Using the Shortcode

Historical comments (88)

Comments are closed. The discussion below is retained for historical reference.

1. vistaprojectsltd June 18, 2019 at 12:29 pm

   Hi - is there a shortcode parameter to show/hide breadcrumbs? I would like to control this on a per folder basis instead just globally. Thanks!
   1. Mitch June 18, 2019 at 12:36 pm

      Not at this time, but you can use CSS instead tho... yourpage.eeSFL_FolderBreadcrumb { display:none; }
2. Kim August 27, 2020 at 7:26 pm

   Hi, can I control who sees what files when using the file search? Place a file list search form anywhere on your website. Use the permalink for the page where your file list to be searched is located. Note the code is eeSFLS for this instance. [eeSFLS permalink="http://website.com/your-file-list-page/"]
   1. Mitch August 28, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      Not currently, but the upcoming File Access Manager will provide per-file access restrictions.
3. Chrilles Wybrandt September 3, 2019 at 4:41 am

   Hi, How do I apply more than one parameter - like this [eeSFL showfolder="stakeholdersarea" allowuploads="ADMIN] ? Best, Chrilles
   1. Mitch September 3, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      The easiest way to create complex shortcodes is to go to the Instructions tab in the plugin settings. Use the shortcode builder to pick-and-choose the options you need. Then you can copy-and-paste the code, or choose to create a new page/post using it.
4. Simon January 14, 2020 at 1:42 pm

   Hi Mitch, I have the folder extension with one folder hidden behind a front-end page with a password. Is it possible to delete files on the front-end by setting an option with a shortcode. I can see why you wouldn't want a delete option on an open access front-end page but maybe not if it is limited to trusted users. Thanks, Simon
   1. Mitch January 16, 2020 at 10:44 am

      Yes, go to the Display Settings tab and tick the Front-Side Manage box. It's all the way at the bottom. This will give the same file controls on the front-side as you see on the back.
5. James Schrage December 8, 2019 at 11:21 pm

   With the folder extension, I expected to be able to create, rename, and delete folders. I am not seeing those, have I missed something or were those functions not designed?
   1. Mitch December 9, 2019 at 7:43 am

      Once the extension plugin is installed and activated, go to the file list on the main plugin's settings page. At the top you will see a Create Folder input. Once you create your first folder, you will see the rename and delete options.
6. Toni Olatunji December 10, 2019 at 5:20 pm

   Is there a way to limit number of items displayed in file list, like say display just 10 most recent files?
   1. Mitch December 11, 2019 at 9:45 am

      If you add the Search & Pagination extension, you can show just the ten most recent files per page. Alternatively, the folder extension would allow you to put just the ten files needed on a specific page.
7. Perry August 21, 2019 at 6:57 pm

   Is it possible to change the sort sequence so the files will list in desending order
   1. Mitch August 22, 2019 at 11:48 am

      Yes, go to the plugin's list settings page and check the Descending box.
8. Kim August 27, 2020 at 7:15 pm

   Hi, can you have more than one folder in shortcodes? [eeSFL showfolder="74466/D001008" showfolder="D001247"] or [eeSFL showfolder="74466/D001008, D001247"] ?? Thank you
   1. Mitch August 28, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      You cannot use the shortcode to define more than one folder location, but you can use more than one shortcode on the page... [eeSFL showfolder="74466/D001008"] [eeSFL showfolder="D001247"] Just be aware that some functionality, like uploading and front-side manage, will only work for the first list.
      1. Andy Weller March 10, 2021 at 5:56 pm

         Hi I have the filelist Pro version and adding the shortcode in php like so with the do_shortcode function [eeSFL showfolder="foldermain/users"] [eeSFL showfolder="foldermain/controllers"] I can only see one folder on the page - if I remove either shortcode the other works ok, but they are not displayed when two are present. Can you help?
         1. Mitch March 11, 2021 at 9:52 am

            When using multiple shortcodes per page, only the first list will display sub-folders or have any other functionality beyond list files.
9. Otílio May 11, 2020 at 1:05 pm

