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Scheduled Posts Showcase

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Scheduled Posts Showcase

by Fernando Tellado

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Description

Scheduled Posts Showcase lets you display your scheduled (future) posts on the frontend of your WordPress site without creating problematic links to unpublished content.

Unlike other solutions that link to scheduled posts and generate 404 errors for visitors, this plugin shows post information (title, date, excerpt, featured image, categories) without ever exposing the permalink or post ID.

Key Features

  • No 404 errors – Never generates links to unpublished content
  • Multiple display methods – Use shortcode, widget, Gutenberg block, or REST API
  • Fully customizable – Control what information to display and how it looks
  • Global settings with per-instance overrides – Set defaults once, customize where needed
  • Translation ready – Fully prepared for localization
  • Developer friendly – Extensive hooks for customization

Display Options

  • Number of posts to show
  • Featured image (thumbnail or medium size)
  • Scheduled publication date
  • Post excerpt (with configurable word count)
  • Categories
  • Custom heading with selectable HTML tag
  • Custom footer content for calls to action

Appearance Options

  • Card or minimal container style
  • Dashicon, theme default, or no list bullets
  • Curated icon selector for list bullets
  • Accent color customization
  • Responsive design

Visibility Control

Choose who can see your scheduled posts:

  • Everyone (public)
  • Logged-in users only
  • Editors and administrators only

Usage

Shortcode:

[scheduled-posts-showcase]

With parameters:

[scheduled-posts-showcase count="3" show_date="1" show_excerpt="1" container_style="card"]

Widget:

Add the “Scheduled Posts Showcase” widget to any widget area from Appearance Widgets.

Gutenberg Block:

Search for “Scheduled Posts” in the block inserter and add the block to any post or page.

REST API:

GET /wp-json/scheduled-posts-showcase/v1/scheduled-posts

Parameters: per_page, fields, post_type, order

Why This Plugin?

Existing plugins for displaying scheduled posts either:

  • Are abandoned (some over 10 years old)
  • Link to scheduled posts, causing 404 errors
  • Use deprecated WordPress functions
  • Lack modern features like Gutenberg blocks

Scheduled Posts Showcase solves all these problems with a modern, secure, and fully-featured solution.

CSS Customization

The plugin provides semantic CSS classes for easy customization.

Available CSS Classes

  • .sps-scheduled-posts – Main container
  • .sps-style-card – Card style container
  • .sps-style-minimal – Minimal style container
  • .sps-scheduled-heading – Heading element
  • .sps-scheduled-list – Posts list (ul)
  • .sps-list-dashicon – List with dashicon bullets
  • .sps-list-theme – List with theme default bullets
  • .sps-list-none – List with no bullets
  • .sps-scheduled-item – Each post item (li)
  • .sps-scheduled-icon – Dashicon bullet
  • .sps-scheduled-thumbnail – Featured image container
  • .sps-scheduled-title – Post title
  • .sps-scheduled-date – Scheduled date
  • .sps-scheduled-excerpt – Post excerpt
  • .sps-scheduled-categories – Categories list
  • .sps-scheduled-footer – Custom footer content
  • .sps-no-scheduled – Empty state message

Example Customizations

/* Change font size for post titles */
.sps-scheduled-title {
    font-size: 1.1em;
}

/* Add more padding to the card container */
.sps-style-card {
    padding: 1.5em;
}

/* Custom color for the date */
.sps-scheduled-date {
    color: #666;
    font-style: italic;
}

CSS Custom Property

The accent color is available as a CSS custom property:

/* Use the accent color in your custom styles */
.my-custom-element {
    border-color: var(--sps-accent-color);
}<h3>Developer Hooks</h3>

The plugin provides filters and actions for developers to customize behavior without modifying plugin code.

