GridRead Documentation

Introduction

GridRead is a clean, responsive grid WordPress theme that can be used to build stunning portfolio or gallery websites. GridRead includes a 7-column posts grid, featured posts slider, customizer theme options, primary and secondary menus, header image support, header widgets area, full-width page/post templates, sticky menu and sticky sidebars, 4-column footer, RTL language support, 60+ social buttons, right sidebar and more. The theme is very starter-friendly and easy to set up.

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Quick Start Guide

  1. Install & activate the theme via Appearance → Themes → Add New.
  2. Set up your menus by going to Appearance → Menus. Create a menu and assign it to one of the available menu locations.
  3. Configure widgets by going to Appearance → Widgets. Add widgets to the available widget areas.
  4. Customize by going to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options. Set up your slider, social links, header options, and more.

Theme Features

  • Responsive Design
  • 7-Column Posts Grid Layout
  • Featured Posts Slider (OWL Carousel)
  • Grid and Non-Grid Post Summaries Layouts
  • 2 Navigation Menus (Primary and Secondary)
  • 1 Sidebar and 4 Footer Widget Columns
  • Header Widgets Area
  • Multiple Full-Width Widget Areas
  • 60+ Social Profile Links
  • Custom Logo Support
  • Custom Header Image
  • Custom Background
  • Author Bio Box
  • Sticky Menu and Sticky Sidebars
  • RTL Language Support
  • Translation Ready
  • Back to Top Button
  • Loading Animation
  • FitVids.JS for Responsive Videos
  • Full-Width Page/Post Templates

Theme Installation

Method 1: Install via WordPress Dashboard (Recommended)

  1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Appearance → Themes → Add New.
  3. Search for GridRead in the search box.
  4. Click Install on the GridRead theme, then click Activate.

Method 2: Upload via WordPress Dashboard

  1. Download the gridread.zip theme file from WordPress.org.
  2. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
  3. Navigate to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.
  4. Click Choose File, select the gridread.zip file, and click Install Now.
  5. After installation, click Activate.

Method 3: Upload via FTP/File Manager

  1. Download the gridread.zip theme file and extract it.
  2. Connect to your server via FTP (FileZilla) or use your hosting File Manager.
  3. Upload the extracted gridread folder to /wp-content/themes/.
  4. Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Appearance → Themes and activate GridRead.

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

  • "The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive" – Your hosting limits file uploads. Increase the limit via php.ini, .htaccess, or contact your host. Alternatively, use FTP.
  • "The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet" – You may be uploading the wrong file. Make sure you upload only the gridread.zip file.

Import Demo Content

You can import the demo content, widgets, and Customizer settings shown in the GridRead theme demo.

Manual Demo Import

Step 1: Import Main Site Content

This includes: Posts, pages, menus, media, categories, tags, comments, and custom fields.

  1. Download: XML File
  2. Go to Tools → Import.
  3. Under "WordPress", click Install Now if not installed.
  4. Click Run Importer.
  5. Select the XML file and click Upload file and import.
  6. Check "Download and import file attachments", click Submit.

Step 2: Import Widgets

  1. Install the Widget Importer & Exporter plugin.
  2. Go to Tools → Widget Importer & Exporter.
  3. Copy content from: Widgets .wie File and paste into the box.
  4. Click Import Widgets.

Step 3: Import Customizer Settings

  1. Download: Customizer File
  2. Install the Customizer Export/Import plugin.
  3. Go to Appearance → Customize → Export/Import.
  4. Select the .dat file, check "Download and import image files?", click Import.

Regenerate Thumbnails

If your website already has existing posts with featured images, it's highly recommended to regenerate thumbnails after activating the GridRead theme. This ensures that all images match the new theme's layout and display sizes.

Regenerating thumbnails is optional if your site is completely new and doesn't have any uploaded images yet.

However, if you imported the demo content, regenerating thumbnails is essential to display images correctly across the site.