   Olá, como faço para usar filtros?
   1. Mitch May 12, 2020 at 10:09 am

      Hello, how do I use filters? There are two action hooks available: Existem dois ganchos de ação disponíveis: eeSFL_UploadCompleted and eeSFL_UploadCompletedAdmin These fire after a successful upload job. Eles são acionados após um trabalho de upload bem-sucedido.
10. Nick September 30, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    Hi Mitch, this product looks great, it is pretty much what I am looking for. One thing though, would it be possible to apply some sort of wildcard filter for the files to be displayed? I have a bunch of pdf files in a folder called "User manuals", now I want on my product pages only the relevant files. For example my product with partnumber "180": Can I use a short code like this: [eeSFL showfolder="This-Folder/180*.pdf"] which shows a list of only the PDF files starting with filename "180"?
    1. Mitch September 30, 2020 at 1:32 pm

       Hi. Sorry, but there is no support for wildcards to filter the list. For your application I would suggest keeping your public files in a separate folder. Alternatively, you could add the File Access Manager extension and choose which files in a Restricted list are available to specific users or the public.
11. Michael A Krause June 29, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    I'd like to be able to create shortcodes that allow specific roles or capabilities to upload files. Is this possible? For example, I have a number of folders that I want different users to maintain; one for bike route maps, another for newsletters and another for meeting minutes. Each of the users for the different folders has a different role (e.g.,, map_manager, newsletter_editor, secretary) and I also want Editors and the Administrator to have the ability to upload files to each of these folders. In other words, for "maps" I want map_manager capability AND Editor AND Administrator to be able to upload files to the "maps" folder. Thank you
    1. Mitch June 30, 2020 at 11:04 am

       This is not possible currently. However, I am working on a File Access Manager extension that would do most of what you describe, except for the combination of built-in and custom roles you describe for your maps folder. List access would be defined either by a minimum role for built-in roles, or matched roles for custom roles.
12. Kris Backus July 20, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Hello, thank you for your plugin. I purchased the Pro version. I would like to have shortcode to allow Edit or Move. In other words, be able to turn on and off the Front-Side Manage setting on a page. It appears it is a global setting under "Display Settings", but I would like to turn it on or off depending on the page.
    1. Mitch July 21, 2020 at 8:50 am

       The upcoming File Access Manager should solve your access needs. You'll be able to allow front-side management based on the logged in user. You can also create multiple lists which can have fully independent settings.
13. Chrilles Wybrandt August 28, 2019 at 7:40 am

    Hi Can I make 2 differents file lists? If yes, how? Regards, Chrilles
    1. Mitch August 28, 2019 at 10:16 am

       Yes, you can make multiple lists if you add the folder extension. Each sub-folder can then be displayed wherever you like using the shortcode like so: [eeSFL showfolder="This-Folder"], or [eeSFL showfolder="This-Folder/This-Sub-Folder"] Items kept above the chosen folder are not accessible from the front-end of the site, so you can have both public and private files.
14. Marco November 23, 2019 at 5:25 am

    Hi Mitch i purchased your plugin addon for folder management, could i add some tags to file searhable on search engines? Thank you .
    1. Mitch November 23, 2019 at 10:57 am

       This is not possible with the current version, 3, but Simple File List 4 will give you the option to add a description to each file and folder. This, if selected to appear, will assist with SEO.
       1. Marco November 26, 2019 at 5:30 pm

          Thank you Mitch. When the version 4 will be available?
          1. Mitch December 2, 2019 at 11:38 am

             Simple File List 4 will be released by January 1st.
15. Marco January 7, 2020 at 4:10 pm

    Ciao Mitch ho installato la versione 4, ho insetrito nei files degli elenchi la descrizione, ma le descrizioni non appaiono sui motori di ricerca. Devo attivare qualcosa? Grazie
    1. Mitch January 8, 2020 at 9:17 am

       Which search engine do you refer to? The Wordpress search will not see the description. Google will include them if you show them on your site. This will take time though. A quale motore di ricerca ti riferisci? La ricerca di Wordpress non vedrà la descrizione. Google li includerà se li mostri sul tuo sito. Ci vorrà del tempo però.
16. Fayaz Rahim December 25, 2019 at 11:42 am

    The instructions all over the web regarding your Simple File List is highly deficient and confusing regarding the following points: 1. Which the base folder for the files to display for downloading? Nowhere is this information given. 2. Can we implement more than one instance of Simple File List? 3. What are the above parameters for the multi-folder version?
    1. Mitch December 26, 2019 at 9:58 am

       I apologize for the highly deficient instructions.

