Custom Post Formats and Beyond

Back in WP 3.1, we got Post Formats. While great in theory, we’re limited by the existing set of formats and Core doesn’t allow us to extend these. Nacin once said, “If you want a custom post format, then chances are you shouldn’t be using post formats.” Aside from this, from a creative standpoint, we seem to be stuck in a mindset of Post Formats being Tumblr-like functionality and therefore have failed to use formats to their full potential.

At HowAboutWe, we needed a way to convey the personality of a post in our streams. All posts are different, so why should they all look the same at first glance when a viewer hits your homepage or views a category? What makes your readers want to click a link and read the full article?

The answer, thanks to the power and flexibility of WP, is that we can roll our own ‘Post Formats’ solution. No longer limited to a predefined set of formats, we can allow posts to be displayed in the way that best fits them. Want to display a list of links, embedded tweets, a poll, a gallery? You can do anything you want, and I’ll show you how. We’ll take a look at how Post Formats are implemented in Core, how to roll your own, and some creative uses, including a ‘Reblog’ post format for displaying a post from one site on another within WordPress multisite.