  1. Install and activate the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin.
  2. Go to Tools → Regenerate Thumbnails.
  3. Click the "Regenerate Thumbnails for All x Attachments" button to start the process.
  4. Wait until all images are regenerated. This may take a few minutes depending on your media library size.
  5. If you want, you can deactivate and delete the plugin once the process is complete.

This step ensures clean image alignment and sharp visuals throughout your website using the GridRead theme.

Header Image

GridRead supports a custom header image that can be displayed across your website. The recommended header image size is 1920 × 400 pixels.

How to Set Up a Header Image

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Header Image.
  2. Click Add new image.
  3. Upload or select an image from the Media Library, then click Select and Crop.
  4. You may crop the image or click Skip Cropping.
  5. Click Publish to save your changes.

Header Image Options

Under Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Header Image, you can configure the following:

  • Hide Header Image from Everywhere – Hides the header image from all pages.
  • Remove Link from Header Image – Removes the clickable link from the header image.
  • Hide both Title and Description from Header Image – Hides the title and description overlay on the header image.
  • Hide Title from Header Image – Hides just the title from the header image overlay.
  • Hide Description from Header Image – Hides just the description from the header image overlay.
  • Add Custom Title/Custom Description to Header Image – Enables custom title and description text to display on the header image.
  • Header Image Custom Title – Enter a custom title for the header image.
  • Header Image Custom Description – Enter a custom description for the header image.
  • Header Image Destination URL – Set a custom URL to link the header image to. If blank, it links to your homepage.
  • Add a Minimum Height to Header Image on Smaller Screens – Adds a minimum height to the header image for better display on smaller screens.
  • Header Image Alt Text – Set the alt text for the header image.

Slider

GridRead includes a built-in Featured Posts Slider powered by the OWL Carousel library. The slider displays your posts in an attractive carousel-style slideshow. Each slide shows the post's featured image, title, categories, author, date, and comment count based on your settings.

Recommended Slider Image Size

For best results, use images that are at least 360 × 360 pixels.

Enabling the Slider

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider Options.
  2. Check "Enable Slider".
  3. Choose the Slider Display Location: Home Page, Static Home Page, Blog Posts Index Page, or Everywhere.
  4. Select the Slider Posts Type: Recent Posts, Category Posts, or Tag Posts.
  5. If you selected Category Posts, choose a category. If Tag Posts, choose a tag.
  6. Set the Number of Posts on Slider (default: 10).
  7. Click Publish to save.

Slider Display Options

  • Show Slider Heading – Displays a heading above the slider.
  • Slider Heading – Customize the heading text (default: "Featured Posts").
  • Show Post Categories on Slider – Displays categories on each slide.
  • Hide Post Thumbnail Overlay Data – Hides the overlay data (title, categories, meta) from slider thumbnails.
  • Hide Post Titles from Slider – Hides post titles on each slide.
  • Remove Links from Slider Post Titles – Removes links from slider post titles.
  • Show Post Authors on Slider – Shows author names on each slide.
  • Hide Posted Dates from Slider – Hides dates on each slide.
  • Show Post Comments on Slider – Shows comment count on each slide.
  • Remove Links from Slider Featured Images – Removes the clickable links from featured images.

Slider Autoplay & Navigation

  • Enable Autoplay for Slider – Automatically cycles through slides.
  • Enable "Pause on Mouse Hover" – Pauses autoplay when hovering. Requires autoplay to be enabled.
  • Autoplay Interval Timeout – Set the interval between slides in milliseconds (default: 1000).
  • Autoplay Speed – Set the transition speed in milliseconds (default: 200).
  • Enable "Loop" Feature – Duplicates first and last slides for a looping illusion.
  • Show Dots Navigation (Pagination) – Displays dot pagination below the slider.
  • Hide next/prev Buttons (Navigation) – Hides the arrow navigation buttons.
  • Disable "Auto Height" – Disables automatic height adjustment of the slider.