       1. The base folder is wp-content/uploads/simplefilelist/, but you can change this to any directory which is below your Wordpress home folder.
       2. Using the Folder Extension, you can place multiple lists on your website.
       3. There are no further parameters when using folders. Each folder you create will be within the main folder.
17. Michael A Krause July 31, 2020 at 10:14 am

    That sounds great, Mitch. I see that the addon is now listed but as a "coming soon" product. Do you have any idea when it'll be available? Would you like a beta tester?
    1. Mitch July 31, 2020 at 3:42 pm

       Please see my email message to you...
18. Bruce October 13, 2020 at 12:48 pm

    Mitch, It would be nice in the display of the library to be able to set the breadcrumb on one but not all: [eeSFL showbreadcrumb="YES"] rather than a global option that applies to all. Bruce
    1. Mitch October 13, 2020 at 3:21 pm

       Yes, I can add that attribute. I will add that in 5.2.10 (Pro). In the meantime you can hide the breadcrumb in specific areas using CSS in your theme... .page-id-61 .page.eeSFL_FolderBreadcrumb { display: none; } Look at the opening tag in your source to get the proper page ID Alternatively, you could add the File Access Manager extension. This would give you the ability to create multiple lists, each using its own settings. You would then use the "list" attribute to define the list, much like using "showfolder" to define the folder.
       1. Bruce October 15, 2020 at 8:56 pm

          Thanks. I often hide/modify via CSS, but I like to avoid it if I can.
19. Marco Webwerkplaats January 11, 2021 at 6:47 am

    I have the pro version on a Divi Elegantthemes website. On 1 page i only want "Download". On another only "Open". I can make "Download" and.or "Open"disappear site wide, but that is too much: .eeSFL_FileDownload {display:none;} and/or .eeSFL_FileOpen {display:none;} Is there no shortcode for this? Or a CSS trick PER PAGE? Thanks ! Marco
    1. Mitch January 11, 2021 at 8:42 am

       There is no shortcode for this. View the source of the page and look at the opening body tag. There you can find the unique class id for that page and use that to ensure your rules only apply to that page... .page-id-10 .eeSFL_FileDownload { display:none; } Note that the Open link will only display for certain file types that browsers can commonly open.
       1. Marco January 19, 2021 at 8:29 am

          Brilliant! That's what i was looking for. Too bad the | pipes are still visible but i'll live with it. I'm encouraging my client to turn E-Pubs (download) into PDF. That means only the "Open" should stay. Sorry i mailed you twice ! And thanks for the excellent help (as usual)
20. Marcus January 16, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    Hi, Is there a way of changing the list order? For example I got PDF files called AB and a number and it´s listed like this: AB1.pdf AB10.pdf AB2.pdf I want it to be listed: AB1.pdf AB2.pdf AB10pdf Is there a way of changing the order without renaming them 01, 02. or in my case up to 0001. My list is long and it would take forever to rename them all. Thanks.
    1. Mitch January 16, 2021 at 3:40 pm

       Simple File List Pro 5.2 is about to be released. This will use natural sorting and should take care of your issue. https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.natsort.php
21. Dieter March 19, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    Hi, is it possible to use other shortcodes in your shortcode like that: [eeSFL showfolder="testfolder/[customernumber]"] Thanks & Regards
    1. Mitch March 19, 2021 at 2:42 pm

       Yes, but you would need to do this using do_shortcode() within a template file. Something like this...
22. Bob June 19, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    I think its called breadcrumbs, but not sure. (I DO have breadcrumbs OFF) I am showing a folder of files, BUT in this folder is a subfolder. I DONT want to show it. Is there a way to say dont show subfolders?
    1. Mitch June 21, 2021 at 11:18 am

       Yes, there is an unpublished shortcode attribute you can use... [eeSFL hidename="Folder-A"] Just replace Folder-A with the name of the folder you wish to be hidden.
23. Daniel November 2, 2021 at 12:02 pm

    Is there a shortcode sort by "Last Modified" ?
    1. Mitch November 2, 2021 at 12:06 pm

