Archives in the free theme - Verba
In the free theme, every archive (category, tag, author, date, and search results) is configured in one place: AppearanceCustomizeVerba ThemeArchive. If you're new to archives, Setting up an archive from scratch explains what an archive is and why its header and its list of posts are set in different places.
#Where the header text comes from
The title and description come from the object itself: the category or tag description under PostsCategories or PostsTags, or the author's profile. With Pro, categories and authors get extra fields of their own, and categories, tags, and authors can pin a featured post. See Category fields and Author profile fields.
Fill in a description for at least your main categories. On most sites it's the most visible improvement for the least work, and an empty category page looks unfinished whatever the settings say.
#What each tab controls
The structure is fixed: a list of posts, optionally a featured post above it, pagination below, and a sidebar beside it. The same settings shape the list on your posts page.
- Layout
Card Style (classic, card, or overlay), columns and gaps, a heading above the list, the Nothing Found Text, and pagination: numbered links, a Load More button, or infinite scroll. Page Without Reloading loads numbered pages without refreshing the page. The Sidebar switch that turns the sidebar on is here too.
- Sidebar
Left or right, how the width splits between list and sidebar, whether it stays pinned while scrolling, and the button that opens it on phones. It shows the Archive Sidebar widget area, filled at AppearanceWidgets.
- Card
What each card shows: the card parts, the thumbnail shape, category labels, title and excerpt length, and the meta row.
- Page Header
Whether the header shows, its width and alignment, breadcrumbs, the description as a subtitle, and a result count beside the title.
- Featured Post
One post shown large above the list: the latest or the first sticky post in that archive, on the archive types you pick. Exclude from listing keeps it from appearing twice.
- Author Page
Whether an author archive shows the avatar, the position, and social links.
- Search Results
How the search phrase appears in the title, and whether a search form sits on the results page.
The free level has fewer card styles and fewer settings on each than the Pro listing.
#When this is enough
The free archive covers a blog with one grid across every archive, where launching quickly matters more than variation.
You'll need Pro for archives that look different from each other, a second listing under the main one, more card types, or finer control. Pick from Advanced archives, an archive from a block pattern, or an archive from an Elementor template.
Installing Pro doesn't change your archives. Archive Source at VerbaTheme OptionsArchiveGeneral starts on Native, which is this Customizer archive. Switch it to Advanced when you want the Pro listing.
Why is my category page empty?
No published posts are assigned to that category. Check that posts have the category set, not just a tag.
Can I change the URL of an archive?
Through SettingsPermalinks, which controls the category and tag bases. That is a WordPress setting rather than a theme one.
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- Basic settings in the Customizer
- Set up dark mode
- Site layout: default, boxed, or wide
- Colors, fonts, and style kits
- Breadcrumbs
- Theme Options: the advanced settings panel
- General: site behavior
- General: optimization
- SPA and page transitions
- Content zones and insertions
- Blog: how posts are presented
- Before you go: the exit-intent banner
- Floating card: a post that follows the reader
- Marketing surfaces and analytics
- Accessibility settings
- Object-level settings
- Category fields
- Tag fields
- Author profile fields
- Widget areas
- Page fields and per-page layout
- Post fields
- Writing a post in Verba
- Single post settings in the Customizer
- Advanced single post settings in Theme Options
- Post formats
- Building a post from a block pattern
- Building a post with an Elementor template
- Post header styles
- Reading aids: how the four blocks work
- TL;DR summary
- Key points
- Table of contents
- Summarize with AI
- Reading bar
- Sharing: placements, styles, and copy link
- The share block in the post footer
- Continuous reading: the next post without a click
- Likes, views, and comment voting
- Related posts and read also
- Sources and citations
- Splitting a long post across several pages
- Comments
- Formatting the body of an article
- Archives in the free theme
- The posts page: showcase and featured author
- Advanced archives
- Archives from a block pattern
- Archives from an Elementor template
- Post and term listings
- Listing settings, group by group
- Where listings are used
- Listing settings and query
- Customizing the look of a listing
- Search results, the 404 page, and protected posts
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