Blog Designer
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is Blog Designer?
Blog Designer is a WordPress plugin that replaces your theme’s default blog page with a custom layout. It is developed by solwininfotech and has been available for 11 years. The plugin currently has 10K+ active installs. It holds a 4.0/5 rating from 167 reviews. Of those ratings, 68% are 8% are one-star. The current version is 3.1.8, and it was last updated on Aug 12, 2024.
The plugin targets users who want to change their blog layout without editing code. The description states beginners can start blogging within 5 minutes. It offers a shortcode, [wp_blog_designer], to display the new blog design on any page. The admin panel is described as user-friendly. This approach helps site owners create a wordpress blog page design that matches their brand.
Key Features of Blog Designer
- 15 Default Blog Templates – Choose from layouts including Boxy-Clean, Classical, Timeline, News, Blog Carousel, and Media Grid.
- Fully Responsive Design – All templates adapt to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens without extra work.
- Shortcode or Page Selection – Use
[wp_blog_designer]on any page, or pick a specific page from the plugin settings. - Post Content Controls – Manage summary text length, show or hide categories, tags, author, and comment counts.
- Style Customization – Adjust text color, background color, font size, and alternative post background colors from the admin panel.
- Custom CSS Support – Add your own CSS rules directly in the plugin settings for deeper design control.
- Social Share Buttons – Display square or circle share buttons for posts without additional plugins.
- Translation Ready – A .pot file is included for translating the interface into other languages.
Who Should Use Blog Designer?
Blog Designer is suited for beginners and non-developers who want a change blog layout wordpress plugin without touching theme files. The plugin claims setup takes under five minutes. It works for personal blogs, small business sites, and portfolio pages. With 15 free templates, users can quickly test different looks. The 68% five-star rate suggests many users find it effective for basic needs.
Users who need single post layout design will require the Pro version. The free version covers only the main blog archive page. Site owners asking how to change blog layout in wordpress will find this plugin a direct answer. The 20% one-star ratings indicate some users encounter issues, likely with compatibility or missing features. The plugin requires WordPress 5.6+ and PHP 7.0+.
Installation & Setup
You can install Blog Designer by uploading the zip file via WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New. Alternatively, upload the folder to /wp-content/plugins/ via FTP. After activation, go to the new Blog Designer menu item. Select a template, choose a page to display posts, and publish. The process is beginner-friendly and requires no code.
Support & Community
The support data for the last 2 months shows 0 open threads and 0 resolved threads. This gives a 0% resolution rate. This figure is concerning, especially given the plugin’s 11-year age. The 4.0/5 score from 167 ratings is pulled down by the 20% one-star reviews. Many negative reviews likely relate to unresolved bugs or feature gaps.
For users comfortable with self-troubleshooting, the plugin still works. The documentation link is provided in the plugin description. The Pro version may offer better support channels. If you need reliable assistance, consider this support gap before installing. The plugin is best for those who want a best blog design plugin wordpress for simple layouts and can manage without direct help.
Pros & Cons
- With over 10K+ active installs and a 4.0/5 rating from 167 reviews, Blog Designer is a widely used free solution for custom blog layouts.
- It offers 15 distinct blog templates including Boxy-Clean, Timeline, and Blog Carousel, giving users a variety of design options without coding.
- The plugin’s user-friendly admin panel allows beginners to set up a custom blog page in under 5 minutes using the simple shortcode [wp_blog_designer].
- It provides granular control over blog display, letting you show or hide post categories, tags, author, and comment counts, and manage the number of posts per page.
- The plugin is fully responsive and cross-browser compatible, ensuring consistent display across Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera.
- Despite 68% 8% of reviews are 1-star, indicating significant dissatisfaction among a notable portion of users.
- The plugin has 0 support threads resolved out of 0 total, suggesting a complete lack of active support or a non-functional support forum.
- The backend UI update in version 3.1.8 requires users to clear browser cache to avoid display issues, which can be confusing for non-technical users.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 5.6+
- Requires PHP
- 7.0+
- Tested up to WP
- 6.6.5
- First Released
- 2015 (11+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 0 threads
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Blog Designer is a free plugin available on WordPress.org. It provides 15 different blog templates without any cost.
Blog Designer has 10K+ active installs, making it a popular choice for custom blog layouts. It also holds a rating of 4.0/5 from 167 ratings.
Blog Designer requires WordPress 5.6 or higher to function properly. It has been tested up to WordPress 6.6.5 for compatibility.
Yes, Blog Designer was last updated on Aug 12, 2024 and is currently at version 3.1.8. The plugin has been actively maintained since its first release in 2015.
Blog Designer requires PHP 7.0 or higher. This ensures the plugin runs smoothly on most modern hosting environments.
Blog Designer has 0 total support threads in the last 2 months, which suggests most users find it stable and easy to use. However, you can refer to the official documentation for setup guidance.
Yes, Blog Designer is ideal for beginners as it requires no coding skills. You can set up a blog page within 5 minutes using its user-friendly admin panel.
Key features include fully responsive design, cross-browser support, 15 default blog templates, and a shortcode ([wp_blog_designer]) to display posts on any page. You can also manage posts per page easily.