--- title: "How to Show Related Posts for Custom Post Type in WordPress?" url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/show-related-posts-for-custom-post-type-in-wordpress/ date: 2023-05-06 modified: 2026-09-27 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "Related posts are just as useful at the end of a case study or a portfolio entry as they are at the end of a blog post, and usually more..." image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/show-related-posts-for-custom-post-type-in-wordpress-1024x519.jpg word_count: 473 --- # How to Show Related Posts for Custom Post Type in WordPress? ## Key Takeaways - Nexter Blocks Post Listing block displays Single Page Related Posts for a custom post type, and the example uses Books with the Book Authors taxonomy. - Nexter Builder creates the single post template through Nexter Settings > Theme Builder > Add New Template, then Single Page is selected and display conditions include All Books. - Post Listing block queries the custom post type and custom taxonomy from the Select Post Type and Taxonomies dropdowns, then shows related posts on the single post page based on that taxonomy. Related posts are just as useful at the end of a case study or a portfolio entry as they are at the end of a blog post, and usually more so. The same related listing works for any post type, as long as the type has a taxonomy to match on. [LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/listing/wordpress-post-listing/) ## Before You Start - **Edition:** **Pro** — related listings needs Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Post Listing, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **A custom post type with a taxonomy**, and terms actually assigned to its entries.- A **single template** for that post type. ## Video Tutorial ## Steps - Edit the **single template** for your post type. ![The single template](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pl-steps-cptrelated-1.webp) - Add a **Post Listing** block below the content. - Set the **post type** to your custom type. - Set the listing type to **related** and choose the matching. - Save and open a real entry to check the matches. ## How It Behaves Related matching reads the current entry's terms, whatever post type it belongs to. - **The post type and the matching are separate settings.** The post type decides what can appear, the related mode decides which of those actually do.- **Matching needs a taxonomy.** A custom post type registered without one has nothing to match on, and the listing will come back empty.- **The current entry is excluded**, as with any related listing.- **It only works inside a single template** for that post type — see the [related posts guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/show-related-blog-posts-on-blog-single-page-in-wordpress/) for the same idea on blog posts.- **Measured with Nexter Blocks Pro deactivated:** this stops working. The block still renders a plain list of posts, so there is no error to see — just the feature quietly missing. ## Limitations - **Pro only** — measured with Nexter Blocks Pro deactivated, the listing does not follow the current entry.- **No taxonomy means no matches.** Many custom post types are registered without one, which is the usual reason this comes back empty.- **Default cards are blog-shaped**, so a portfolio entry may need a custom loop skin to look right.- **There is no relevance ranking**, so matches come back in the usual order rather than best first.- **Sparse post types produce thin results**, because there is little to match against. ## Troubleshooting ### Nothing related shows Either the post type has no taxonomy, or no terms are assigned to its entries. Check both before anything else. ### It shows blog posts instead of my entries The post type setting is still on posts. Change it to your custom type. ### The cards look wrong for my content Default cards show the standard post parts. Build a custom loop skin — see [custom loop skin for custom post types](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-custom-loop-skin-for-custom-post-types-in-wordpress/). ### It is empty in the editor Expected. There is no current entry in the editor. Open a real one. ## Related Docs - [Show related blog posts on a single page](https://nexterwp.com/docs/show-related-blog-posts-on-blog-single-page-in-wordpress/)- [Create a custom post type archive page](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-custom-post-types-archive-page-in-wordpress/)- [Create a custom loop skin for custom post types](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-custom-loop-skin-for-custom-post-types-in-wordpress/)- [Advanced tab settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/use-advanced-tab-in-nexter-blocks/) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: What do I need before showing related posts for a custom post type in WordPress?** A: A custom post type, a matching taxonomy, and a few posts assigned to that taxonomy are the core pieces. Nexter Blocks uses the taxonomy relationship to decide what counts as related, so without shared terms there is nothing meaningful to filter on. In the example from the page, Books is the custom post type and Book Authors is the taxonomy, which lets related posts be grouped by author name. **Q: Why are my related posts not showing for my custom post type?** A: The usual blocker is missing taxonomy data or an incomplete single post setup. The page says you need a custom post type with a corresponding taxonomy and posts assigned to it, then the Post Listing block must be set to Single Page Related Posts with the correct custom post type and taxonomy selected. If any of those pieces are off, the query has nothing to match against. **Q: Can I show related posts by custom taxonomy instead of category?** A: That is exactly how this tutorial works. Nexter Blocks’ Post Listing block can show Single Page Related Posts based on a custom taxonomy, not just standard WordPress categories. In the example, the Books post type uses Book Authors in the Query tab, which makes the related content follow author terms instead of a default blog category structure. **Q: Do I need Nexter Builder to create the single post template for this?** A: Nexter Builder is the free tool used in this tutorial to create the single post template for the custom post type. The flow starts in Nexter Settings > Theme Builder > Add New Template, then you set Single Page as the template type and assign display conditions for your custom post type. That template is where the related posts block gets placed. **Q: What is the best way to set up related posts for a custom post type in WordPress?** A: The cleanest setup is to use a dedicated single post template and drive related content from a shared taxonomy. That keeps the logic predictable and avoids mixing unrelated content types. The page also notes that you should use other single post blocks so your main page content still displays correctly, which matters because the related posts block should complement the template, not replace it. **Q: How do I keep my single post content visible when adding related posts?** A: Single post blocks need to stay in place alongside the Post Listing block so the page body still renders normally. The tutorial explicitly warns to use other single post blocks to ensure your page content is displayed correctly. In practice, that means treating related posts as an extra section inside the template, not as a substitute for your main content area.