Tables are a great way to present information clearly and concisely, allowing readers to understand facts and figures quickly. If you’ve ever needed to add a table to a WordPress post, you might have found the process somewhat confusing and thought of how to use data tables in WordPress. In this article, we will explore both with and without plugin approaches to add tables to WordPress pages or posts, providing you with the tools to enhance your content effectively.
Why Add Tables in WordPress?
Tables are a powerful tool for presenting information in a clear and organized manner. They make it easy for readers to quickly grasp essential details, so many websites incorporate them into their design.
In WordPress, tables can display a wide variety of structured information. For instance, you can create tables to showcase product or service price details, list team members, clients, or partners along with their contact information, or, for sports enthusiasts, display team standings in a league.
When you have multiple product variations, each differing in price and features, tables provide a neat and efficient way to compare these variations. Not only do they make your page look more organized, but they also draw the attention of your visitors, potentially increasing the time they spend on your site.
Understanding the value of tables and their impact on your site’s readability and visual appeal, let’s explore how you can create tables in WordPress.
Add Tables in WordPress Without Plugins
Irrespective of the business niche, having a website is essential today. Many businesses require a fully functional website with tables and charts to display information accurately. WordPress, a popular CMS, is widely used for building websites due to its extensive online support.
While numerous plugins are available for adding tables to your website, many site owners avoid them due to performance and security concerns. Additionally, if you have a tight budget, investing in a premium WordPress plugin just for adding tables may not be feasible.
Let’s explore ways to add tables to your website without installing a WordPress plugin.
Adding Tables With Google Docs
Google Docs is a popular online word processor that is used every day. It offers features similar to Microsoft Word and additional collaborative teamwork tools.
Creating a table in Google Docs and importing it to your WP site is easy.
First, you should create a table in Google Docs, as shown in the images above and below.
Now, copy and paste this table into WP Visual Editor and manually fix formatting issues as shown below:
Now, you may customize the table by inserting a button at the top of the document. Also, you may choose the table size by hovering over the table option.
However, you should make all your changes in Google Docs before copy-pasting. This way, you can keep your data in a presentable format.
Yes, it is the simplest way to create tables in WordPress without a plugin. However, it is cumbersome, too!
Using an HTML Code
This is a technical method and may require some HTML and CSS knowledge. However, you should give it a try. The worst thing would be an ugly, out-of-format table, but you can try many methods afterward.
Create a new page or post where you want to add a table, and then copy the below code:
<table style=”text-align: center; height: 152px;” border=”1″ cellspacing=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ width=”390″> <tbody> <tr style=”background-color: #e9e9e9; font-weight:bolder;”><td>Title 1 </td> <td>Title 2</td> <td>Title 3</td> <td>Title 4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Detail One</td> <td>Detail Two</td> <td>Detail Three</td> <td>Detail Four</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Detail One A</td> <td>Detail Two A</td> <td>Detail Three A</td> <td>Detail Four A</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Now, click the HTML option in WordPress Visual Editor and paste the code.
Now, check the preview to view the final version.
Click “Preview” to see the result.
You may add more columns by copy-pasting the code in the same way:
<td>Your Info</td>
You may also add a few additional rows with the help of the following code:
<tr> <td>Detail One</td> <td>Detail Two</td> <td>Detail Three</td> <td>Detail Four</td> </tr>
Online Table Generators
If you do not want to use the first and second methods of Google Docs and HTML code, follow this method.
Go to Google and search for online HTML table generators. You will find several excellent tools that can create tables of any size with just a few clicks. They ask to enter the dimensions and produce tables in seconds. You have to copy and paste this code into your WordPress Editor:
The benefit of this method is that you don’t need formatting, as the table generator code fits the WordPress table editor.
Using WordPress Block Editor
You may click on the new block icon and choose the table as shown below:
WordPress allows you to split the content into individual blocks that can be modified individually. In this way, users experience a dynamic and modular approach.
It is an excellent way to create tables in WordPress without installing a plugin or going into the complexity of WordPress table code.
Tables help in showing various types of information. They are comprehensive, functional, accessible, and have better user readability.
Inserting Tables in WordPress with Plugins
Now, we will discuss another way of creating WordPress tables: plugins. Let’s discuss the following plugins for creating tables on a WP page or post.
wpDataTables
wpDataTables is one of the top-rated plugins with 70,000+ active installations. It requires WP version 4.0 or higher to work correctly. Tables created by this plugin are responsive.
