How to Display Code Snippets in WordPress Posts? Step-by-step guide!
Starting a website in WordPress is perfect for any niches like Blogging, News, Magazine, etc. Now, the block editor has made adding and editing content in WordPress simpler than ever. Adding images and other media is also extremely easy. But what if you want to display a Code snippet on your posts. What do you do then? When you paste the code snippet as plain text, WordPress doesn’t display all contents of the snippets correctly. So, how do you display code snippets in WordPress? After reading this tutorial, you’ll be able to display code snippets with no trouble.
Why do you need to learn how to display code snippets in WordPress?
If you’re a Web developer or designer who blogs about programming topics and provides coding tutorials online then, you need to share code snippets on your posts. Your readers need to understand and use the code snippets displayed on your site. But, the problem with WordPress is that it displays the code snippet as any other text if you just copy and paste the code on the posts. In some cases, WordPress changes some parts of the code which creates errors in your code.
You can use the default WordPress tags to display code in WordPress. This method works just fine. However, WordPress may not display your code correctly depending on the theme you’re using. You can even display your code using the code block in the Gutenberg editor. This feature is great for short code snippets but, not as efficient as using a Plugin. Plugins help you display code snippets in WordPress in a way that is understandable and clear for your readers.
Therefore, making your code comprehensible to your readers must be your top priority. Even though, the readability may depend on the length and complexity of your code. Anywho, you must learn to display code snippets in WordPress according to your requirements.
How to display code snippets in WordPress?
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to display code snippets in WordPress using three methods:
Using default WordPress tags in Classic editor
You can use the default tags like <code></code> and <pre></pre> to display code snippets in WordPress. This method may be a bit difficult for beginners as it is a more complicated process. But after regular use, you won’t find it difficult,
Firstly, you need to copy paste your code to an HTML encoder. Then, go your post editor and click on the Text viewer and copy the encoded result inside the tags.
This is how your code will be displayed on the post.
Using the code block in Gutenberg editor
The Gutenberg editor has enabled you to add a code block to add your code snippets in your posts easily. Although this feature doesn’t have line numbers, it is a quicker method than the default tag in WordPress. So, let’s get right into it.
Go to the default Gutenberg editor and click on Add New Block. Type in Code in the search bar. Then, the Code block will appear, click on it.
Then, paste your code snippet there. So, this is how the code will be displayed on your post.
Using Plugin to Display Code Snippets in WordPress
There are various plugins available in the WordPress repository that let you display code snippets in WordPress in a readable and clear way. But, we suggest using the SyntaxHighlighter Evolved by Alex Mils plugin. It is one of the best plugins to display code snippets in WordPress as you can insert the code of any programming language with line numbering and syntax highlighting.
First, download and install the plugin and then go to your post editor.
Then, Add New Block and type in SyntaxHighlighter Code in the search bar. Click on it. Now, with this plugin, you can display code snippets of any programming language.
On the right side of the page, you can see the features to choose any coding language, show line numbers, highlight lines and make URLs clickable.
You can preview your post to see your code.
If you want to customize and change how your code looks even more then, go to Setting>>SyntaxHighlighter. Here, you can change more settings like color theme, collapse code boxes, line number padding and more.
The difference between using and not using a plugin to display code in WordPress is the presentation of the code in your posts. If you use plugins, you don’t need to worry about your readers being confused by your code. With line numbers and highlighted syntax, your code blog will have a professional look.
Wrapping up:
Whether you’re a web developer with complex coding tutorials or just a blogger, you need to display code in your posts. How you choose to display code on your site totally on you. We have explained three ways to display code snippets in WordPress in this tutorial. If you’re sharing complicated codes and tutorials, it’s best that you use a plugin to display code in WordPress. As these plugins let you display code in a code editor-like boxes, your users can understand and use the code with no trouble. If you’re only sharing simple codes then, you can use the Gutenberg Code Block or default WordPress tags in Classic Editor.
Hopefully, you can display code snippets in WordPress with ease now. Don’t forget to check these articles for more WordPress tutorials.
- How to Embed Google form in WordPress: With and Without Plugin
- A Beginner’s Guide On How To Add A WordPress Image Caption
- Step-by-step Tutorial to Clone a WordPress site
