---
title: "How to create multiple columned WordPress Carousel Slider?"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/multiple-columned-wordpress-carousel-slider/
date: 2023-02-17
modified: 2026-09-01
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Did you know you could show multiple columns in your WordPress carousel slider? Yes, you can absolutely do that with the Carousel Anything block from Nexter Blocks. This lets you..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/multiple-columned-wordpress-carousel-slider-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 747
---

# How to create multiple columned WordPress Carousel Slider?

## Key Takeaways

- Carousel Anything block from Nexter Blocks shows multiple items side by side in one slide when Columns is set above 1, with per-device settings for desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- Columns Gap control in Carousel Anything block adjusts spacing between items, while Next Previous can move One Column or All Visible Columns at a time.
- Nexter Blocks recommends 3 or 4 items per slide for product carousels and logo walls because visitors browse more content per interaction than with a single-item carousel.
- Troubleshooting notes say Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile keep separate Columns values, so a setting on Desktop does not carry over automatically to other breakpoints.

Did you know you could show multiple columns in your WordPress carousel slider?

Yes, you can absolutely do that with the Carousel Anything block from Nexter Blocks. This lets you show more content in fewer slides.

*To check the complete feature overview documentation of the Nexter Blocks Carousel Anything block, [click here](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-carousel-anything-in-wordpress/).*

***Requirement – This block is a part of the Nexter Blocks, make sure its installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

[LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/blocks/wordpress-advanced-carousel-sliders/)

## What It Does

The Columns dropdown in the Carousel Anything block sets how many slide items display side by side within a single slide, instead of showing just one item at a time.

## Why It Matters

A single-item carousel forces visitors to click through many slides to see a full collection — a product row, a logo strip, a testimonial set. Showing 3 or 4 items per slide instead of 1 lets visitors browse more content per interaction, which is why product carousels and logo walls almost always use multiple columns.

## What You Get

A per-device Columns dropdown, a Columns Gap control for spacing between items, and a choice of whether Next/Previous navigation advances one column or all visible columns at once — all inside the Carousel Anything block's Carousel Layout settings.

## Capabilities

- **Columns** – choose how many items show per slide, set independently for desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- **Columns Gap** – adjust the spacing between the columns in a slide.
- **Next Previous – One Column** – advance the carousel by a single column per click.
- **Next Previous – All Visible Columns** – advance the carousel by all currently visible columns per click.

## How It Works

Setting Columns above 1 tells the carousel to lay out that many slide items in a row instead of stacking one item per slide. Because Columns is set per device, a slide can show 4 items on desktop and drop to 1 on mobile without any extra configuration, and the Next/Previous behavior determines whether clicking the arrow shifts the row by one item or by a full screen's worth of items.

## How to Use It

Add the Carousel Anything block to the page and follow the steps:

1. After you've created your slides in the **Content** tab, go to the **Columns** dropdown and choose the number of columns you want to show in a single slide.

![Columns dropdown in the Carousel Anything block's Content tab, set to display multiple items per slide](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/carousel-anything-content-layout-hz-column-new.png)Setting the number of columns per slide in the Carousel Anything block
2. Switch to the Tablet and Mobile device tabs to set a different column count for those breakpoints, if needed.

3. From **Carousel Layout** > **Next Previous**, choose whether clicking next/previous should move **One Column** at a time, or **All Visible Columns** at once (this depends on the number of columns set in the Column dropdown).

4. Adjust the spacing between columns from the **Columns Gap** section.

Also check [How to create Full Width Carousel Slider in WordPress](https://nexterwp.com/docs/full-width-carousel-slider-in-wordpress/).

## Use Cases

- A product row carousel showing 4 items at a time on desktop, dropping to 1 on mobile.
- A logo strip or client-showcase carousel that displays several logos per slide.
- A testimonial grid where 2 or 3 reviews are visible together instead of one at a time.

## Limitations

- The Columns setting controls layout only; it does not automatically resize slide content to fit, so slides built for a single-column layout may need their internal spacing adjusted when you increase the column count.
- Center Mode (highlighting the middle slide) is designed around a multi-column layout and can look unexpected if you switch back to a single column afterward without re-checking it.
- All-Visible-Columns navigation depends on the column count actually applied at that breakpoint, so testing on tablet and mobile after changing Columns is necessary to confirm the navigation still feels right.

## Troubleshooting

- **The carousel's formatting looks off with multiple columns on the front end:** matches a reported live-site formatting issue with Carousel Anything (ticket #21513) — check the Columns value set for the current device's breakpoint specifically, since a value only set for Desktop will not carry over to Tablet or Mobile automatically.
- **The container around the carousel stretches wider than expected when columns are added:** a related case (ticket #19710) traced an oversized container to a Carousel Anything block inside it; verify the carousel's own width settings before assuming the parent Container is at fault.
- **Only one column shows even though Columns is set higher:** confirm the change was made on the correct device tab (Desktop/Tablet/Mobile) in the editor, since each breakpoint keeps its own Columns value.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why does only one column show in my WordPress carousel even after changing the setting?**
A: The usual cause is that the Columns value was changed on the wrong device tab. Carousel Anything keeps separate column counts for Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile, so a desktop setting will not carry over automatically. That matters because the carousel can look correct in one breakpoint and still collapse to a single item on another. Recheck the current device tab in the editor and confirm the Columns value there.

**Q: How do I make a WordPress carousel show multiple items per slide on desktop and fewer on mobile?**
A: Carousel Anything in Nexter Blocks supports per-device Columns settings, so one slide can show 4 items on desktop and drop to 1 on mobile. That is the cleanest way to keep dense layouts readable without building separate carousels. The key detail is that each breakpoint has its own Columns value, so desktop, tablet, and mobile need to be set independently if you want different layouts.

**Q: What is the best navigation setting for a multi-column carousel?**
A: The right choice depends on how many items are visible at once. Next Previous can move One Column at a time or All Visible Columns at once inside Carousel Layout. One Column feels slower but gives finer control, while All Visible Columns jumps by the full visible set, which fits product rows and logo walls better. Since it depends on the column count at that breakpoint, test it on tablet and mobile too.

**Q: Can I use a multiple columned WordPress carousel for product rows or logo strips?**
A: That is exactly where this setup makes sense. The page calls out product rows, logo strips, and testimonial sets as the main reason to use multiple columns instead of a single-item carousel. Showing 3 or 4 items per slide reduces how many clicks visitors need to browse a collection, which is why product carousels and logo walls often use this layout.

**Q: Why does my carousel spacing look wrong when I add more columns?**
A: Columns only changes layout, not the internal sizing of whatever you placed inside each slide. If your slides were built for a single-column layout, they may need spacing adjustments once you show multiple items side by side. The Columns Gap control helps separate items visually, but it does not resize the content itself, so crowded cards usually need their own spacing cleaned up.

**Q: What should I check if my carousel container gets wider after adding columns?**
A: The first thing to check is the carousel’s own width settings, not just the parent container. The troubleshooting notes mention a case where an oversized container was traced back to a Carousel Anything block inside it. That means extra columns can expose width settings that were already too loose, so verify the block’s sizing before blaming the outer Container.