Note

  • The slider is disabled by default. You must enable it from the Customizer.
  • Make sure your posts have featured images set for the slider to display properly.
  • You can customize the slider date format using the Slider Date Format option.

Widget Areas

GridRead provides 26 widget areas that give you full control over your website's layout. You can add widgets to these areas by going to Appearance → Widgets.

# Widget Area Description
1Header Right WidgetsLocated on the right side of the header. You can add a banner ad here. Requires the "Logo + Header Banner" header layout option.
2Sidebar 1 WidgetsThe right-hand sidebar widget area.
3Top Full Width Widgets (Default HomePage)Full-width area after the header, on the default homepage (latest posts).
4Top Full Width Widgets (Everywhere)Full-width area after the header, on every page.
5Top Left Widgets (Default HomePage)Left top widget area, on the default homepage.
6Top Left Widgets (Everywhere)Left top widget area, on every page.
7Top Right Widgets (Default HomePage)Right top widget area, on the default homepage.
8Top Right Widgets (Everywhere)Right top widget area, on every page.
9Above Content Widgets (Default HomePage)Above the main content area, on the default homepage.
10Above Content Widgets (Everywhere)Above the main content area, on every page.
11Below Content Widgets (Default HomePage)Below the main content area, on the default homepage.
12Below Content Widgets (Everywhere)Below the main content area, on every page.
13Bottom Left Widgets (Default HomePage)Left bottom widget area, on the default homepage.
14Bottom Left Widgets (Everywhere)Left bottom widget area, on every page.
15Bottom Right Widgets (Default HomePage)Right bottom widget area, on the default homepage.
16Bottom Right Widgets (Everywhere)Right bottom widget area, on every page.
17Bottom Full Width Widgets (Default HomePage)Full-width area before the footer, on the default homepage.
18Bottom Full Width Widgets (Everywhere)Full-width area before the footer, on every page.
19Single Post Bottom WidgetsAt the bottom of single posts (except attachments and pages).
20Footer Top WidgetsOn top of the footer area.
21Footer 1 WidgetsColumn 1 of the footer.
22Footer 2 WidgetsColumn 2 of the footer.
23Footer 3 WidgetsColumn 3 of the footer.
24Footer 4 WidgetsColumn 4 of the footer.
25Footer Bottom WidgetsOn the bottom of the footer area.
26404 Page WidgetsOn the 404 (not found) error page.

How to Add Widgets

  1. Go to Appearance → Widgets.
  2. Find the widget area you want to add a widget to.
  3. Drag and drop a widget into the area, or click the widget and choose the area.
  4. Configure the widget settings and click Save.

Note

  • Widget areas with "(Default HomePage)" in their name only appear on the default homepage (latest posts page).
  • Widget areas with "(Everywhere)" in their name appear on every page of your site.
  • The "Header Right Widgets" area requires the "Logo + Header Banner" header layout.
  • Footer widgets are organized in a 4-column layout.

Page Templates

GridRead includes the following custom page/post templates:

  • Default Template – Standard layout with sidebar.
  • Full Width, no sidebar (Page) – A full-width page template without any sidebar.
  • Full Width, no sidebar (Post) – A full-width post template without any sidebar.

How to Apply a Page Template

  1. Edit a Page or Post in the WordPress editor.
  2. In the right sidebar, find the Page Attributes (or Post Attributes) section.
  3. Under Template, select the desired template from the dropdown.
  4. Click Update or Publish.

Customizer Theme Options

GridRead provides a comprehensive set of theme options through the WordPress Customizer. To access these options, go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options.

