---
title: "How to Exclude Post by Post ID From Custom Post Grid Layout?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/exclude-post-by-post-id-from-custom-post-grid-layout/
date: 2023-07-07
modified: 2026-09-14
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Some posts do not belong in a listing — an announcement that is already featured higher up the page, a placeholder, or a post you are about to retire. Exclude..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/How-to-Exclude-Post-by-Post-ID-From-Custom-Post-Grid-Layout_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 623
---

# How to Exclude Post by Post ID From Custom Post Grid Layout?

## 

- Dynamic Smart Showcase in The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro excludes posts by ID in the query, and an excluded post never counts toward Maximum Posts Display.
- The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro requires the widget to be installed and activated, with Dynamic Smart Showcase switched on under The Plus Addons > Widgets.
- WordPress shows the post ID in the edit link or address bar after post=, and multiple IDs are entered in Exclude Post(s) with commas such as 2413,2412.
- Include Post(s) turns Exclude Post(s) off, IDs only are accepted, and if everything is excluded the widget prints Posts not found.

Some posts do not belong in a listing — an announcement that is already featured higher up the page, a placeholder, or a post you are about to retire.

**Exclude Post(s)** in the **Dynamic Smart Showcase** widget from The Plus Addons for Elementor removes them by ID and leaves the rest of the query alone.

*To check the complete feature overview documentation of The Plus Addons for Elementor Dynamic Smart Showcase widget, [click here](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/dynamic-smart-showcase-widget-settings-overview/).*

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

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

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** **Pro** — Dynamic Smart Showcase is only in The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro. With the Pro plugin switched off the widget is not in the editor at all, and a page that already uses it shows nothing where the widget was.- **Widget to enable:** Dynamic Smart Showcase, switched on under **The Plus Addons > Widgets**.- **You need published content:** the widget queries your site. Posts, pages or a custom post type with published entries must already exist, or the widget prints *Posts not found*.- **Raise the post count:** **Maximum Posts Display** in **Content Source** defaults to **1**, so a freshly dropped widget shows a single post. Set it to the number you want, or to **-1** for every matching post.

## How to Find a Post ID

- In the WordPress dashboard, go to **Posts**.- Hover over the post you want to leave out.- Read the edit link in the status bar at the bottom of the browser. The number after `post=` is the post ID.

![WordPress Posts list with a post edit link showing the post ID in the browser status bar](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/find-post-id.png)

## How to Exclude It

- Select the **Dynamic Smart Showcase** widget on your page.- Open the **Content Source** section.- Type the post ID into **Exclude Post(s)**. For several posts, separate the IDs with commas: `2413,2412`.- Raise **Maximum Posts Display** if you have not already — it starts at **1**.

![Exclude Post(s) field in the Content Source section with two post IDs entered](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/smartshowcase-exclude-posts.webp)

## The Result

The listing now opens with the next post in date order, Building a Reusable Header Template, and the two excluded posts are nowhere in it:

![Front-end post grid whose highlighted card is Building a Reusable Header Template, with neither of the two excluded posts present](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/smartshowcase-result-exclude.webp)

## How It Behaves

- Exclusion happens in the query, so an excluded post never counts towards **Maximum Posts Display** — the listing still fills to the number you set.- It works for every post type, not just posts. Use the ID shown in the edit link for that post type.- An ID that does not exist is simply ignored — the rest of the listing is unaffected.- Filling in **Include Post(s)** switches **Exclude Post(s)** off: with both fields set, the included IDs are shown and the exclusion is not applied. Use one field or the other.- If everything is excluded the widget prints *Posts not found*.

## Limitations

- The field takes IDs only. There is no way to exclude by slug, category or tag here — use **Select Category** or **Select Tags** to narrow the query instead.- The list is static. A post you want permanently out of every listing is better handled by moving it to its own category and filtering on that.

## Troubleshooting

### The post is still showing

Check that you used the post ID and not the page ID of the page you are editing, and that the IDs are separated by commas with no other characters.

### The grid is now empty

You may have excluded everything the query returned. Clear the field and add the IDs back one at a time.

### I cannot see the post ID in the status bar

Open the post for editing instead. The ID is in the address bar after `post=`.

## Related Docs

- [Dynamic Smart Showcase Widget Settings Overview](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/dynamic-smart-showcase-widget-settings-overview/)- [How to Include Post by Post ID in Custom Post Grid Layout?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/include-post-by-post-id-in-custom-post-grid-layout/)- [How to Show Custom Posts Based on Custom Taxonomy in Custom Post Grid Layout?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/show-custom-posts-based-on-custom-taxonomy-in-custom-post-grid-layout/)- [How to Create a Custom Post Grid Layout Slider in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-a-custom-post-grid-layout-slider-in-elementor/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why is my post still showing after I exclude its ID from the custom post grid?**
A: The usual cause is mixing up the post ID with the page ID of the page you are editing. The exclusion field only removes the exact IDs you enter, and those IDs must be separated by commas with no extra characters. In The Plus Addons for Elementor, The Plus Addons, Plus Addons for Elementor, POSIMYTH, this filter runs in the query itself, so a wrong ID simply leaves the post in place.

**Q: How do I find the correct post ID to exclude?**
A: The post ID is the number in the edit link for that content item. In WordPress, open Posts, hover over the post, and read the link shown in the browser status bar at the bottom. The number after post= is the ID you need. If the status bar is hidden or hard to read, opening the post for editing shows the same ID in the address bar after post=.

**Q: Can I exclude multiple posts by ID in one custom post grid?**
A: Multiple IDs work in a single Exclude Post(s) field as long as they are comma-separated, such as 2413,2412. That matters because the widget treats each ID individually inside the query and ignores any excluded posts before counting results. If you leave Maximum Posts Display at its default of 1, you may only see one remaining item even though more posts match.

**Q: Does excluding by post ID work for custom post types too?**
A: The exclusion works for every post type, not just standard posts. The page says to use the ID shown in that content type’s edit link, which keeps the filter tied to a specific item instead of a category or tag. That makes it useful when one announcement, placeholder, or retiring item needs to stay out of a listing without changing the rest of the query.

**Q: What should I do if my grid becomes empty after excluding posts?**
A: An empty grid usually means every item returned by the query was excluded. The widget then prints Posts not found. A practical fix is to clear Exclude Post(s) and add IDs back one at a time so you can see which exclusion removes all results. This is especially important because excluded posts do not count toward Maximum Posts Display.

**Q: Is there a better way to keep one post out of every listing than excluding it by ID?**
A: A static exclusion is fine for one-off cases, but it is not a good long-term content strategy. The page recommends moving a permanently hidden post into its own category and filtering on that instead. Exclude Post(s) only accepts IDs, so if you need category or tag-based control, use Select Category or Select Tags rather than trying to force it through IDs.