Our discover-wp updates will make it easier for you to understand how to build directory websites

   Agnes Bury

Announcements

December 3, 2018
2

We have updated discover-wp, the platform where you can experiment with Toolset plugins and manage complete Toolset demo sites. It’s got a new design and you can also now browse the list of Toolset reference sites in a comfortable way.

One of the most frequently used sites, the Classified and directory website, has also been refreshed and simplified. Check out what’s new.

Discover-wp.com gets a new design

We’ve refreshed the design of discover-wp.com . The new design uses Toolset colors and makes the service feel like a part of Toolset.

Browsing the demo sites has become easier. All sites are listed in an easy-to-navigate grid.

Discover-wp.com - new design
Discover-wp.com – new design

You can also filter out the training sites if you are interested only in browsing the actual reference sites. Simply use the Site type filter.

By the way, everything you see on Discover-wp was built by Toolset. If there’s anything you think you might like for your website, you know it can be added with Toolset.

Changes in the Directory demo website

We’ve also updated the Directory reference website .

You told us: “ Less is more” , making a good point that our previous Classified site was using too many features. These were making the site way too complex to comprehend.

New design

The site has got a new design. Again, we’ve some of the most popular free WordPress themes: OceanWP, GeneratePress and Astra.

All these themes are rich in customization features and you can easily control the layouts of your page elements, archives and sidebars.

The new version of the Classifieds site
The new version of the Classifieds site

Fewer elements

We’ve significantly reduced the number of Post Types, Views, Toolset Forms, Products, Content Templates, Layouts and pages used on that site.

Now, with the limited number of Toolset elements in action, you will quickly understand the bare minimum required to build a classifieds site.

Forms used in the new Classified site
Forms used in the new Classified site

Views used in the new Classified site
Views used in the new Classified site

New Views

Based on your feedback, we’ve added two new Views.

  • Listings on a map – the View shows the adverts on a map, where you can filter your listings according to the its location.

New in the Classifieds site: show listings on a map and filter by the advertiser location
New in the Classifieds site: show listings on a map and filter by the advertiser location

  • Related listings – when you browse a single listing, you can see related adverts in the sidebar. In Toolset, you can choose the “connecting” point as a filter, which is the same listing category in our case.

Related listings
Related listings

We have retired the Toolset Classifieds plugin

Only some of you needed the extra features the Toolset Classifieds plugin provided yet the plugin was mandatory to install the Classifieds site. Relying on the plugin was causing customization and maintenance issues.

The extra functionality the plugin provided included:

If you have the Toolset Classifieds plugin installed, you can still use the version you have. But the plugin is no longer available for download and won’t be maintained. We might help with some critical issues though (report these in our support forum).

Simpler but still powerful

We believe that the new changes will help you better understand the idea of a classifieds/directory site , especially if you want to build one using Toolset.

The new site is fully functional and you can do the following:

  • Add free and new premium listings (integrated with WooCommerce).
  • List featured ads in a slider.
  • Search the ads using filters, including filtering by the distance on a map.
  • Advertisers can submit, edit and delete the listings through the front-end forms (they are the only ones with permission to manage them).
  • Browse the listing categories in a category tree, which is fully customizable.
  • Set up the ad expiry date automatically.
  • Create custom email notifications .

The site is also available in the multilanguage version(a good opportunity to see how to use Toolset with WPML )

And last but not least, you can easily turn the listings into anything : hotels, restaurants, lists of doctors in your neighborhood or any other type.

Every single piece of the site can be easily changed by you. It’s used Toolset after all, which brings custom post types under your control.

 

Comments 2 Responses

  1. Hi Agnus. It’s terrific that the “Classifieds” plugin has received some love and attention. But, I think that the design of the front page is lacking. I know that it all can be changed, but a little inspiration is always appreciated. No “wow” experience with this design.

    • Hello Chris, actually the Classifieds plugin has been retired. Have you been using it? Have you been using its features? Which ones?