10.1 Site Identity Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Site Identity.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
custom_logo Logo Upload your site logo image. Recommended size: 280×37 pixels or larger with transparent background. Image Upload Image file (PNG, JPG, SVG) None
logo_location Logo Location Select how to display the site logo in relation to site title and tagline. Select beside-title (Before Site Title and Tagline), above-title (Above Site Title and Tagline) above-title
display_header_text Display Site Title and Tagline Show or hide the site title and tagline in the header. Checkbox true, false true
blogname Site Title The name of your website, displayed in the header and browser tab. Text Any text Site Name
blogdescription Tagline A short description of your website, displayed below the site title. Text Any text Site Description
site_icon Site Icon The favicon for your site, displayed in browser tabs and bookmarks. Should be square and at least 512×512 pixels. Image Upload Image file (PNG, ICO) None

10.2 Colors Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Colors.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
header_textcolor Header Text Color Set the color for header text including site title and tagline. Color Picker Hex color code (e.g., #ffffff) #ffffff
background_color Background Color Set the background color for your website. Note: To change background color, you need to remove the background image first via Background Image options. Color Picker Hex color code (e.g., #dddddd) #dddddd

10.3 Header Image Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Header Image.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
header_image Header Image Upload or select a header image for your website. Recommended size: 1920×400 pixels. Image Upload Image file (JPG, PNG) None
hide_header_image Hide Header Image from Everywhere Completely hide the header image from all pages of your website. Checkbox true, false false
remove_header_image_link Remove Link from Header Image Remove the clickable link from the header image. By default, header image links to homepage. Checkbox true, false false
hide_header_image_details Hide both Title and Description from Header Image Hide both site title and tagline from the header image overlay. Checkbox true, false false
hide_header_image_title Hide Title from Header Image Hide only the site title from the header image overlay. No effect if "Hide both Title and Description" is checked. Checkbox true, false false
hide_header_image_description Hide Description from Header Image Hide only the site description/tagline from the header image overlay. No effect if "Hide both Title and Description" is checked. Checkbox true, false false
header_image_custom_text Add Custom Title/Custom Description to Header Image Enable custom title and description text to display on the header image overlay instead of site title/tagline. Checkbox true, false false
header_image_custom_title Header Image Custom Title Enter a custom title to display on the header image overlay. Requires "Add Custom Title/Custom Description" to be enabled. Text Any text (HTML allowed) Empty
header_image_custom_description Header Image Custom Description Enter a custom description to display on the header image overlay. Requires "Add Custom Title/Custom Description" to be enabled. Text Any text (HTML allowed) Empty
header_image_destination Header Image Destination URL Set a custom URL where visitors will be taken when clicking the header image. If empty, links to homepage. URL Valid URL Empty (links to homepage)
header_image_cover Add a Minimum Height to Header Image on Smaller Screens Add minimum height styling to ensure header image displays properly on smaller screens. Checkbox true, false false
header_image_alt_text Header Image Alt Text Set the alt text for the header image for accessibility and SEO purposes. Text Any text Site Name

10.4 Background Image Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Background Image.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
background_image Background Image Upload or select a background image for your website. The theme includes a default background pattern. Image Upload Image file (JPG, PNG, GIF) Default background pattern
background_preset Preset Select how the background image should be displayed. Options: Default, Fill Screen, Fit to Screen, Repeat, Custom. Select default, fill, fit, repeat, custom default
background_position Image Position Set the position of the background image on the page. Position Picker left top, left center, left bottom, center top, center center, center bottom, right top, right center, right bottom left top
background_size Image Size Set how the background image should be sized. Auto uses original size, Cover fills the screen, Contain fits within the screen. Select auto, cover, contain auto
background_repeat Repeat Background Image Whether the background image should repeat to fill the screen. Checkbox true, false true (repeat)
background_attachment Scroll with Page Whether the background image scrolls with the page content. Unchecked means the background is fixed. Checkbox scroll, fixed fixed

10.5 Menu Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Menu Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
primary_menu_text Primary Menu Mobile Text Set the text label for the primary mobile menu toggle button. Text Any text Menu
disable_primary_menu Disable Primary Menu Completely disable and hide the primary navigation menu from your website. Checkbox true, false false
center_primary_menu Center Primary Menu Center-align the primary menu items instead of left alignment. Checkbox true, false false
secondary_menu_text Secondary Menu Mobile Text Set the text label for the secondary mobile menu toggle button. Text Any text Menu
disable_secondary_menu Disable Secondary Menu Completely disable and hide the secondary navigation menu from your website. Checkbox true, false false
center_secondary_menu Center Secondary Menu Center-align the secondary menu items instead of left alignment. Checkbox true, false false