This plugin creates charts that involve real-time data that can be changed simultaneously. With the help of this plugin, you can create columns, lines, and pie charts.
This plugin is ideal if you require power and flexibility to manage substantial data on a WordPress site.
Pricing starts at $69 per month per site, with discounted plans for more significant volume users. Plus, there is a free version with few restrictions on table and chart creation options.
The free version lets you create tables by importing table files in XML, CSV, JSON, Excel, or PHP array format.
In the premium version, many features include SMS and email notifications, filtering, front-end editable tables, support for foreign fundamental table relations, and filtering. Data may also be presented in around 40 types of charts.
Paid versions also give you enhanced functionalities such as conditional logic.
League Table
League Table by DAEXT is a responsive table solution that supports WP multisite, sortable columns, and multi-language support.
A spreadsheet editor is recommended for copying data from spreadsheets in XML format.
League Table gives various options, including 13 available, 17 cell options, and 105 per table options.
You can play with fonts, colors, and widths. You may customize each cell as well. When it comes to customization, League Table is packed with options. The plugin even lets you apply formulas or custom HTML code.
There are many sorting options; if you wish, you can allow users to sort data in tables themselves.
The League table costs $23 only. It is an excellent solution for creating tables for financial data tables, pricing tables, and even sports league standings.
TablePress
As one of the most widely used plugins with 800,000+ installations, TablePress offers many configuration options and custom CSS for styling tables. A CSV table could be imported in seconds and then rearranged with drag and drop.
Rows and columns can easily be inserted, deleted, displayed, or hidden with just a few clicks.
Data adjustment in tables is straightforward. There is also an advanced editor that allows more control over data.
Under the table, you will find the table options section. Hence, you can modify table colors, define table names, and set custom CSS classes. Sorting and pagination features are also a plus point.
This plugin supports 19 plugin extensions. These extensions are related to the front end, data tables, Javascript library, admin, and table shortcode.
TablePress is a user-friendly plugin that supports table imports as well. It is free to download.
TablePress offers plenty of styling options for changing the look of tables. The free version has some limitations, like the unavailability of responsive tables–and you will have to pay $79 per year. However, the paid versions are backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ninja Tables
Ninja Tables is a fantastic plugin for adding tables in WordPress that offers various highlighting options and supports the import and export of tables in JSON and CSV format.
You can choose Bootstrap 4, Bootstrap 3, and Symmetric UI options. In addition to this, you can choose from 13 table color schemes and set table elements like titles, descriptions, and borders.
Ninja Tables offers excellent styling options. The main table design decides the table view on various devices.
You can turn multiple features on and off by clicking a button, and changes can be viewed live.
This plugin offers 13 predefined color schemes to the table. Also, you can create your custom color scheme with color pickers. Also, there are sorting and pagination options. You can also find an area for adding custom JavaScript and CSS.
This plugin is charged an annual rate of $79 for a single license on a single domain. You can get an annual Agency license for $129 to use this plugin on 20 domains. Can’t get enough? There is an Unlimited license with a yearly charge of $299. For long-run projects, you can always pick Lifetime plans that are heavily discounted.
Data Tables Generator By Supsystic
Supsytic is known for its great WordPress plugins. Data Table Generator is an excellent plugin, offering a table-creating solution with many customizations.
Multiple modes are available for your tables. You will ultimately have complete control over the table color scheme and its structuring.
On the editor page, you can enter data, and the visual editor allows you to insert images, links, and format text. Moreover, you can add conditional logic, collapsible rows, and diagrams.
And, there is where the goodness of the Free (aka Lite!) version ends. You will need a Pro license to have more granular control over your data management and presentation.
For a single website, you will have to pay $89. The Pro version unlocks additional features such as the diagram, source tabs, and table history. Moreover, it offers a line chart, bar chart, bubble chart, 3D donut, area chart, column chart, 3D bar chart, and 3D pyramid. An excellent investment if your website needs these data presentation tools. Two more paid options are Dev (5 websites) for $149 and Enterprise for $299.
Conclusion
In this post, we have discussed all the methods through which you can add and manage tables for your WordPress website. It does not matter if you create tables using code through the Block Editor or with the help of a plugin; just stick to one method and stay consistent with it. Using the Block Editor is perhaps the most innovative way! However, don’t worry if your website needs a plugin.
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