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How to Add Pagination to Your WordPress Website

Pagination is an essential feature for any WordPress website that has a large amount of content spread across multiple pages. It helps improve user experience by breaking up content into manageable sections, enhances website performance, and even benefits SEO by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index content.

Why Pagination Matters

For websites featuring blog posts, product listings, or long articles, pagination makes navigation smoother by preventing users from having to scroll endlessly. Instead of displaying all content on one page, pagination structures it into smaller, more accessible chunks.

Here are some key benefits of implementing pagination:

  • Improved User Experience: Helps visitors find content faster and reduces page load time.
  • SEO Optimization: Makes it easier for search engines to crawl and rank pages efficiently.
  • Better Performance: Reduces the strain on server resources by loading a limited number of items per page.

Methods to Add Pagination to a WordPress Website

Using WordPress Built-in Pagination

WordPress has a built-in pagination function that can be enabled with just a few simple steps. If your theme supports pagination, you can add it automatically without any plugins.

Steps to Enable Built-in Pagination:

  1. Open the theme’s index.php, archive.php, or category.php file.
  2. Locate the code responsible for generating posts, usually within a while loop.
  3. Add the following function where pagination should be placed:
    <?php
        the_posts_pagination( array(
            'mid_size'  => 2,
            'prev_text' => __( 'Previous', 'textdomain' ),
            'next_text' => __( 'Next', 'textdomain' ),
        ) );
    ?>

Save the changes and refresh the website. If the theme supports pagination, it should now be visible.

Adding Pagination Using a Plugin

For those who prefer a simpler approach without modifying theme files, several plugins can be used to add pagination. Some popular options include:

Steps to Use WP-PageNavi:

  1. Install the WP-PageNavi plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
  2. Activate the plugin from the WordPress dashboard.
  3. Go to Settings → PageNavi to configure pagination styles.
  4. Edit the index.php or archive.php file and replace:
    <?php posts_nav_link(); ?>

with:

    <?php wp_pagenavi(); ?>

Once applied, refresh the page to see the custom pagination in action.

Using Custom Pagination with Code

For developers or those who want more control, custom pagination can be added using a custom function in the theme’s functions.php file.

function custom_pagination($pages = '', $range = 2) {  
    $showitems = ($range * 2)+1;  

    global $paged;
    if(empty($paged)) $paged = 1;

    if($pages == '') {
        global $wp_query;
        $pages = $wp_query->max_num_pages;
        if(!$pages) {
            $pages = 1;
        }
    }   

    if(1 != $pages) {
        echo "<div class=\"pagination\">";
        if($paged > 1) echo "<a href='".get_pagenum_link($paged - 1)."' class='prev'>Previous</a>";

        for ($i=1; $i <= $pages; $i++) {
            if (1 != $pages &&( !($i >= $paged+$range+1 || $i <= $paged-$range-1) || $pages <= $showitems )) {
                echo ($paged == $i)? "<span class=\"current\">".$i."</span>":"<a href='".get_pagenum_link($i)."'>".$i."</a>";
            }
        }

        if ($paged < $pages) echo "<a href=\"".get_pagenum_link($paged + 1)."\" class='next'>Next</a>";
        echo "</div>\n";
    }
}

Then, call this function where pagination is needed:

    <?php custom_pagination(); ?>

This method allows full control over pagination styling and functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is pagination in WordPress?

Pagination in WordPress is a feature that divides content across multiple pages, making it easier for users to navigate large amounts of content efficiently.

Do I need a plugin for pagination?

No, WordPress has built-in pagination functions. However, plugins like WP-PageNavi can enhance the look and feel of pagination without coding.

Can pagination help with SEO?

Yes, proper pagination improves crawlability and reduces duplicate content issues, helping search engines index a site more effectively.

Why is my pagination not working?

If pagination is not working, ensure your theme supports it and check if permalinks are correctly configured. Using a plugin can also help resolve issues.

How can I style my WordPress pagination?

Pagination can be styled using CSS. If using a plugin, many provide built-in styling options that can be customized from the settings page.