Setting Up Classifieds

Get Started

Launch a full classifieds marketplace on your WordPress site. The Classifieds module adds a complete buy/sell platform where visitors can browse listings, contact sellers, save favorites, and follow their preferred sellers — all built into your existing WordPress site.

Step 1: Enable the Classifieds Module

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Modules
  2. Toggle on Classifieds
  3. Click Save Changes

Once enabled, a Classifieds section appears in your WordPress admin sidebar.

Step 2: Create Categories

Organize your marketplace with categories. You can create a hierarchy with parent and child categories.

  1. Go to Classifieds -> Categories
  2. Click Add New Category
  3. Enter a name and optional slug
  4. Set a parent category if this is a subcategory
  5. Click Add New Category

Example category structure:

Electronics
-- Phones & Tablets
-- Computers
-- Gaming

Vehicles
-- Cars
-- Motorcycles
-- Boats

Real Estate
-- For Sale
-- For Rent

Step 3: Create Locations (Optional)

If your marketplace is location-based, create a location hierarchy.

  1. Go to Classifieds -> Locations
  2. Add locations the same way as categories
  3. Create a hierarchy (Country -> State -> City)

Step 4: Create Required Pages

The classifieds module needs WordPress pages with specific shortcodes. The plugin creates these automatically on activation, but you can create them manually if needed.

Page Title Shortcode Purpose
Browse Classifieds [wbam_browse_classifieds] Public listing directory
Submit Classified [wbam_submit_classified] Submission form for sellers
My Classifieds [wbam_my_classifieds] Seller’s listing management
My Favorites [wbam_my_favorites] Saved listings
My Following [wbam_my_following] Followed sellers

Create each page in Pages -> Add New, add the shortcode, and publish.

Step 5: Configure Page URLs

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Pages
  2. Select the pages you created for each setting
  3. Click Save Changes

Step 6: Configure Classifieds Settings

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Classifieds
  2. Review and set these options:
Setting Description
Moderation Require admin approval before listings go live
Default expiration How many days listings stay active
Maximum images How many images per listing
Contact form Enable/disable the inquiry form on listings
Featured listings Allow paid featured upgrades
  1. Click Save Changes

Classifieds settings page showing moderation, expiration, image limits, and contact form options

Step 7: Create Listing Packages (Optional)

Listing packages let you charge sellers for posting classifieds.

  1. Go to Classifieds -> Packages
  2. Click Add New Package
  3. Set the name, price, duration, and features
  4. Publish the package

Example packages:

Package Duration Price
Free 30 days $0
Standard 60 days $5
Premium 90 days + Featured badge $15

Managing Listings (Admin)

All submitted classifieds appear at Classifieds -> All Classifieds.

For each listing you can:

  • Click the title to view the full details
  • Change the post status to Published to approve it
  • Move it to Trash to reject it

Admin classifieds list showing all submitted listings with status, seller, category, and date

Listing Statuses

Status Description
Pending Awaiting moderation
Active Visible to all visitors
Expired Past its expiration date
Sold Marked as sold by the seller

Configuration

The full classifieds settings are available at WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Classifieds.

Setting Description
Moderation Require admin approval before listings go live
Default Expiration How many days listings stay active by default
Maximum Images Maximum number of images per listing
Contact Form Enable or disable the inquiry form on listings
Featured Listings Allow paid featured upgrades and set their pricing

Shortcodes

These shortcodes build the public-facing classifieds marketplace. Add them to WordPress pages to create browse, submit, and manage listing experiences.

Shortcodes at a Glance

Shortcode Purpose
[wbam_browse_classifieds] Browse all listings
[wbam_submit_classified] Listing submission form
[wbam_my_classifieds] Seller’s listing management
[wbam_my_favorites] Saved listings
[wbam_my_following] Sellers the user follows
[wbam_classified_search] Search form
[wbam_seller_profile] Public seller profile

[wbam_browse_classifieds]

The main public-facing browse page displaying all approved classified listings.

[wbam_browse_classifieds]
Parameter Default Description
category all Filter to a specific category slug
per_page 12 Listings per page
columns 3 Grid columns (1-4)
orderby date Sort by: date, price, title
order DESC Sort direction: ASC or DESC
show_search true Include search bar above listings
show_filters true Include filter sidebar

Examples:

Vehicles category only, ordered by price low to high:

[wbam_browse_classifieds category="vehicles" orderby="price" order="ASC"]

[wbam_submit_classified]

The form sellers use to post a new classified listing.

[wbam_submit_classified]
Parameter Default Description
category — Pre-select a category
require_image true Require at least one image
max_images 5 Maximum images per listing
redirect — URL to redirect to after submission

[wbam_my_classifieds]

Displays the currently logged-in user’s classified listings for management.

[wbam_my_classifieds]
Parameter Default Description
status all Filter by status: pending, active, expired, sold, draft
per_page 10 Listings per page
show_create true Show “Post New Classified” button
show_stats true Show view count and inquiry count per listing

[wbam_my_favorites]

Displays the listings the logged-in user has saved as favorites.

[wbam_my_favorites]
Parameter Default Description
per_page 12 Listings per page
columns 3 Grid columns (1-4)
show_remove true Show Remove from Favorites button

[wbam_my_following]

Displays sellers the logged-in user is following.

[wbam_my_following]
Parameter Default Description
limit 24 Maximum number of sellers to display

A search form for finding classifieds by keyword, category, location, and price range.

[wbam_classified_search]
Parameter Default Description
layout horizontal Form layout: horizontal or vertical
show_category true Include category dropdown
show_location true Include location filter
show_price true Include price range filter
action Browse page URL Where to send search results

Category URLs

Classifieds automatically support category archive URLs:

/classifieds/                    -> All listings
/classifieds/vehicles/           -> Vehicles category
/classifieds/vehicles/cars/      -> Cars subcategory

Single listing pages are generated automatically — no extra configuration needed.

Next Steps

Last updated: March 4, 2026