Manual Selection allows you to handpick specific posts, portfolio items, pages, or any post type to display in your Visual Portfolio. This gives you complete control over which items appear and their display order.
Overview
Manual selection is configured using the ids posts source:
array(
'content_source' => 'post-based',
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(123, 456, 789, 234)
)
post__in ordering).
Configuration
Post Type
When using manual selection, the post type is automatically set to any:
From /classes/class-get-portfolio.php:1598-1604:
if ('ids' === $options['posts_source']) {
$query_opts['post_type'] = 'any'; // Allow any post type
$query_opts['post__not_in'] = array(); // Clear exclusions
if (!empty($options['posts_ids'])) {
$query_opts['post__in'] = $options['posts_ids'];
}
// Ignore sticky posts for manual selection
$query_opts['ignore_sticky_posts'] = true;
}
Manual selection supports mixing different post types in a single gallery (posts, pages, portfolio items, etc.).
Selecting Posts
In the block editor, the Specific Posts control provides a searchable dropdown:
From /classes/class-admin.php:1390-1407:
Visual_Portfolio_Controls::register(array(
'category' => 'content-source-post-based',
'type' => 'select',
'label' => 'Specific Posts',
'name' => 'posts_ids',
'default' => array(),
'searchable' => true, // Search by title
'multiple' => true, // Select multiple posts
'value_callback' => 'find_posts_select_control', // Dynamic post loading
'condition' => array(
array(
'control' => 'posts_source',
'value' => 'ids',
),
),
));
- Searches posts by title across all post types
- Displays post title, post type, and status
- Supports drag-and-drop reordering
- Loads posts dynamically as you type
Order Control
Manual Order (post__in)
To preserve your selection order, use post__in ordering:
array(
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(789, 123, 456), // Display in this exact order
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in'
)
/classes/class-get-portfolio.php:1566-1567:
case 'post__in':
$query_opts['orderby'] = 'post__in';
break;
Other Sort Options
You can override manual order with other sorting:
array(
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(123, 456, 789),
'posts_order_by' => 'title', // Sort alphabetically
'posts_order_direction' => 'asc'
)
post__in - Manual selection order (recommended)post_date - Publication datetitle - Alphabetical by titlemodified - Last modified dateid - Post IDcomment_count - Number of commentsrand - Random order
Most users should use post__in ordering to respect their manual curation.
Excluded Features
When using manual selection, these features are not available:
Excluded Posts
The excluded posts option is disabled:
From /classes/class-admin.php:1418-1434:
'condition' => array(
array(
'control' => 'posts_source',
'operator' => '!=',
'value' => 'ids', // Hidden for manual selection
),
)
Taxonomies
Taxonomy filtering is disabled for manual selection:
From /classes/class-admin.php:1448-1464:
'condition' => array(
array(
'control' => 'posts_source',
'operator' => '!=',
'value' => 'ids',
),
)
Offset
The offset option is hidden:
From /classes/class-admin.php:1604-1621:
'condition' => array(
array(
'control' => 'posts_source',
'operator' => '!=',
'value' => 'ids',
),
)
Use Cases
Featured Projects Portfolio
Handpick your best work:
array(
'content_source' => 'post-based',
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(789, 456, 123, 234, 567),
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in', // Preserve order
'items_count' => 6
)
Mixed Content Showcase
Combine different post types:
array(
'content_source' => 'post-based',
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(
123, // Portfolio item
456, // Regular post
789, // Page
234, // Another portfolio item
),
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in'
)
Curated Category Override
Manually select specific items from a category:
// Instead of showing all "Web Design" projects,
// manually select the best ones
array(
'content_source' => 'post-based',
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(101, 203, 305, 407),
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in'
)
Campaign Landing Page
Create a specific collection for a marketing campaign:
array(
'content_source' => 'post-based',
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(55, 72, 89, 91, 103, 115),
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in',
'items_count' => 6,
'layout' => 'grid',
'grid_columns' => 3
)
Query Implementation
The manual selection query is built in /classes/class-get-portfolio.php:1598-1607:
if ('ids' === $options['posts_source']) {
// Allow any post type
$query_opts['post_type'] = 'any';
// Clear excluded posts
$query_opts['post__not_in'] = array();
// Set specific post IDs
if (!empty($options['posts_ids'])) {
$query_opts['post__in'] = $options['posts_ids'];
}
// Ignore sticky posts (they would appear at top)
$query_opts['ignore_sticky_posts'] = true;
}
Final WP_Query
The resulting query looks like:
$query = new WP_Query(array(
'post_type' => 'any',
'post__in' => array(123, 456, 789),
'orderby' => 'post__in',
'posts_per_page' => 6,
'paged' => 1,
'ignore_sticky_posts' => true,
));
Post Selection Control
The find_posts_select_control callback provides dynamic post searching:
public function find_posts_select_control($value, $control_name, $control_data) {
$result = array();
// Get posts matching search query
$posts = get_posts(array(
'post_type' => 'any',
'posts_per_page' => 20,
's' => $search_query,
'post_status' => array('publish', 'private', 'draft'),
));
foreach ($posts as $post) {
$result[] = array(
'value' => $post->ID,
'label' => $post->post_title . ' (' . $post->post_type . ')',
);
}
return $result;
}
array(
'posts_source' => 'ids',
'posts_ids' => array(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12),
'items_count' => 6, // 6 per page
'pagination' => 'paged' // 2 pages total
)
Sticky Posts
Sticky posts are ignored in manual selection:
'ignore_sticky_posts' => true
Empty Selection
If no posts are selected:
'posts_ids' => array() // or empty
Comparison with Other Sources
Manual Selection vs. Post Query
| Feature | Manual Selection | Post Query |
|---|
| Post Selection | Manual, specific IDs | Automatic, by criteria |
| Order | Manual or custom | Automatic sorting |
| Post Types | Any, mixed | Specific or set |
| Filtering | Not available | Taxonomies, dates, etc. |
| Updates | Static | Dynamic |
| Use Case | Curated collections | Automated displays |
Manual Selection vs. Images
| Feature | Manual Selection | Images |
|---|
| Content | WordPress posts | Media library images |
| Metadata | Post fields | Custom fields |
| Updates | Static selection | Static gallery |
| URLs | Post permalinks | Custom or image URLs |
| Use Case | Curated posts | Image portfolios |
Best Practices
1. Use post__in Ordering
Always use post__in ordering for manual selections:
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in'
2. Limit Selection Size
For performance, keep manual selections reasonable:
- Recommended: 10-50 posts
- Maximum: 100-200 posts
3. Mix Post Types Strategically
When mixing post types, ensure they have compatible metadata:
// Good: All have featured images
'posts_ids' => array(portfolio_id, post_id, page_id)
// Bad: Pages without featured images mixed with portfolio items
4. Use for Special Collections
Manual selection is ideal for:
- Featured work showcases
- Landing page portfolios
- “Best of” collections
- Client-specific galleries
- Event or campaign content
5. Document Your Selections
Add comments in your code or page documentation:
// Q1 2024 Featured Projects
'posts_ids' => array(123, 456, 789)
Troubleshooting
Posts Not Appearing
Issue: Selected posts don’t display
Solutions:
- Check post status (must be published)
- Verify post IDs exist
- Ensure user has permission to view posts
- Check if posts have featured images (if required by item style)
Wrong Order
Issue: Posts display in wrong order
Solution: Set order to post__in:
'posts_order_by' => 'post__in'
Mixed Post Types Not Working
Issue: Only one post type appears
Solution: Ensure post_type is set to any (automatic with ids source).
Related Resources
