Directory Display Modes

A directory page has two halves: what's in it (fields, privacy, access) and how it's shown. This page covers the showing. Every directory picks a display mode, grid, list, or map, and a card style. Both are set once on the directory and can be overridden per embed when you place the shortcode somewhere else.

Two ways to publish a directory

A directory is a native piece of content. It has its own permalink (/directory/your-directory/), and visiting that page renders the directory with its saved configuration. No page building required.

A member directory at its own permalink, rendered as a grid of member cards with a search box above

The other way is the shortcode. Put [memb_directory] on any page or post, point it at a directory with id or slug, and the same roster renders inline. Attributes on the shortcode override the directory's saved settings for that embed only: display for the mode, style for the card, per_page, and sort.

[memb_directory slug="coaches" display="list"]

Access rules travel with the directory, not the embed. If the directory is restricted to a tag, a user without that tag sees the access-denied output wherever the shortcode appears.

Grid mode

The default. Member cards in a responsive grid, with an optional search box above and pagination below. Pick it when cards carry enough content to stand alone: avatar, name, a field or three, a profile link.

Search, pagination, and sorting are server-rendered with URL parameters (?dir_search=, ?dir_page=, ?dir_sort=), so results are shareable links and cache-friendly pages. Sort options are name_asc, name_desc, newest, oldest, and random.

List mode

display="list". One member per row under a column header, dense and scannable. Pick it when the directory is a reference tool: a hundred consultants and the reader wants to find one by name, not browse.

A list directory: members in compact rows under a column header, with a search box above

Map mode

display="map". Instead of cards, members appear as markers on a geographic map, fetched client-side from an AJAX endpoint so the page itself stays cache-safe. Map mode is a different animal with its own configuration (geo fields, geocoding, tile providers), so it has its own page: Directory Maps.

A map directory: member markers on a street map with zoom controls and a layer switcher in the corner

Card styles

Grid mode renders member cards, and the card template is swappable. Nine styles ship with the plugin: default, compact, horizontal, bio, business, masonry, minimal, overlay, and banner.

Two examples of the same roster, different styles:

The same directory rendered with the compact card style: smaller cards, more per row

The same directory rendered with the masonry card style: cards of varying height packed into columns

Set the style on the directory (it becomes the default for every embed) or per shortcode with the style attribute.

Every card template lives in templates/shortcodes/directory/cards/<style>/directory-card.php, and the loader checks your theme before the plugin. Copy a style folder into your-theme/torii/shortcodes/directory/cards/<style>/, edit it, and it wins. That's also how you add a tenth style: drop a new folder in, and it registers itself and appears in the admin dropdown.

Setting the defaults in the admin

Open a directory in the WordPress admin and the Directory Settings metabox holds the display defaults: display mode, card style, and items per page.

The Directory Settings metabox on a directory: display mode, card style, and items per page fields

The Directories list screen gives you the bird's-eye view, with filter dropdowns for display mode and protection status.

The Directories admin list: a table of directories with filter dropdowns for display mode and public or protected status