There are two ways to add listings: from the frontend and from the WordPress dashboard.

Add Listing from the Frontend

Both admins and registered users can submit listings directly from the frontend.

Steps:

1. Open the Add Listing page
   • Directorist automatically creates this page when you activate the plugin.
   • If needed, you can manually add the shortcode:[directorist_add_listing] to any page where you want the submission form to appear.
2. Fill out the form
   • Enter your listing details such as title, category, location, description, and images.
   • The available fields depend on your current settings and installed extensions.
3. Submit the form
   • Once submitted, a new listing will be created in your website’s backend.
   • The admin can review, approve, or publish it based on your directory’s configuration.

Add Listing from the WordPress Dashboard

Admins can also add listings directly from the backend.

Steps:

1. Go to WordPress Dashboard → Directory Listings → Add New Listing.
2. Fill in the required listing information in the form (similar to the frontend form).
3. Click Publish to make the listing live immediately.

The number and type of fields may vary depending on the Directorist extensions installed on your website.

Tip

To streamline your listing form, customize it under Directorist Listing→ Directory Builder → Add Listing Form. You drag and drop or reorder fields to match your directory’s needs.

For example, suppose you have a Vehicle directory and you want to have two directory types “Car” and “Bike”(It could be as many as you want), Directorist lets you create them on the same directory like www.example.com/vehicle-directory/car/{single-listing, all-listing, etc} and www.example.com/vehicle-directory/bike/{single-listing, all-listing, etc}. 

How to create a new directory type?

To create a new directory type enable the multi directory feature in Directory Listings ➔ Settings ➔ Listings ➔ General ➔ Enable Multi Directory 

Note: Skip the step or leave it disabled if your business/directory model doesn’t need the “Multi Directory” feature.

To create a new directory, go to Directory Listings ➔ Directory Builder, or click on “Start Building Directory” will land you on the Directory Builder page. 

Click on the “Create New Directory Type” option will take you to the Directory Builder page where you can configure the directory. You will also notice by default there is one directory type that you can edit and customize the way you want. You can also make any directory your default directory from the three-dot menu.

To access these settings, go to:
WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → General

Available Options

Enable Multi-Directory

Turn this option ON to create and manage multiple directory types (e.g., Restaurants, Real Estate, Jobs) within the same website. Each directory can have its own set of fields and layouts.

Guest Listing Submission

Enable this to allow visitors to submit listings without registering an account. Learn more about how Guest Submission works.

Registration Settings

Enable Registration

Enable this option to allow users to register manually on your website.
It’s useful if you want users to have full access to their dashboard for managing listings.

Enable Email Verification

Turn this on to require users to verify their email addresses during registration.
You can check user verification status under: Users → All Users

Listing Currency

Customize how prices are displayed across your listings.

• Currency Code – Enter a 3-letter code such as USD or EUR.
• Currency Position – Choose where the symbol appears relative to the price.
  Example: $5 – Before or 5$ – After.

Note:
To accept payments in a specific currency, go to Monetization → General Settings.

Listings Renewal

Set up automatic reminders and notifications for expiring listings.

• When to Send Expire Notice
  Specify the number of days before a listing’s expiration to send a reminder email.
• When to Send Renewal Reminder
  Define the number of days after expiration to send another renewal email.

Example: Enter 7 to send reminders 7 days before and after expiration.

Expired Listings Management

Manage how expired or trashed listings are handled.

• Permanently Delete Expired Listings
  Automatically delete expired listings from trash after a set period.
• Permanently Delete After (days) of Expiration
  Enter how many days after expiration listings should be permanently deleted.
  Default: 15 days

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

How It Works

When Guest Listing Submission is enabled, the Add Listing form will include an additional Email field.
Here’s what happens step-by-step:

1. A visitor fills out the Add Listing form and provides their email address.
2. After submission, they’ll see a preview of their listing along with a Continue to Publish button.
3. Once they click Continue to Publish, a confirmation message appears, and the listing is sent for admin approval.
4. The user receives two emails:
   • Registration confirmation email – confirming their new guest account.
   • Listing submission confirmation email – confirming their listing was received.
5. After the admin approves and publishes the listing, it becomes visible on the website.