Filters with Examples

spscase_query_args

Modify WP_Query arguments before fetching scheduled posts.

add_filter( 'spscase_query_args', function( $args ) {
    // Only show posts from specific category
    $args['cat'] = 5;
    return $args;
} );

spscase_post_data

Modify the data array for each post before rendering.

add_filter( 'spscase_post_data', function( $post_data, $post ) {
    // Add custom field to post data
    $post_data['reading_time'] = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'reading_time', true );
    return $post_data;
}, 10, 2 );

spscase_post_html

Modify the HTML output for each individual post item.

add_filter( 'spscase_post_html', function( $html, $post_data ) {
    // Add reading time after the title
    if ( ! empty( $post_data['reading_time'] ) ) {
        $badge = '<span class="reading-time">' . esc_html( $post_data['reading_time'] ) . ' min read</span>';
        $html = str_replace( '</span class="sps-scheduled-title">', '</span>' . $badge, $html );
    }
    return $html;
}, 10, 2 );

spscase_output_html

Modify the complete rendered HTML output.

add_filter( 'spscase_output_html', function( $html, $posts, $settings ) {
    // Wrap output in custom container
    return '<div class="my-custom-wrapper">' . $html . '</div>';
}, 10, 3 );

spscase_rest_post_data

Modify post data in REST API responses.

add_filter( 'spscase_rest_post_data', function( $post_data, $post ) {
    // Add author name to API response
    $post_data['author'] = get_the_author_meta( 'display_name', $post->post_author );
    return $post_data;
}, 10, 2 );

spscase_excerpt_length

Override the excerpt word count.

add_filter( 'spscase_excerpt_length', function( $length ) {
    // Shorter excerpts for sidebar widgets
    return 15;
} );

spscase_date_format

Override the date format (default: WordPress date_format option).

add_filter( 'spscase_date_format', function( $format ) {
    // Show relative dates like "in 3 days"
    return 'relative';
} );

spscase_post_types

Filter available post types in the settings dropdown.

add_filter( 'spscase_post_types', function( $post_types ) {
    // Remove 'page' from available post types
    unset( $post_types['page'] );
    return $post_types;
} );

spscase_cache_expiration

Modify cache duration in seconds (default: 3600 = 1 hour).

add_filter( 'spscase_cache_expiration', function( $seconds ) {
    // Cache for 6 hours on high-traffic sites
    return 6 * HOUR_IN_SECONDS;
} );

spscase_allowed_footer_html

Modify allowed HTML tags for footer content.

add_filter( 'spscase_allowed_footer_html', function( $allowed_tags ) {
    // Allow button element in footer
    $allowed_tags['button'] = array(
        'class' => true,
        'type'  => true,
    );
    return $allowed_tags;
} );

Actions with Examples

spscase_before_output

Fires before the scheduled posts list renders.

add_action( 'spscase_before_output', function( $posts, $settings ) {
    // Track impressions
    if ( function_exists( 'my_track_impression' ) ) {
        my_track_impression( 'scheduled_posts_widget' );
    }
}, 10, 2 );

spscase_after_output

Fires after the scheduled posts list renders.

add_action( 'spscase_after_output', function( $posts, $settings ) {
    // Output additional content after the list
    echo '<p class="sps-custom-note">Updated hourly</p>';
}, 10, 2 );<h3>Support</h3>

Need help or have suggestions?

Love the plugin? Please leave us a 5-star review and help spread the word!

About AyudaWP

We are specialists in WordPress security, SEO, and performance optimization plugins. We create tools that solve real problems for WordPress site owners while maintaining the highest coding standards and accessibility requirements.

  1. Upload the plugin files to /wp-content/plugins/scheduled-posts-showcase/ or install directly from the WordPress plugin repository.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
  3. Configure global settings at Tools Scheduled Posts Showcase.
  4. Add the widget, block, or shortcode wherever you want to display scheduled posts.
Why don’t the posts have links?

By design, this plugin never creates links to scheduled posts. Linking to unpublished content causes 404 errors for visitors, which is bad for user experience and SEO. Instead, the plugin shows post information to build anticipation without broken links.

Can I show scheduled posts for custom post types?

Yes! Select any public post type from the settings page or specify it in the shortcode with post_type="your_post_type".

How do I customize the appearance?

Use the settings page to configure global defaults for appearance. You can also override settings on individual instances (widget, block, shortcode). For advanced customization, use the CSS classes documented below.

Is the REST API public?

The REST API respects the same visibility settings as the other display methods. If you restrict visibility to logged-in users or editors, the API will also require authentication.

Can I filter or modify the output?

Yes! The plugin provides extensive hooks for developers. See the Developer Hooks section below for all available filters and actions with usage examples.

1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • Shortcode support with all display options
  • Classic widget with full configuration
  • Gutenberg block with ServerSideRender preview
  • REST API endpoint with visibility control
  • Global settings page with cascade model
  • Transient caching with automatic invalidation
  • Extensive hook system for developers
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