this manually or use a theme builder like Elementor or Divi to create layouts that match your Figma design.
- Create Custom Templates: To display your custom post types and taxonomies in the desired layout, you’ll need to create custom templates in your WordPress theme. You can use the Template Hierarchy in WordPress to create template files like
single-{posttype}.php
orarchive-{taxonomy}.php
.
- Add Dynamic Content: In your custom templates, you will need to add dynamic WordPress functions like
the_title()
,the_content()
, orget_post_meta()
to pull data from your custom post types. This ensures your posts are displayed as designed in Figma.
- Style with CSS: Finally, use custom CSS to match your Figma design’s styling. This may involve creating new CSS rules for custom post types, taxonomies, and their respective templates.
Read about: Common Pitfalls to Avoid for a Smooth Figma to WordPress Conversion
Step 4: Test and Optimize
Once your custom post types, taxonomies, and Figma design are integrated, it’s important to test the website’s functionality. Check if the content displays correctly, all the taxonomies are applied, and your custom post types function as expected.
Check out: How to Optimize Your Figma to WordPress Workflow for Faster Website Launches
Best Practices for Managing Custom Post Types and Taxonomies
First and foremost, maintain your custom post types and taxonomies regularly to avoid clutter. Plus, use clear naming conventions and group similar content. Other best practices include:
- Avoid Overcomplicating: Don’t create too many custom post types or taxonomies unless necessary. This can make content management more difficult in the long run.
- SEO Optimization: Ensure that your custom post types and taxonomies are SEO-optimized. This means using the right keywords, titles, and descriptions for each content type.
- Utilize Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): If you need custom fields for your post types, the ACF plugin is a powerful tool. It allows you to add custom fields to your posts and taxonomies, making your content more detailed.
Also read: Tips for Ensuring High Conversion Rates During Figma to WordPress Conversion
Final Thoughts
Integrating custom post types and taxonomies into your WordPress website is crucial if you want to organize and display your content efficiently. By following the steps outlined above, you can take your Figma design and turn it into a dynamic, structured WordPress site that provides a seamless user experience. Whether you’re building a portfolio, blog, or e-commerce site, these tools give you the flexibility to manage content with ease and scale your website as your business grows.
FAQs About WordPress Custom Post Types and Taxonomies
What are custom post types in WordPress?
Custom post types are content types beyond the default ones (posts and pages) that allow you to organize your content more effectively, such as portfolios, events, and testimonials.
What is the purpose of custom taxonomies?
Custom taxonomies are used to group and categorize content within custom post types. This helps users find related content more easily.
Do I need to know code to create custom post types and taxonomies?
You don’t need to know code if you use plugins like Custom Post Type UI. However, coding knowledge will be needed if you want to customize templates and styles further.
Can I create custom taxonomies for specific custom post types only?
Yes, custom taxonomies can be assigned to specific custom post types, making it easier to organize related content.
How do custom post types impact website performance?
Properly implemented custom post types improve performance by keeping the content organized. However, an excessive number of complex custom post types or queries can slow down the website, so always optimize for speed.