A guest account is automatically created using the provided email address. The user can log in with that email, manage their listings, update their profile, or change their password directly from the User Dashboard.

To enable this option, navigate to WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Listing → Settings → General → Guest Listing Submission. You can also change the Guest Email Label and Placeholder.

Once you enable the option, an additional email field will appear on the add listing page for guest users, likewise the screenshot below. 

Guest User Account

Upon successful submission, a user account will be created with the email address that was provided while creating the listing, and a registration confirmation email will be sent to that Email Address. Here is an example of a “Registration Confirmation” email.

The guest user can now log in and manage his listings/account just like a regular user.

To access it, go to:
WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → All Listings

Layout & Search Options

All Listings Layout

Choose the layout style for your All Listings page.

• Left Sidebar Filter – Displays filters on the left side of the listing grid.
• Right Sidebar Filter – Displays filters on the right side.
• Top Filter – Displays filters at the top of the listings.

Select the layout that best fits your directory and user experience.

Listings Columns

Set the number of listing columns to display in grid view.
For example, enter 3 to show three listings per row.

Listings Per Page

Define how many listings should appear per page before pagination begins.
Example: Enter 6 to show six listings on each page.

Pagination Type

Choose the pagination style for navigating between listing pages.

• Numbered – Displays page numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3…).
• Infinite Scroll – Automatically loads more listings as the user scrolls.

Hide Top Search Bar

Toggle this ON to hide the search bar displayed at the top of the All Listings page. This is useful if you already have search or filter options in a sidebar layout.

Filters Text

Customize the label text for the filter button or filter section.
Default: Filters

Reset Text

Customize the label for the “Clear All” button used to reset filters.
Default: Clear All

Header Settings

The Header Settings section allows you to manage how the header area appears on the All Listings page including layout controls, listing counts, and sorting options.

Enable Header

Toggle this option ON to display the header area on the All Listings page.

Display Listings Count

Enable this option to show the total number of listings found in the search results.
When active, the text defined in the Listings Count Text field will appear next to the number.

Example:
If there are 10 listings, it will display as “10 Items Found”.

View Type

Choose which view options visitors can toggle between:

• Grid – Displays listings in multiple columns.
• List – Displays listings in a single-column list view.
• Map – Displays listings on an interactive map.

You can enable one, two, or all three options.

Default View

Select the view type that loads by default when the All Listings page is opened.
Options include Grid, List, or Map.

Enable Sorting Options

Turn this on to allow users to sort listings by different parameters.

“Sort By” Label

Customize the label text for the sorting dropdown.
Default: Sort By

Sort Options

Choose which sorting criteria should be available in the dropdown:

• A to Z (Title)
• Z to A (Title)
• Latest Listings
• Oldest Listings
• Popular Listings
• Price (Low to High)
• Price (High to Low)
• Random Listings

You can enable or disable any of these based on your directory’s preferences.

Preview Image Settings

The Preview Image Settings section lets you control how listing preview images appear on your All Listings page. You can customize the image quality, size, container dimensions, and background style to align with your directory’s visual design.

Image Quality

Select the quality level for listing preview images.
Default size: 640×360 px

If you modify the image quality or size, you’ll need to regenerate thumbnails for changes to take effect.
You can use a thumbnail regeneration plugin (such as Regenerate Thumbnails) for this.

Image Size

Choose how the image fits within its container.

• Original – Displays the image in its original size.
• Fit with Container – Adjusts the image proportionally to fit within the container without cropping.
• Fill with Container – Expands or crops the image to completely fill the container area.

Container

Define custom container dimensions for listing images:

• Width – Set the container width (e.g., 350).
• Height – Set the container height (e.g., 260).
• Size By – Choose whether to measure by Pixels or Ratio.

Background

Customize the background style that appears behind the listing image.

• Blur – Adds a subtle blur effect behind the image for a modern look.
• Custom Color – Lets you set a solid background color of your choice.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

The Single Listing settings allow you to control how individual listings are displayed on your directory website. From this section, you can configure the layout template, permalink, submission confirmation messages, and slider image display.