10.6 Header Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Header Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
hide_tagline Hide Tagline Hide the site tagline/description from the header area. Checkbox true, false false
hide_header_content Hide Header Content Hide all header content including site title, tagline, and logo from the header area. Checkbox true, false false

10.7 Slider Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
enable_slider Enable Slider Enable or disable the featured posts slider on your website. Checkbox true, false false
show_slider_heading Show Slider Heading Display a heading above the slider section. Checkbox true, false false
slider_heading Slider Heading The text to display as the slider section heading. Text Any text Featured Posts
slider_display Slider Display Location Select where the slider should appear on your website. Select front-page, front-page-static, blog-posts-index, everywhere front-page
slider_length Number of Posts on Slider Number of posts to display in the slider. Default is 10 posts. Number Positive integer 10
slider_post_type Slider Posts Type Select the type of posts to display in the slider. Select recentposts, catposts, tagposts recentposts
slider_cat Slider Posts Category Select a category if "Slider Posts Type" is set to Category Posts. Category Dropdown Category ID 0 (All)
slider_tag Slider Posts Tag Select a tag if "Slider Posts Type" is set to Tag Posts. Tag Dropdown Tag ID 0 (All)
slider_post_orderby Slider Posts Orderby Select how to order the slider posts. Select date, modified, comment_count date
slider_post_order Slider Posts Order Select the sort order for slider posts. Select ASC, DESC DESC
remove_thumbnail_slider_link Remove Links from Slider Featured Images Remove clickable links from slider post thumbnails. Checkbox true, false false
show_slide_cats Show Post Categories on Slider Display post categories on slider items. Checkbox true, false false
hide_thumbnail_slider_data Hide Post Thumbnail Overlay Data from Slider Hide all overlay data (title, categories, meta) from slider thumbnails. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_title_slider Hide Post Titles from Slider Hide post titles from the slider display. Checkbox true, false false
remove_post_title_slider_link Remove Links from Slider Post Titles Remove clickable links from slider post titles. Checkbox true, false false
show_slide_author Show Post Authors on Slider Display post author names on slider items. Checkbox true, false false
slider_dateformat Slider Date Format PHP date format for slider post dates. Default: F j, Y Text PHP date format F j, Y
hide_slide_date Hide Posted Dates from Slider Hide post dates from the slider display. Checkbox true, false false
show_slide_comments Show Post Comments on Slider Display comment count on slider items. Checkbox true, false false
slider_autoplay Enable Autoplay for Slider Automatically advance slides without user interaction. Checkbox true, false false
slider_autoplayhoverpause Enable "Pause on Mouse Hover" Feature for Slider Pause slider autoplay when mouse hovers over it. Checkbox true, false false
slider_autoplaytimeout Slider "Autoplay Interval Timeout" Time between slide transitions in milliseconds. Default: 1000 Number Positive integer (ms) 1000
slider_autoplayspeed Slider "Autoplay Speed" Speed of slide transition in milliseconds. Default: 200 Number Positive integer (ms) 200
slider_loop Enable "Loop" Feature for Slider Continuously loop through slides infinitely. Checkbox true, false false
show_dots_pagination Show Dots Navigation(Pagination) on Slider Display dot indicators for slide navigation. Checkbox true, false false
hide_next_prev_navigation Hide next/prev Buttons(Navigation) from Slider Hide the next/previous arrow buttons from the slider. Checkbox true, false false
disable_autoheight Disable "Auto Height" Feature from Slider Disable automatic height adjustment for slides. Checkbox true, false false

