Displaying a carousel of related blog posts in Divi is a fantastic way to enhance user engagement and improve your site’s SEO. If you’ve ever wanted to keep users on your site longer and encourage them to explore more content, a stylish and functional blog post carousel could be the perfect solution. In this guide, we’ll walk you through several approaches to create an eye-catching, dynamic carousel of related blog posts in Divi using built-in features and some extra tools if needed.
Why Display a Related Blog Posts Carousel?
There are numerous reasons to include a related posts carousel on your blog:
- Increased User Engagement: Readers are more likely to explore your site if they see posts that relate to the one they’re currently viewing.
- Reduced Bounce Rate: Keep users on your site longer by offering them more relevant content right where they can see it.
- Visual Appeal: Carousels can add a modern, interactive element to your site’s design.
- Improved Navigation: Easy access to related content helps users find information seamlessly.
Methods to Create a Blog Post Carousel in Divi
Divi by Elegant Themes is incredibly flexible. While it doesn’t include a dedicated blog post carousel module by default, there are several easy ways to achieve this functionality.
1. Using the Divi Blog Module with a Slider Plugin
One of the simplest ways to build a carousel of related blog posts is to use the Divi Blog Module in combination with a slider plugin like Owl Carousel or Slick Slider. Here’s how:
- Use the Blog Module to display your posts.
- Assign a custom class or ID to the module (e.g., “related-posts-carousel”).
- Use jQuery to initialize a carousel effect on the selected class.
This method gives you full control over how the carousel behaves and looks, but requires some custom coding.
2. Divi Supreme Modules Pro
If you’re not comfortable adding custom code, Divi Supreme Modules Pro is a handy third-party plugin that integrates directly with Divi. It includes a “Blog Carousel” module that can be customized through the Divi Builder interface.
Steps:
- Install and activate Divi Supreme Modules Pro.
- Add the “Blog Carousel” module to your layout.
- In the module settings, choose your post category, tags, or custom taxonomy to display only related posts.
- Customize the design and layout to match your site’s branding.
This option is user-friendly and provides beautiful carousels with advanced controls.
3. Displaying Related Posts Based on Categories or Tags
To ensure that the carousel is truly showing related posts, you’ll want it to filter results based on the category or tag of the current blog post. Luckily, this can be achieved by using dynamic content and post filters.
Here’s a common method:
- Create a Global Section using the Blog Module.
- Set the post count (e.g., 5 or 6) and enable Pagination (optional).
- Use the Post Offset and Post Count options to exclude the current post.
- Filter by the current post’s category using dynamic filters or custom code (if needed).
Styling and User Experience Tips
Once your carousel is functional, consider making it more user-friendly and visually appealing by:
- Adding navigation arrows or dots so users can browse manually.
- Enabling autoplay with pause on hover to keep attention without losing control.
- Using thumbnails and excerpts to give users a preview of the related post content.
- Ensuring responsiveness for mobile and tablet devices.
Bonus: Advanced Custom Fields & Custom Post Types
If your site uses custom post types or fields, you can tailor the blog carousel even further. Tools like Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and Divi’s dynamic content feature can help you display related content based on custom criteria like author, event type, location, or more.
Conclusion
Displaying a carousel of related blog posts in Divi not only looks impressive but can dramatically enhance user experience, engagement, and SEO. Whether you choose a plugin-based method like Divi Supreme or go the extra mile with custom sliders and filters, there’s a solution that fits your workflow.
Start experimenting with related post carousels on your Divi site today—and transform how your content is discovered by new readers!
