Listing Types

​

What is a Listing Type?

A listing type is the blueprint for a kind of listing on your site. Think of it this way:

• A listing is one entry on your site (one restaurant, one event, one job post).
• A listing type defines what that entry looks like, what information it collects, and how visitors find and view it.

If you run a directory with restaurants and events, you would typically create two listing types: one for restaurants and one for events. Each type can ask for different details, show a different page layout, and use different search filters. Every listing belongs to exactly one listing type. The listing type controls almost everything about how that listing behaves on your site.

​

Where Do You Manage Listing Types?

Go to WP Admin > Listing Types. From there, you can:

• Create a new listing type
• Edit an existing one
• Duplicate one as a starting point

When you edit a listing type, you work in five main sections. Each section controls a different part of the visitor and listing owner experience.

​

The Five Main Sections

​

General

This is where you set the basics: name, icon, and site behavior. General (labels and links)

• Icon: Shown in menus and the Explore page. You can pick a font icon or upload an image.
• Singular name: What one listing is called (for example, “Business” or “Event”).
• Plural name: What many listings are called (for example, “Businesses” or “Events”).
• Permalink: The word used in listing URLs (for example,your-site.com/business/my-cafe).

Packages If you sell listing plans through WooCommerce, this is where you choose which plans apply to this listing type. You can turn paid packages on or off per type, so restaurants might be free while featured events require payment. Claim Form If listing claims are enabled on your site, choose which fields appear when someone tries to claim a listing of this type. Reviews Control how reviews work for this type:

• Turn star ratings on or off
• Allow half-star ratings (1.5, 2.5, and so on) or whole stars only (1 through 5)
• Add rating categories (for example, “Food,” “Service,” “Atmosphere”)
• Allow photo uploads in reviews
• Allow the listing owner to leave reviews on their own listing

Expiry Rules Set rules for when listings of this type should expire or need renewal. Schema Add structured data (schema markup) so search engines better understand your listings. Useful for SEO. Other

• Disable slug update: Keeps the URL the same even if the listing title changes.
• Global listing type: Creates a special type used only on the Explore page to search across all other types at once. You should only have one global type, and it should not be used on the Add Listing page.

​

Fields

Fields are the questions you ask when someone adds or edits a listing. The answers become the listing’s content. Used fields (left side) These are the fields that appear on the Add Listing and Edit Listing forms. Drag to reorder. Click a field to change its settings. The Title field is always required and cannot be removed. Everything else is up to you. Preset fields (right side) Ready-made fields you can add with one click: Custom fields (right side) Build your own fields when presets are not enough:

• Input: Text, Textarea, Rich text editor, Password, Date, Recurring date, Number, URL, Email, File upload, General repeater
• Choice: Dropdown, Multi-select, Checkboxes, Radio buttons
• Relational: Related listings, Product select, Product multi-select
• UI: Form heading (to break the form into sections)

Tips for fields

• Use Form Heading fields to split long forms into clear sections (“Contact Details,” “Photos,” and so on).
• For Category, Region, Tags, or custom taxonomies, you can change how they appear: single dropdown, multi-select, hierarchy tree, or checklist.
• Custom taxonomies you create under Listings > Taxonomies show up here as available fields.
• Some fields support package visibility, so certain fields only appear for users on specific paid plans.

​

Single Page

This section controls what visitors see on the individual listing page. Cover style Choose whether the top of the page uses a single cover image or a photo gallery. Cover details Pick which information appears in the header area (title, tagline, rating, location, and so on). Quick Actions Buttons visitors can tap right away, such as:

• Get directions
• Call now
• Send a message
• Leave a review
• Bookmark
• Share
• Claim listing
• Report
• Visit website
• Send email
• Display a field value
• Custom link

Content and Tabs This is where you build the main body of the listing page. Add tabs such as:

• Profile: The main content tab (most common)
• Reviews: Customer reviews
• Related Listings: Connected listings
• Store: WooCommerce products linked to the listing
• Bookings: Booking features (if enabled)
• Custom: A tab you name yourself

Inside each tab, add content blocks that display field data: Blocks use placeholders like this[[job_description]] to pull in data from the fields you set up earlier. Similar Listings Show related listings at the bottom of the page. You can match by type, category, tags, region, or author and control how many appear.

​

Preview Card

The preview card is the small listing tile visitors see in search results, maps, and listing grids. Preview Card

• Template: Default, Alternate, or List view layout
• Background: Use the cover image or gallery images
• Head buttons: Small labels on the card (for example, category or price range)
• Info fields: Extra details shown on the card
• Footer sections: More data at the bottom of the card
• Map marker: Which category controls the map pin style

Quick View The popup that opens when someone clicks Quick View on a card. You can customize its layout and map style. Important: After you change the preview card design, you may need to regenerate the preview card cache under Listings > Settings so changes appear on the live site.

​

Search Forms

This section controls how visitors search and filter listings of this type on the Explore page and in search forms. Advanced Form The full filter panel on the Explore page sidebar. Add filters such as:

• Keyword search
• Text search on a specific field
• Number range
• Location
• Distance (near me)
• Dropdown
• Date
• Recurring date (events)
• Checkboxes
• Related listing
• Sort order
• Section heading (visual divider)
• Open now (based on work hours)
• Star rating

Basic Form A simpler search form, often used in the site header or on a homepage. Same filter types are available. You can also set which page the form submits to. Listing Order Define how results can be sorted (newest first, highest rated, nearest, and so on) and which sort is the default. Explore Tabs Sidebar tabs on the Explore page, such as:

• Filters (the search form)
• Categories
• Regions
• Tags
• Any custom taxonomies you created

​

How the Pieces Fit Together

Here is the flow from setup to live site: Listing Type

• Fields: What owners fill in when they submit
• Single Page: How that information is displayed
• Preview Card: How listings look in search results
• Search Forms: How visitors find listings
• General: Names, reviews, packages, and other rules

A practical example for a Restaurant listing type:

1. Fields: Title, Description, Location, Category, Logo, Cover, Gallery, Work Hours, Price Range, Menu (repeater)
2. Single Page: Cover with gallery, Quick Actions for Call and Directions, Profile tab with Description, Menu block, Work Hours block, and Location map
3. Preview Card: Cover image, category label, price range, and rating
4. Search Forms: Keyword, Category, Location, Open Now, and Rating filters
5. General: Singular name “Restaurant,” reviews enabled with star ratings

​

Common Listing Type Setups

You can start with one listing type and add more later. Duplicating an existing type is often faster than building from scratch.

​

Helpful Tips

Start simple. Add only the fields you truly need. You can always add more later. Match fields to display. A field only appears on the listing page if you add a content block that uses it. Setting up fields and the single page layout go hand in hand. One global type at most. The global listing type is only for cross-type search on the Explore page. Do not use it for regular listings. Test the full journey. After editing a listing type, try adding a test listing, searching for it on the Explore page, and viewing its single page. This catches missing fields or blocks quickly. Paid plans are per type. Under General > Packages, you choose which WooCommerce listing plans apply to each type. Different types can have different pricing or no pricing at all. Revisions are saved automatically. MyListing keeps a history each time you save a listing type. If you use Listing Type Revision Viewer (MyListing Pro), you can read those changes in plain language before rolling back.

​

Quick Reference: Editor Sections

​

Where to go next

• Add Listing page: Owners pick a listing type first, then see that type’s fields.
• Explore page: Each tab usually maps to one listing type (or the global type for searching all types).
• Listings > Settings: Site-wide options for claims, paid listings, maps, and preview card cache.