Displaying Tools with the [monstertools] Shortcode

The [monstertools] shortcode is a powerful and flexible way to display your MonsterTools anywhere on your WordPress site. You can embed a grid of tools into posts, pages, or sidebars, with full control over the layout, order, and which tools are shown.

Shortcode Overview & Basic Usage

At its simplest, you can place the basic shortcode to display all your tools in the default layout.

Basic Shortcode:

[monstertools]

This will output all your tools using the default layout, ordered by publication date (newest first).

Shortcode Attributes Reference

To truly harness the power of the shortcode, you can use the following attributes to customize the output.

Attribute	Description	Default Value	Accepted Values
`layout`	Defines the visual style of the tools grid.	`layout_1`	`layout_1`, `layout_2`, `layout_3`, `layout_4`, `layout_5`, `layout_6`
`per_page`	Controls the number of tools to display. Use `-1` to show all.	`-1`	Any number (e.g., `6`, `12`) or `-1` for all.
`orderby`	Determines how the tools are sorted.	`date`	`date`, `title`, `name` (slug), `rand` (random), `menu_order`
`order`	The order to sort the tools in.	`DESC`	`ASC` (Ascending), `DESC` (Descending)
`include`	Show only specific tools by their slugs.	`''` (empty)	Comma-separated Tool slugs (e.g., `'seo-analyzer, image-compressor'`).
`exclude_terms`	Exclude tools from specific categories by category slugs.	`''` (empty)	Comma-separated Category slugs (e.g., `'seo-tools, developer-tools'`).
`no_results`	The message to display if no tools are found.	`No items found.`	Any custom text string.

Attribute Usage & Examples

1. The `layout` Attribute

MonsterTools comes with 6 distinct, professionally designed layouts to match any website's style. Experiment to find which one looks best on your site.

Example: Using Layout 3

[monstertools layout="layout_3"]

2. The per_page & order/orderby Attributes

These are perfect for creating "Featured Tools" sections or controlling the number of items on a page.

Example: Show 6 random tools

[monstertools per_page="6" orderby="rand"]

Example: Show the 4 oldest tools, alphabetically by title

[monstertools per_page="4" orderby="title" order="ASC"]

3. The include Attribute

This is ideal for hand-picking specific tools to showcase. You need the slug of each tool.

Example: Display only specific tools by their slugs

[monstertools include="seo-analyzer, backlink-checker, meta-tag-generator"]

4. The `exclude_terms` Attribute

If you have categorized your tools, you can exclude entire categories from being displayed. You need the slug of the category you wish to exclude.

Example: Exclude all tools from the 'developer-tools' and 'premium' categories

[monstertools exclude_terms="developer-tools, premium"]

5. The `no_results` Attribute

Customize the message shown if a query returns no tools. This is great for user experience.

Example:

[monstertools include="non-existent-tool" no_results="Sorry, the featured tool is temporarily unavailable."]

This will show your custom message since a tool with the slug 'non-existent-tool' doesn't exist.

Advanced Real-World Examples

Combine multiple attributes to create powerful, customized displays.

1. Create a "Featured Tools" Section
Show specific tools in a compact, modern layout (like layout_2).

[monstertools layout="layout_2" include="keyword-researcher, site-audit, rank-tracker" orderby="title"]

2. Create a "Exclude Premium Tools" Section
Display 8 random tools, but exclude those from a "premium" category.

[monstertools per_page="8" orderby="rand" exclude_terms="premium"]

3. Full-Page Tools Directory (Excluding Specific Categories)
Display all tools except developer and image tools, ordered alphabetically.

[monstertools layout="layout_4" per_page="-1" orderby="title" order="ASC" exclude_terms="developer-tools, image-tools"]

How to Find Tool and Category Slugs

Finding the slug is easy and doesn't require looking at URLs or IDs.

Tool Slug: Go to MonsterTools > All Tools in your WordPress admin. The slug is the part of the tool's permalink after your site's URL. For example, for a tool with the URL yoursite.com/tool/seo-analyzer, the slug is seo-analyzer. You can also see and edit it when you quick edit a tool.
Category Slug: Go to MonsterTools > Categories. The slug is shown in the list of categories. You can also see and edit it when you quick edit a category. For a "Developer Tools" category, the slug might be developer-tools.

Troubleshooting

Shortcode not working? Ensure you are using the correct tag: [monstertools].
No tools showing? If you are using include, double-check that the tool slugs are spelled correctly. Slugs are usually lowercase and use hyphens for spaces (e.g., "SEO Analyzer" becomes seo-analyzer).
Wrong tools showing? If using exclude_terms, verify the category slugs are correct. A common mistake is using the category name instead of its slug.