Mark Jaquith

Subpage Listing allows you to take full advantage of WordPress Pages’ hierarchy by generating a navigational tree of the pages below them (subpages).
For example, say you have a parent page called “Parent.” Now, say you have 3 pages under “Parent,” called “Child1,” “Child2,” and “Child3.” Now, say that you have 2 pages under “Child2” called “Grandchild1” and “Grandchild2.”
Subpage Listing would create a navigation tree for “Parent” that looks like this:
<ul>
<li>Child1</li>
<li>Child2
<ul>
<li>Grandchild1</li>
<li>Grandchild2</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Child3</li>
</ul>
This allows you to very easily create a complex hierarchical structure that can be browsed.
<h3>Advanced Usage</h3>
Blank pages will automatically be given a navigation tree. This allows you to quickly create “container” pages (all you do is fill in a title, and choose the page’s parent.)
If you would like to insert the navigational tree manually (that is, surrounded by text of your choosing), use the “Subpage Listing” quicktag that will show up on the Write Page screen (sorry, no RTE support at this time). This will insert the tag:  which will be replaced by the listing of the subpages.
Note: when inserting the tag manually, make sure that there is a blank line both above and below the tag, so as to ensure proper handling of your surrounding paragraphs by WordPress.
Version 0.6 was a massive update that added a bunch of new functionality. The ability to show the current page’s parent has been added, as well as the ability to show the current page’s siblings. You can also suppress the showing of children, and show only siblings, parents, or both. To use these features within a post, use this syntax:  The first “parameter” is the depth you want to show. You can set this to 0 to suppress display of children. The second “parameter” is a boolean switch for display of the parent page. The third “parameter” is a boolean switch for display of sibling pages. All are optional, although if you want to set the second “parameter”, you also have to set the first, and if you want to set the third, you have to set all three.
There is also a new function for use in your templates. Many people wanted to show subpages or siblings in their sidebar, so now you can do that. <code><?php txfx_wp_subpages(); ?></code> is the most basic form, but it can take many parameters.
<pre><code><?php txfx_wp_subpages(5, false, false, '<ul>', '</ul>', true); ?> will show 5 pages deep (first parameter), hide the parent (second parameter), hide the siblings (third parameter), wrap the whole thing in '<ul>' and '</ul>' (fourth and fifth parameters), and will echo the result (sixth parameter). These happen to be the default settings, that I have just illustrated.
</code></pre>

Subpage Listing

Allows you to display a list of the child pages of the currently viewed page.