To access it, go to:
WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → Single Listing

1. Listing Template and View

Template
Choose which template you want to use for displaying single listings:

• Directorist Template – Uses the default Directorist layout and design.
• Theme Template (Page) – Uses your theme’s page template.
• Theme Template (Post) – Uses your theme’s post template.

Disable Single Listing View
Turn this option on if you don’t want single listing pages to be accessible. Listings will only appear in archive or search results.

Show Single Listings to Logged-In Users Only
Enable this to restrict access to listing details so that only logged-in users can view single listings.

2. Listing Permalink

Listing Slug
Set the URL slug for single listings. For example, if you enter directory, your single listing URL will appear as: yourdomain.com/directory/listing-name

3. Submission Confirmations

Show Submission Confirmation
Enable this option to show confirmation messages to users after submitting or publishing listings.

Pending Confirmation Message
Displayed when a user submits a listing that requires admin review.
Default message:

Thank you for your submission. Your listing is being reviewed and it may take up to 24 hours to complete the review.

Publish Confirmation Message
Displayed when a listing is successfully approved or published.
Default message:

Congratulations! Your listing has been approved/published. Now it is publicly available.

4. Slider Image

Show Slider Image
Enable or disable the slider image display on the single listing page.

Image Size
Choose how the image should fit within the display area:

• Fill with Container – The image completely fills the area.
• Fit with Container – The image adjusts proportionally to fit without cropping.

Background Color
Select a custom background color for the image area.

Image Width & Height
Define the dimensions (in pixels) of the slider image for consistent display across listings.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

Tip: Adjust these settings based on your theme layout and visual preference to create a consistent, user-friendly single listing experience.

The Categories Page Settings let you define how category blocks are displayed and organized on your directory’s category archive page. You can choose layout type, sorting preferences, and visibility options.

To access these settings, go to:
WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → Category & Location

Default View

Select how the categories will be displayed on the front end.

• Grid – Displays categories in a grid layout with multiple columns.
• List – Displays categories in a single-column list view.

Number of Columns

Set the number of columns to display when the Grid view is selected.
Example: Enter 4 to show four categories per row.

Order By

Choose the parameter used to order the categories.

• ID – Orders categories by their ID (default creation order).
• Count – Orders categories based on the number of listings they contain.
• Name – Orders categories alphabetically.
• Slug – Orders categories by their URL slug.

Sort By

Define the sorting direction for the selected order type.

• Ascending (ASC) – Displays items from lowest to highest (A → Z, smallest → largest).
• Descending (DESC) – Displays items from highest to lowest (Z → A, largest → smallest).

Display Listing Count

Enable this option to show the number of listings available within each category.
Example: “Restaurants (15)” will display if the category contains 15 listings.

Hide Empty Categories

Enable this to hide categories that don’t have any listings assigned to them. This keeps your directory looking clean and focused on active categories.

Locations Page Settings

The Locations Page Settings allow you to control how location blocks are displayed and organized on your directory’s Locations page. You can customize the layout, sorting, and visibility of location-based listings.

Default View

Choose how locations appear on the front end: Grid or List.

Number of Columns

Set how many columns will display on the grid layout.
Example: Enter 4 to show four location blocks per row.

Order By

Decide how locations are ordered: ID, Count, Name, or Slug.

Sort By

Select sorting direction: Ascending (ASC) or Descending (DESC).

Display Listing Count

Show the total number of listings available under each location.
Example: “New York (25)” displays if there are 25 listings in that location.

Hide Empty Locations

Hide locations with no listings to keep your directory clean and focused.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

The Map Settings section controls how maps are displayed across your directory listings. You can choose the map provider, set default coordinates, adjust zoom levels, and configure what details appear in the map info window.

To access it, go to: WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → Map

1. Map Configuration

Select Map
Choose your preferred map provider for displaying locations on listings and search results:

• OpenStreetMap – Free and requires no API key.
• Google Map – Requires a Google Maps API key.

Default Latitude & Longitude
Set default coordinates for your map.
You can find these values using the “Find it here” link and paste the coordinates into the respective fields. This location will be used when a listing does not have a specific address set.