10.8 Posts Summaries Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Posts Summaries Options.

To display your latest posts as a grid on your homepage, please set the "Your homepage displays" option to "Your latest posts." You can find this setting in your WordPress Dashboard by navigating to Settings → Reading → Your homepage displays.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
hide_posts_heading Hide HomePage Posts Heading Hide the heading above the posts section on the homepage. Checkbox true, false false
posts_heading HomePage Posts Heading The text to display as the heading above posts on the homepage. Text Any text Recent Posts
posts_per_page Number of Posts per Page Set the maximum number of posts displayed on each blog page. Number Positive integer 10
post_summaries_style Post Summaries Style Select the layout style for post summaries on non-singular pages. Select grid, non-grid grid
hide_thumbnail_home Hide Featured Images from Non-Grid Posts Summaries Hide featured images from non-grid post summaries. Checkbox true, false false
featured_nongrid_media_under_post_title Move Featured Images to the Bottom of Post Titles on Non-Grid Post Summaries Display featured images below post titles instead of above. Checkbox true, false false
remove_thumbnail_home_link Remove Links from Grid | Non-Grid Post Featured Images Remove clickable links from post featured images. Checkbox true, false false
hide_thumbnail_home_data Hide Post Thumbnail Overlay Data from Grid Posts Summaries Hide overlay data (title, categories, meta) from grid post thumbnails. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_title_home Hide Post Titles from Grid | Non-Grid Posts Summaries Hide post titles from both grid and non-grid post summaries. Checkbox true, false false
remove_post_title_home_link Remove Links from Grid | Non-Grid Post Titles Remove clickable links from post titles in summaries. Checkbox true, false false
show_post_categories_home Show Post Categories on Grid | Non-Grid Posts Summaries Display post categories on post summaries. Checkbox true, false false
hide_posted_date_home Hide Posted Dates from Grid | Non-Grid Posts Summaries Hide post dates from both grid and non-grid post summaries. Checkbox true, false false
show_post_author_home Show Post Author Names on Grid | Non-Grid Posts Summaries Display post author names on post summaries. Checkbox true, false false
show_comments_link_home Show Comment Links on Grid | Non-Grid Posts Summaries Display comment count links on post summaries. Checkbox true, false false

10.9 Post Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Post Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
hide_thumbnail_post Hide Featured Image from Full Post Hide the featured image from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
remove_thumbnail_post_link Remove Link from Full Post Featured Image Remove clickable link from the featured image on single posts. Checkbox true, false false
featured_media_under_post_title Move Featured Image to Bottom of Full Post Title Display featured image below the post title instead of above. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_title Hide Post Header from Full Post Hide the post title/header from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
remove_post_title_link Remove Link from Full Post Title Remove clickable link from the post title. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_categories Hide Post Categories from Full Post Hide category links from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_author Hide Post Author from Full Post Hide author information from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_posted_date Hide Posted Date from Full Post Hide the publication date from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_comments_link Hide Comment Link from Full Post Hide the comments count/link from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_edit Hide Post Edit Link Hide the edit link for logged-in users on single posts. Checkbox true, false false
hide_post_tags Hide Post Tags from Full Post Hide tag links from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_author_bio_box Hide Author Bio Box Hide the author biography box from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
no_underline_content_links Do not Underline the Links within the Content Remove underline styling from links within post content. Checkbox true, false false

10.10 Posts Navigation Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Post/Posts Navigation Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
hide_post_navigation Hide Post Navigation from Full Posts Hide previous/next post navigation from single post pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_posts_navigation Hide Posts Navigation from Home/Archive/Search Pages Hide pagination navigation from blog index, archive, and search pages. Checkbox true, false false
posts_navigation_type Posts Navigation Type Select the pagination style. WP-PageNavi plugin will override this if active. Select normalnavi, numberednavi numberednavi
  • Recommended: Install the WP-PageNavi plugin for enhanced numbered pagination.

