Blog / Archive

An archive is a common term when it comes to Blog settings. Well, to start, “Archive” means the collection of data. The archive page is a collection of posts grouped by category, author, date, tag, etc. The search page is also an Archive page.

You can find the setting under Appearance > Customize > Post Types > Blog / Archive

Under Blog/Archive settings, you will find the customization for the following options: 

• Blog Title Area – Customize the title area for the Blog page or other archive pages by selecting a banner layout and controlling the page meta that appear in the title area. 
• Container & Sidebar– You can override the global container and sidebar configuration and choose a separate layout for Blog/Archive pages. 
• Blog Layout – Choose how the posts are displayed on the archive page.
• Post Structure – Blog post structure helps you manage the featured image, category, title, post meta, tags, excerpt, and read more button.

The Blog Pro module, available with Astra Pro, adds more options in the customizer for the blog layouts.

Blog Archive with Astra Free

With Astra Free, you get many customization options for the Blog/Archive so you can get a neat and modern Blog/Archive page. Find more about these features below:

Blog Layout Options

The Blog Layout option allows you to choose how your posts are displayed on the archive page. There are three layout types available:

1. Grid Layout: Display posts in a neat and modern grid format.
2. List Layout: Present your content in a traditional list format.
3. Cover Layout: Highlight individual posts with large featured images.

With Astra Pro, you can modify additional options, such as the number of columns, spacing between posts, highlighting the first post, Masonry layout, and more. Check the Blog Pro Module available with Astra Pro. 

Blog Post Structure

Blog post structure helps you manage the featured image, category, title, post meta, tags, excerpt, and read more button. You can manage the visibility of these elements by clicking the ‘eye’ icon to enable or disable each option.

Posts Structure Options

In addition to enabling/disabling the elements, you get additional customization options for the following aspects: 

• Featured Image – image ratio, hover effect, and image size
• Post Title
• Post Category – with default, badge, and underline styles.
• Post Meta – change the default divider type
• Post Tags – with default, badge, and underline styles
• Post Excerpt – show full content or excerpt
• Read More

Post Meta

The Post Meta section comprises several elements:

• Comments – Display the comment count
• Category name – Show the post category
• Author – Display the post author
• Published Date – Show the published or updated date
• Tag – Display post tags

Some customizations, such as featured image options, post meta divider, and taxonomy styles, are available with Astra v4.6.0 or higher.

Content Width

You can set a Custom Width for the Blog Container using this option, or choose the Default Width, which inherits the width setting from Customizer > Global > Container > Width.

Blog / Archive Design

The design tab allows additional style controls for the Blog/Archive. With Astra Free, you get the following options for Blog/Archive: 

• Border Radius – You can apply a border radius to the blog layout style (Grid, Cover, or List). 
• Typography – It allows you to change the font size for Post Title, Meta, and Taxonomy.

Astra Pro Features (Blog Pro Module)

In addition to the Blog/Archive customization options available with Astra Free, the Blog Pro module in Astra Pro offers several additional customizations for the Blog/Archive. To use these Pro features, you need to have both the Astra theme and the Astra Pro Addon installed on your website.

The Pro feature adds the following styling options:

• Blog Layout options – Pro features such as number of columns, masonry effect, space between posts, highlight first post, remove featured image padding, etc. 
• Reveal Effect – Reveal animation for posts.
• Excerpt Count – Control the number of words in the excerpt
• Read More – Change the text or show it as a button.
• Post Meta – Pro options such as author avatar, author prefix label, and read time. 
• Pagination Control – Choose from numbered or infinite-scroll pagination with additional styles. 
• Custom featured image size
• Post Filter – Easy navigation with post filters by category or tag. 

Extended design control – With Astra Pro modules (Blog Pro, Colors & Background, Spacing, Typography, etc.), you get extended design options for the Blog/Archive, allowing you to change post title color, meta color, box shadow, extra typography, and spacing.

Learn more about the Blog Pro module and unlock advanced customization for Blog/Archive here: Blog Archive with Blog Pro Module.

Astra v4.6.0 Improvements

In the latest Astra 4.6.0 version, significant improvements have been made to enhance the blog archive experience for both free and pro users.

If you’re missing any customization mentioned above, please ensure that you are using Astra v4.6.0 or higher. 

What’s New in v4.6.0

1. Reveal effect for posts – We have added a Reveal Effect for posts appearing on the website. It is available for pro users, this effect enables users to embed a reveal effect for their posts whenever a page is loaded or refreshed. You can find the option to enable the Reveal Effect under Blog > Blogs/Archive.

2. Enhanced Layout Support – Explore new layout options with extended support for Grid, List, and Cover layouts through the Blog Layout feature, providing greater flexibility in how you present your content.

3. Meta Customization – New meta options, including meta divider and taxonomy styles, are now available, providing additional avenues for content customization and visual refinement.

4. Featured Image Enhancements – New featured image customization options for blog archive are now available for both free and pro version users, including hover effects that add interactivity to your archive pages.

Astra v4.6.0 introduces new featured image customization options for blog archives. These options include:

• Featured image sizing and spacing
• Hover effects for featured images
• Image padding and border options

You can remove the padding from the columns of the blog posts by enabling the “Remove Featured Image Padding” option. This is recommended when used together with the ‘Add Space Between Posts’ option.

Note: The full-width layout option will not work with the featured image padding removal feature.

5. Improved User Interface – The customizer interface for the archive page has been refined to provide an improved overall user experience.

add_filter( 'astra_apply_flex_based_css', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_v4_block_editor_compat', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_v4-4-0-backward-option', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_v4-6-0-backward-option', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_customizer-default-layout-update', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_addon_upgrade_fullscreen_search_submit_style', '__return_true' );

Summary

The Blog / Archive customization options in Astra provide you with extra control over how your blog posts are displayed and organized. Whether you’re using the free version of Astra or the Blog Pro module from Astra Pro, you have the tools to create a professional, visually appealing blog archive that matches your design requirements.

Before you begin customizing your blog archive, keep in mind that the final look of your Blog / Archive page will also depend on the number of posts displayed per page. You can set this at Dashboard > Settings > Reading.

Related docs:

• Blog / Archive with Blog Pro
• How to add a Blog page banner/title with Astra