Force Default Location
Enable this option to enforce the default latitude and longitude for all listings.
When turned off, the default location only appears on the “Add Listing” form map when no address is entered.

Zoom Level for Single Listing
Define the zoom level for the single listing page map.

• 0 = Fully zoomed out
• 22 = Fully zoomed in
  Default value: 16

Zoom Level for Map View
Set the zoom level for the all listings map view.
Default value: 1

Map Height
Specify the height of the map (in pixels).
Default value: 350px

2. Map Info Window Settings

Control what information appears when users click on a listing marker on the map.

• Display Map Info Window – Show or hide the pop-up info window.
• Display Preview Image – Show the listing thumbnail inside the map window.
• Display Favorite Badge – Display the favorite icon if users can mark listings as favorite.
• Display User Avatar – Show the listing author’s avatar.
• Display Title – Display the listing title.
• Display Review – Show star ratings and review count.
• Display Price – Display listing price if available.
• Display Address – Show the listing address.
• Display Get Direction – Enable a “Get Direction” button for navigation.
• Display Phone – Show the listing’s phone number if provided.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

The Badge Settings section allows you to configure how badges appear on listings. Badges highlight special listings such as new, popular, or featured ones to attract visitor attention.

To access these settings, go to: WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → Badges

1. General

Badge Display Type
Select how badges should appear on listings:

• Text Badge – Displays the badge as text (e.g., “New,” “Featured”).
• Icon Badge – Displays the badge using icons.

2. New Badge

This badge is automatically shown when a listing is newly created.

Badge Text
Enter the label displayed on the badge.
Default: “New”

New Badge Display Duration
Set the number of days the “New” badge remains visible on a listing after it’s created.
Default: 3 days

Background Color
Choose the color of the badge background to match your site design.

3. Popular Badge

This badge highlights listings that gain high engagement or positive ratings.

Badge Text
Enter the text to display for popular listings.
Default: “Popular”

Determine Popularity By
Choose the metric used to mark listings as popular:

• View Count – Based on how many times a listing has been viewed.
• Average Rating – Based on the average user rating score.

View Count Threshold
Define the minimum number of views required for a listing to be considered popular.
Default: 5

Minimum Average Rating
Set the minimum average rating (equal or greater) to mark an item as popular.
Default: 4

Include Logged-In User Views
Enable this to count views from logged-in users toward popularity statistics.

Dynamic View Count Cache
Turn this on if you’re using caching plugins (like W3 Total Cache or LiteSpeed Cache).
It ensures accurate real-time view counts even when caching is enabled.

Background Color
Select a background color for the Popular badge.

4. Featured Badge

This badge identifies listings marked as featured by the admin or through paid listing plans.

Badge Text
Enter the text to display on the badge.
Default: “Featured”

Background Color
Select a background color for the Featured badge.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

The Review Settings section allows you to manage how users can submit, view, and interact with reviews on listings. You can control review permissions, moderation preferences, and display settings from this panel.

To access these settings, go to: WP Admin Dashboard → Directory Settings → Listings → Review

1. Review Options

Enable User Reviews
Allow both customers and listing owners to submit reviews on listings.
When enabled, users can rate and provide feedback directly from the listing page.

Enable Owner Reviews
Permit listing owners to review their own listings.
This is useful for adding initial ratings or highlighting new listings.

Enable Guest Reviews
Allow non-logged-in users to leave reviews.
Reviews from guests are subject to moderation before being published to ensure authenticity.

Allow Review Replies
Enable this option to let users reply to existing reviews or comments, fostering discussion and engagement within listings.

2. Moderation Option

Auto-Approve Reviews
Automatically approve all submitted reviews without manual moderation.
When disabled, reviews will remain pending until approved by an admin.

Tip: For better control and to prevent spam, it’s recommended to disable auto-approval.

3. Display Setting

Reviews Per Page
Set the number of reviews displayed per page on the listing’s review section.
Default: 5

For optimal performance and readability, it’s best to keep this number under 10.

After making changes, click Save Changes (top-right or bottom-right corner) to apply your updates.

Tip:
Enable reviews to encourage trust and user engagement. Consider enabling moderation or restricting guest reviews to maintain review quality and authenticity.