10.11 Page Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Page Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
hide_thumbnail_page Hide Featured Image from Single Page Hide the featured image from single page templates. Checkbox true, false false
remove_thumbnail_page_link Remove Link from Single Page Featured Image Remove clickable link from the featured image on single pages. Checkbox true, false false
featured_media_under_page_title Move Featured Image to Bottom of Page Title Display featured image below the page title instead of above. Checkbox true, false false
hide_page_title Hide Page Header from Single Page Hide the page title/header from single page templates. Checkbox true, false false
remove_page_title_link Remove Link from Single Page Title Remove clickable link from the page title. Checkbox true, false false
hide_page_date Hide Posted Date from Single Page Hide the publication date from single page templates. Checkbox true, false false
hide_page_author Hide Page Author from Single Page Hide author information from single page templates. Checkbox true, false false
hide_page_comments Hide Comment Link from Single Page Hide the comments count/link from single page templates. Checkbox true, false false
hide_page_edit Hide Edit Link from Single Page Hide the edit link for logged-in users on single pages. Checkbox true, false false
hide_static_page_title Hide Page Header from Static Homepage Hide the page title when using a static page as homepage. Checkbox true, false false
hide_static_page_meta Hide Page Meta Data from Static Homepage Hide date, author, and comment links when using a static page as homepage. Checkbox true, false false

10.14 Search and 404 Pages Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Search and 404 Pages Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
no_search_heading No Search Results Heading Heading displayed when no search results are found. Text Any text (HTML allowed) Nothing Found
no_search_results No Search Results Message Message displayed when no search results are found. Textarea Any text (HTML allowed) Sorry, but nothing matched your search terms. Please try again with some different keywords.
error_404_heading 404 Error Page Heading Heading displayed on the 404 error page. Text Any text (HTML allowed) Oops! That page can not be found.
error_404_message Error 404 Message Message displayed on the 404 error page. Textarea Any text (HTML allowed) It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try one of the links below or a search?
hide_404_search Hide Search Box from 404 Page Hide the search form from the 404 error page. Checkbox true, false false

10.15 Other Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Other Options.

Option ID Option Name Description Control Type Accepted Value Default
enable_widgets_block_editor Enable Gutenberg Widget Block Editor Enable the block-based widget editor instead of the classic widgets. Checkbox true, false false
disable_loading_animation Disable Site Loading Animation Disable the loading animation that appears when the site loads. Checkbox true, false false
enable_fitvids Enable FitVids.JS Enable responsive fluid width videos in post content. Useful for embedded videos. Checkbox true, false false

Translation & RTL

GridRead is fully translation-ready and supports Right-to-Left (RTL) languages like Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian out of the box.

🌐 Translating the Theme

The theme includes a gridread.pot file located in the /languages folder inside the theme directory. You can use this file to create translations in your own language using any of the following tools:

After translating, save your files as:

  • gridread-[language_code].po
  • gridread-[language_code].mo

Place them inside the /languages folder in the theme.

↔️ RTL Language Support

GridRead includes built-in RTL support. If your WordPress site language is set to an RTL language, the theme will automatically adjust layout direction, alignment, and spacing accordingly. No extra setup required.

If you're customizing your site with RTL content, make sure your text widgets, menus, and custom styles are also RTL-compatible for best results.

Performance & SEO Tips

Here are some best practices to improve your site's performance and SEO when using GridRead:

  • Use a caching plugin — Install W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache to improve page load times.
  • Optimize images — Use plugins like Imagify or EWWW Image Optimizer to compress images.
  • Use a CDN — A Content Delivery Network (e.g., Cloudflare) serves your content from servers closest to your visitors.
  • Install an SEO plugin — Use Yoast SEO or Rank Math to manage meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data.
  • Keep WordPress updated — Always use the latest versions of WordPress, themes, and plugins.
  • Minimize plugins — Only keep the plugins you actually use.
  • Use quality hosting — A good hosting provider makes a significant difference in performance.
  • Set featured images — Always set a featured image for posts to ensure proper display in the grid layout and when sharing on social media.

FAQ

In this section, you'll find quick answers to the most frequently asked questions about using the GridRead theme. If you can't find your answer here, you can contact our support team for more help.