       Yes, use DateMod
       1. Daniel November 3, 2021 at 2:22 pm

          List seems to have no response with sortby="DateMod" ? 2021's not displaying in order at all :(
          1. Mitch November 3, 2021 at 2:30 pm

             Please open a ticket so we can work on this in more detail. Please include the full shortcode you are using.
24. Spire November 2, 2021 at 11:24 am

    Hello! First great product. Thank you. We are running the Pro version. I would like to sort my files by Last Modified. Is there an unpublished shortcode for that? Thank you.
    1. Mitch November 2, 2021 at 12:04 pm

       Yes, it's DateMod. I've added it to the documentation page. Use the plugin settings to define the sort if possible, as sorting on the fly using the shortcode will force the whole list to be sorted upon each page load. If your list is large it can slow things down considerably.
25. Francis Spiesser December 15, 2023 at 1:04 pm

    Hi, Is there a way to limit the number of files. For example, on a home page, I want the last 5 pdfs and on another page, the whole list
    1. Mitch December 15, 2023 at 3:12 pm

       Hi Francis. I just wrote this for you... https://simplefilelist.com/how-to-show-only-the-last-x-number-of-files-in-a-list/
       1. Francis December 22, 2023 at 12:40 pm

          Perfect ! Thanks & merry Christmas
26. Paolo Bombardieri December 19, 2022 at 10:15 pm

    Hello, is it possible to show only one file from a list, in particular the last file, without creating the pagination?
    1. Mitch December 20, 2022 at 5:55 pm

       Yes, you would set the Pages value to 1, then use some simple CSS in your theme file to hide the pagination controls... #eeSFLS_paginationControls { display: none; }
27. John January 26, 2022 at 1:52 pm

    Hey How can I style the list? Having trouble with it. Do I just add opacity="0.5" within the shortcode? Can I also change image that is displayed for PDF files? Thanks
    1. Mitch January 26, 2022 at 4:50 pm

       Hi John, You will need to use CSS to style the list. Please review this documentation. If you need help with this, please open a ticket. Version 6 is in development now and will include the ability to style the lists from the back-end. I hope to have this released by May.
28. Andy February 2, 2023 at 12:02 am

    Before I purchase the pro version and a plugin, I wanted to make sure it would be able to do what I'm looking for: The ability to have a list for specific users, meaning if they login and hit the files display page, only their files would be shown. Is that possible? In the end, my client wants to be able to upload files for users and only have those users view their files. Thank you in advance, -Andy
    1. Mitch February 2, 2023 at 10:14 am

       Yes, there are a number of ways your client can achieve this. If they don't want to deal with WordPress logins they could have their users access a folder placed on a password protected page. They can have multiple folders placed on different pages. If they do, then the File Access Manager extension would allow them to limit access to whole lists or individual files, depending on the list mode used.
29. Stefan November 4, 2022 at 10:53 am

    Greetings, Is there a way to display "open" and "download" but not "Copy to List and "Grant Access"
    1. Mitch November 4, 2022 at 3:18 pm

       Hi. Please confirm that you are viewing the list as the intended user, not as Admin. Admin sees all management features.
30. Matthias February 15, 2022 at 10:13 am

    Hi Mitch, thx for your seamlessly working pro plugin :-) I would like to display two filelists on one page, both with the ability to upload files. Currently only the first list is displaying the upload section - is there a way to change this and enable it for both lists? regards, Matthias
    1. Mitch February 15, 2022 at 10:17 am

       There is not. When using multiple SFL shortcodes on a single page, only the first list will be full-featured. The subsequent lists will only show files.
       1. Matthias February 16, 2022 at 3:01 pm

          ok, thx for your fast reply!
31. Bryan July 26, 2022 at 11:42 am

    Is it possible to have the root folder of a file list that's broken into subfolders (meetingminutes/2022, meetingminutes/2021, etc) not display the uploader, while still displaying the uploader for the subfolders? e.g. the page that displays meeting minutes has this code, but we don't want files to be uploaded to the meeting minutes page. [eeSFL showfolder="MeetingMinutes" allowuploads="ADMIN" showdate="NO"]
    1. Mitch July 26, 2022 at 3:47 pm

       Hi Bryan, The short answer is no. The long answer is that it would be possible given a little JavaScript added to your theme. Please open a ticket if you're interested in help with doing that.
32. Idnilson Nunes de Aguiar August 13, 2023 at 11:00 pm

