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To reorder WordPress posts without changing their publish dates, use a post-ordering plugin: enable Posts in its settings, then drag entries in the admin list. The order is saved separately from publication dates, but your site’s front-end query must use that manual order to display it.
How to drag and drop WordPress posts
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In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New. Search for Simple Custom Post Order, then install and activate it. The plugin documents this admin-list drag-and-drop workflow and automatic saving: Simple Custom Post Order.
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Go to Settings > SCPOrder. Enable Posts. Select other content types or taxonomies there only if you also want to sort them.
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Open the Posts list in the dashboard and drag entries into the desired order. The plugin listing says the change is saved automatically through AJAX, so you do not need to edit publication dates to establish a manual order.
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Check the public page that lists those posts. If the visible sequence does not change, check how that page’s query sorts its results; the admin order and the front-end display order are separate concerns.
Why the front-end may keep the old order
A theme or plugin can request posts chronologically even after an admin sorting tool has stored a custom order. Intuitive Custom Post Order’s documentation says custom queries should use orderby=menu_order and order=ASC to follow the manual order. To display newest posts first instead, explicitly use orderby=date and order=DESC. These are alternative query behaviors, so choose the one that matches the page’s purpose: Intuitive Custom Post Order documentation.
Simple Custom Post Order says it stores post and page order in WordPress’s native menu_order field: plugin listing. That stored value will affect a front-end listing only when its query honors it.
Which drag-and-drop plugin should you choose?
The options documented in the WordPress Plugin Directory differ in where sorting happens and what content they cover. Confirm the current listing supports the content type and workflow you need before installing, since plugin features and compatibility can change.
Rank #3
| Plugin | Documented sorting interface | Documented content coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Post Types Order | Regular archive list or a dedicated Re-Order interface | Posts and custom post types |
| Simple Custom Post Order | Drag and drop in the admin list | Posts, pages, custom post types and taxonomies |
| Intuitive Custom Post Order | Drag-and-drop ordering; documentation also covers custom query settings | Posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies and multisite sites |
What to check if sorting does not work
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The content type is not enabled: Revisit the plugin’s settings and confirm the type you are sorting is selected. For Simple Custom Post Order, the documented path is Settings > SCPOrder.
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The admin order changes, but the site does not: Inspect the query used by the front-end listing. For a manually ordered list, the cited Intuitive Custom Post Order guidance specifies
orderby=menu_orderandorder=ASC.Rank #4
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You want chronological order: Set the listing to sort by date, such as
orderby=dateandorder=DESC, rather than expecting a manual order to override that choice.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
You need a different interface or broader coverage: Compare the plugin’s current documentation with your requirements, especially if you need a dedicated reorder screen, taxonomy sorting or multisite support.
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