My menus disappeared after theme activation. What should I do?

Go to Appearance → Menus → Manage Locations and reassign your existing menus to the correct theme locations.

How do I enable the featured posts slider?

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider Options.
  2. Check the Enable Slider option.
  3. Configure the slider settings and click Publish.

How do I switch between grid and non-grid post layouts?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Posts Summaries Options and change the Post Summaries Style dropdown.

How do I add social media links?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Social Links Options and enter your profile URLs for each social network.

How do I change the footer copyright text?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Footer Options and enter your custom text in the Footer Copyright Notice field.

How do I use a static page as my homepage?

  1. Create at least two pages (one for the homepage, one for the blog).
  2. Go to Settings → Reading.
  3. Select A static page under "Your homepage displays".
  4. Choose your homepage and posts page from the dropdowns.
  5. Click Save Changes.

Troubleshooting

This section covers common technical problems you may encounter. If your issue isn't listed, reach out to our support team.

Post thumbnails are missing when sharing on social media

Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math and enable Open Graph tags. Always set a featured image for each post.

I get "The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive" error

Increase the upload limit via php.ini, .htaccess, or contact your hosting provider. Alternatively, use FTP.

The slider is not showing

Enable the slider from Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider Options → Enable Slider. Ensure your posts have featured images.

Widgets are not appearing

Go to Appearance → Widgets and make sure widgets are added to the correct widget areas. Consider disabling "Enable Gutenberg Widget Block Editor" in Theme Options → Other Options.

Support & Licensing

The GridRead theme is released under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPL v2). You can use the theme on unlimited websites and modify the code.

What's included in free support:

  • Help with theme installation and setup
  • Bug fixes and troubleshooting related to the theme
  • Guidance on using built-in theme features

What's not included in free support (but available as paid tasks):

  • Theme customization or resolving third-party plugin conflicts
  • Custom coding or feature implementation requests
  • Performance tuning, SEO setup, or server configuration assistance

If you need help, please contact us. We typically respond within 24-48 hours on working days.

Contact Support

Upgrade to GridRead PRO

For more features including color options, font options, news ticker, related posts, and much more, consider upgrading to GridRead PRO.

Changelog & Versioning

The following is a log of all updates and changes made to GridRead. We recommend always using the latest version.

= Version 1.0.3 =

  • Cleanup: Removed obsolete IE polyfills (assets/js/html5shiv*.js, assets/js/respond*.js).

= Version 1.0.2 =

  • Fixed coding issues.
  • Theme Customizer updated.
  • Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.1 =

  • Fixed coding issues.
  • Theme Customizer updated.
  • Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.0 =

  • Initial Release.

Date Formats

You can use the following date format values to control how dates appear in various places such as custom widgets, post metadata, news tickers, and more. These formats follow the standard PHP date formatting rules used by WordPress. Refer to the table below to choose a format that best fits your design and content style.

Format KeyExample Output
H:i00:50
g:i a12:50 am
g:i A12:50 AM
g:i:s a12:50:48 am
g:i:s A12:50:48 AM
d.m.y27.11.10
Y.m.d2010.11.27
Y-m-d2010-11-27
Y/m/d2010/11/27
m.d.Y11.27.2010
m-d-Y11-27-2010
m/d/Y11/27/2010
d.m.Y27.11.2010
d-m-Y27-11-2010
d/m/Y27/11/2010
m/d/Y g:i:s a11/27/2010 12:50:48 am
m/d/Y g:i:s A11/27/2010 12:50:48 AM
Y/m/d \a\t g:i a2010/11/27 at 12:50 am
Y/m/d \a\t g:i A2010/11/27 at 12:50 AM
d F27 November
F, YNovember, 2010
F j, YNovember 27, 2010
d M Y27 Nov 2010
M j, YNov 27, 2010
M j, Y @ H:iNov 27, 2010 @ 0:50
l, F j, YSaturday, November 27, 2010
l, F jS, YSaturday, November 27th, 2010
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