caterhamcomputing

CC Child Pages displays child pages of any parent page in a responsive grid or list layout. You can use it in page content, widget areas, or templates using either:
<ul>
<li>the <code>[child_pages]</code> shortcode, or</li>
<li>the CC Child Pages Gutenberg block.</li>
</ul>
Both use a modern CSS system based on CSS variables and flexible grid layouts for improved theme compatibility. For older or heavily customised themes, a Legacy CSS mode is available – either by checking the Use Legacy CSS option in the block sidebar, or by setting <code>use_legacy_css="true"</code> in the shortcode.
This makes it ideal for building sub-navigation sections, page directories, or visual site maps.
A Pro add-on is available at <a href="https://ccplugins.co.uk" rel="nofollow ugc">ccplugins.co.uk</a> adding advanced skins, hover effects, taxonomy filters, and custom field support – while helping fund ongoing development of the free version.
<h3>What’s New in 2.0</h3>
<ul>
<li>Added Gutenberg block with live preview and sidebar options.</li>
<li>Reorganised shortcode attributes for clarity and ease of use.</li>
<li>Introduced modern CSS skins using CSS variables.</li>
<li>Added Legacy CSS toggle for backward compatibility.</li>
<li>Retained the legacy widget for existing sites (see below).</li>
<li>General code and security improvements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Legacy Widget Notice</h3>
The classic CC Child Pages Widget remains available to ensure existing sites continue to function. 
However, it is now considered legacy. For new builds, please use either the shortcode or the Gutenberg block inside widget areas via the Shortcode or Block widget.
–
<h3>How It Works</h3>
<h3>1. Gutenberg Block</h3>
Add a CC Child Pages block directly in the editor to display child pages of the current or chosen parent. Configure columns, thumbnails, excerpts, and “Read More” links visually from the sidebar. 
The block uses modern CSS-based skins, designed for full theme compatibility. If your theme uses older styles or layout methods, you can toggle Use Legacy CSS in the sidebar to switch to the classic stylesheet, which resolves most compatibility issues automatically.
<h3>2. Shortcode</h3>
Insert <code>[child_pages]</code> into your content. The shortcode supports a comprehensive set of attributes for layout, display, and query control. 
Like the block, it uses modern CSS by default and can be switched into legacy mode using <code>use_legacy_css="true"</code> if required.
–
<h3>Shortcode Overview</h3>
Basic usage: 
 [child_pages] – Lists child pages of the current page.
Display children of another page: 
 [child_pages id=”42″]
Display in a grid: 
 [child_pages cols=”3″ skin=”cards” thumbs=”true”]
<h3>Full Attribute Reference (with defaults)</h3>
Parent and hierarchy
<ul>
<li><code>id</code> – Parent page ID (default: current page via <code>get_the_ID()</code>).</li>
<li><code>page_ids</code> – Comma-separated list of specific page IDs to include (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>depth</code> – Levels of hierarchy to include (default: <code>1</code>).</li>
<li><code>siblings</code> – Show sibling pages instead of children (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>show_current_page</code> – Include the current page in results (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
</ul>
Sorting and limits / pagination
<ul>
<li><code>orderby</code> – Sort field (<code>menu_order</code>, <code>title</code>, <code>date</code>; default: <code>menu_order</code>).</li>
<li><code>order</code> – Sort direction (<code>ASC</code> or <code>DESC</code>; default: <code>ASC</code>).</li>
<li><code>offset</code> – Number of results to skip (default: <code>0</code>).</li>
<li><code>limit</code> – Limit total number of pages displayed (default: <code>-1</code> = no limit).</li>
<li><code>posts_per_page</code> – Items per page when paginating (default: <code>-1</code>).</li>
<li><code>page</code> – Force a specific page number for pagination (default: <code>-1</code> = auto).</li>
<li><code>ignore_sticky_posts</code> – Ignore sticky posts (default: <code>true</code>).</li>
<li><code>post_status</code> – Filter by status (default: empty = standard published pages).</li>
</ul>
Layout and style
<ul>
<li><code>cols</code> – Number of columns (default: empty; theme or skin decides).</li>
<li><code>skin</code> – Visual style template (default: <code>simple</code>).</li>
<li><code>list</code> – Force a list layout instead of a grid (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>class</code> – Additional CSS class on the wrapper (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_legacy_css</code> – Use the classic stylesheet for compatibility (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
</ul>
Content display
<ul>
<li><code>hide_title</code> – Hide page title (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>hide_excerpt</code> – Hide excerpt (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>hide_more</code> – Hide “Read more …” link (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>hide_wp_more</code> – Ignore WP “more” tag (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>show_page_content</code> – Show full page content (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>truncate_excerpt</code> – Truncate long excerpts (default: <code>true</code>).</li>
<li><code>words</code> – Words to include in truncated excerpt (default: <code>55</code>).</li>
<li><code>thumbs</code> – Show featured image (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>link_thumbs</code> – Make thumbnails clickable (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>link_titles</code> – Make titles clickable (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>title_link_class</code> – Class for linked titles (default: <code>ccpage_title_link</code>).</li>
<li><code>more</code> – Text for “Read more” link (default: <code>Read more ...</code>).</li>
<li><code>link_target</code> – Target for links (e.g. <code>_blank</code>; default: empty).</li>
<li><code>link</code> – Override the link URL (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_excerpt</code> – Use custom excerpt field if present (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_title</code> – Use custom title field if present (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_more</code> – Use custom “more” text field if present (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_thumbs</code> – Use custom thumbnail field if present (default: empty).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_link</code> – Meta key for custom link (default: <code>cc_child_pages_link</code>).</li>
<li><code>use_custom_link_target</code> – Meta key for custom target (default: <code>cc_child_pages_link_target</code>).</li>
<li><code>show_author</code> – Show page author (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>show_date_created</code> – Show created date (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>show_date_modified</code> – Show modified date (default: <code>false</code>).</li>
<li><code>subpage_title</code> – Custom heading above the list/grid (default: empty).</li>
</ul>
Tip: Most users get great results by combining <code>cols</code>, <code>skin</code>, and <code>thumbs</code>. Switch on Legacy CSS only if your theme needs it.
–
<h3>Block Overview</h3>
The CC Child Pages block provides a simple, visual interface for configuring these same options, complete with a live preview. 
It uses modern CSS for all skins and layouts. If your theme uses older styles or layout rules, enabling the Use Legacy CSS checkbox restores compatibility with the classic grid and list templates.
–
<h3>License</h3>
This plugin is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2 or later. 
See <a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html</a>
© 2025 Caterham Computing.

CC Child Pages

Display child pages in a responsive grid or list via a shortcode or Gutenberg block. Includes modern CSS skins with optional legacy mode.

Subpage Listing vs CC Child Pages