---
title: "How to Add Categories Listing in Elementor?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/add-categories-listing-in-elementor/
date: 2025-01-09
modified: 2026-09-27
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Manually building a category showcase page one column at a time doesn't scale, and it doesn't update itself when a category is added or renamed. The Dynamic Categories widget pulls..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/How-to-Add-Categories-Listing-in-Elementor_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 387
---

# How to Add Categories Listing in Elementor?

## 

- Dynamic Categories in The Plus Addons for Elementor pulls taxonomy terms live and displays them as Grid, Masonry, Metro, or Carousel listings.
- The Plus Addons for Elementor requires Elementor free installed and active, and Dynamic Categories works with just The Plus Addons for Elementor installed, with no Pro licence required.
- Dynamic Categories includes Hide Empty, Hide Sub Categories, Maximum Categories Display set to 8 by default, and sorting by date, name, count, and more in ascending or descending order.

Manually building a category showcase page one column at a time doesn't scale, and it doesn't update itself when a category is added or renamed.

The **Dynamic Categories** widget pulls any taxonomy's terms live and lays them out as a grid, masonry, metro or carousel listing.

***Requirement - This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure it's installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

[LIVE WIDGET LINK](https://theplusaddons.com/elementor-listing/dynamic-category/?utm_source=tpae&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=text)

## Before You Start

- **Prerequisite:** [Elementor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/elementor/) (free) installed and active.- **Edition:** Dynamic Categories is a **free** widget - it works with just The Plus Addons for Elementor installed, no Pro licence required.- **Widget to enable:** go to **The Plus Addons > Widgets**, search for **Dynamic Categories** and turn its toggle on.

## Steps

- Add the **Dynamic Categories** widget to the page.- From **Style**, choose **Style 1** (the default), Style 2, Style 3 or a fully **Custom** layout.

![Style visual-choice control](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dynamic-categories-overview-style.webp)

From **Layout** (Content tab), choose **Grid** (the default), **Masonry**, **Metro** or **Carousel**. Each has its own dedicated how-to doc, linked below.

![Layout control: Grid / Masonry / Metro / Carousel](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dynamic-categories-overview-layout.webp)

From **Taxonomies**, pick which taxonomy's terms to list - this dropdown is populated live from the site's own registered taxonomies (Category by default, plus Tag and any WooCommerce or custom taxonomies present).

![Taxonomies dropdown listing the site's real registered taxonomies](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dynamic-categories-overview-taxonomies.webp)

## Content Settings

- **Hide Empty** (on by default) - skips terms with zero posts.- **Hide Sub Categories** - shows only top-level terms.- **Maximum Categories Display** - how many terms to show (default 8).- **Order By** / **Order** - sort terms by date, name, count and more, ascending or descending.

## Columns

Set independent column counts for **Desktop**, **Tablet** and **Mobile**, plus a separate column count for the Metro layout.

![Desktop/Tablet/Mobile column controls](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dynamic-categories-overview-columns.webp)

## Settings Overview

| Setting | What it does | Default |
| ------- | ------------ | ------- |
| Style | Style 1/2/3 or a fully Custom layout. | Style 1 |
| Layout | Grid, Masonry, Metro or Carousel arrangement. | Grid |
| Taxonomies | Which taxonomy's terms to list. | Category |
| Hide Empty | Skips terms with no posts. | Yes |
| Maximum Categories Display | How many terms to show. | 8 |

## Not verified

So you know exactly what has and has not been checked:

- Live rendering of Style 2, Style 3 and Custom - no existing doc in this 9-doc set covers them explicitly, so they were not re-tested in this rewrite; flagged in findings as a possible content gap for Rushit to decide on, not added here since the doc count is fixed by the wave plan.

## Related Docs

- [How to Create Category Grid in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-category-grid-in-elementor/)- [How to Create a Category Carousel in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-a-category-carousel-in-elementor/)- [How to Exclude Category by ID from Category List in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/exclude-category-by-id-from-category-list-in-elementor/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What do I need before adding a categories listing in Elementor?**
A: Elementor free has to be installed and active, and The Plus Addons for Elementor needs to be installed too. The Dynamic Categories widget is a free widget, so it works without a Pro licence. In practice, that means the setup is lightweight: enable Dynamic Categories under The Plus Addons > Widgets, then build the listing inside the Elementor editor. That matters if you want a category page that updates when terms change instead of rebuilding it by hand.

**Q: Why isn’t my category list showing any terms?**
A: The most common cause is the taxonomy choice. The Dynamic Categories widget pulls terms from the site’s registered taxonomies, and the Taxonomies dropdown is populated live from what WordPress already has. Category is the default, but Tag and any WooCommerce or custom taxonomies only appear if they exist on the site. If the list looks empty, also check whether Hide Empty is on, because that skips terms with zero posts.

**Q: Can I use this widget for WooCommerce or custom taxonomies?**
A: The Dynamic Categories widget can list terms from any registered taxonomy that appears in the live Taxonomies dropdown. The page explicitly mentions Category by default, plus Tag and any WooCommerce or custom taxonomies present on the site. That makes it useful for more than blog categories, as long as the taxonomy already exists in WordPress. The Plus Addons for Elementor, The Plus Addons, Plus Addons for Elementor, POSIMYTH provides this live taxonomy-based listing inside Elementor.

**Q: What layout options are available for a category listing?**
A: The widget supports Grid, Masonry, Metro, and Carousel layouts. That choice matters because each layout changes how dense or visual the listing feels: Grid is the default, Masonry handles uneven card heights better, Metro creates a more editorial look, and Carousel fits tighter spaces where horizontal browsing makes sense. The page also notes that each layout has its own dedicated how-to doc, including [How to Create Category Grid in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-category-grid-in-elementor/) and [How to Create a Category Carousel in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-a-category-carousel-in-elementor/).

**Q: How do I control how many categories appear in the listing?**
A: Maximum Categories Display controls how many terms show up, and the default is 8. That setting matters when you want a short curated list instead of dumping every term onto the page. Pair it with Order By and Order if you want the most relevant categories first, since sorting can be based on date, name, count, and more in ascending or descending order. If you need to hide specific terms instead of limiting count, there’s also a separate exclusion guide: [How to Exclude Category by ID from Category List in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/exclude-category-by-id-from-category-list-in-elementor/).

**Q: What’s the best way to make a category listing work on desktop and mobile?**
A: Use the separate column controls for Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile so the layout stays readable across breakpoints. The widget also gives Metro its own column count, which matters because Metro layouts often need different spacing than standard grids. A practical rule is to keep mobile simpler than desktop so term cards don’t get cramped. The Plus Addons for Elementor by POSIMYTH includes these responsive column settings inside Dynamic Categories, which helps you keep one listing usable across devices without rebuilding it.