    Olá, Qual seria o shortcode para mostrar apenas um arquivo especifico da lista de arquivos eu sei que tenho que pegar o ID deste arquivo. Obs: No momento tenho apenas a pasta padrão onde fica a lista dos meus arquivos.
    1. Mitch August 14, 2023 at 9:34 am

       What would be the shortcode to show only a specific file from the list of files I know I have to get the ID of this file. Note: At the moment I only have the default folder where the list of my files is. There is no shortcode to display a single file. To do this, create a folder and place that one file inside, then display that folder. Não há shortcode para exibir um único arquivo. Para fazer isso, crie uma pasta e coloque esse arquivo dentro e, em seguida, exiba essa pasta.
33. Nicola January 17, 2023 at 2:55 am

    Hi Mitch, can I hide the label "Dashboard" and "Profile" (maintain only "Exit") near the user placeholder image when the subscriber user is logged in? Tahnks.
    1. Mitch January 20, 2023 at 12:46 pm

       Hi. Yes, you can do this with my plugin Basic Front-End Login. You would not need to use the login form provided, just check the boxes in the settings to hide the toolbar for various roles.
34. Max March 26, 2024 at 8:23 am

    Is there an option to sort by the Nice Name?
    1. Mitch March 26, 2024 at 10:56 am

       Not yet. This will be coming in the next version.
35. Alfi June 14, 2024 at 11:21 am

    Hi, can I show the Uploader Name in the file list? thanks
    1. Mitch June 20, 2024 at 9:40 am

       Tick the box for File submitter on the List Settings tab. Note that it will not display the name for your own files, only other's.
36. Gabriel Pintilie November 28, 2024 at 2:35 pm

    Hi, is there a way to list files by year ? 2023 , 2024?
    1. Mitch November 29, 2024 at 3:16 pm

       Hi Gabriel, Not automatically. You would need to create folders based on years and move files into those manually. Unless you are looking for something more customized. Let me know if so.
37. Matt Moffat October 29, 2025 at 12:02 am

    When I try and use the showlist="NO" on a page I want to be an upload only page, it reloads a blank page after the upload goes through. Any advice?
    1. Mitch October 30, 2025 at 11:02 am

       Hi Matt. Go to the Upload Settings tab and turn off the option to show the confirmation page. This way it'll go right back to the upload form.
38. Uxía November 7, 2025 at 6:09 am

    Hola, ¿Hay alguna forma de filtrar lo que se le muestra a cada usuario teniendo en cuenta el nombre del archivo? Es decir que a usuario1: solo le muestren los archivos que empiecen o contengan "xxx1" Y que a usuario2: solo pueda ver los archivos que empiecen o contentan "xxx2". ¡Gracias!
    1. Mitch November 12, 2025 at 12:45 pm

       Hello, Is there a way to filter what each user sees based on the file name? For example, user1 should only see files that start with or contain “xxx1,” and user2 should only see files that start with or contain “xxx2.” Thanks! No, with File Access Manager you could restrict visibility of list and/or files based on user or role, but not by file name. That would require custom work. No. Con File Access Manager puedes restringir la visibilidad de listas y/o archivos según el usuario o el rol, pero no por nombre de archivo. Eso requeriría trabajo personalizado.
39. Ruben May 4, 2026 at 9:32 am

    Absolutely love it. We use it as a media library for documentation. I made a seperate pages (for different tools) with a shortcode. ex. https://docs.ibts.nl/avanti/ And we use an iFrame within a different website to show the docs for a specific tool: https://www.hytorc.nl/hydraulische-momentsleutels/hytorc-avanti/ Now we can manage all our documentation in one place. Also use it within quotations and for rental purposes. The 2027 Machine Guidelines also state a digital version would be enough to provide with tool delivery within the EU. We are very happy. Now I placed an image in the folder (JPG) as a reference when people search in the documentation website. But I want to exclude the JPG file in the external website. I tried 'hidename' within the short code: [eeSFL folder='Torque-Wrenches/Hydraulic-Torque-Wrences/AVANTI' hidename='*.jpg' search="NO" showheader="NO"] I've tried several variants, but it is not working. Any suggestions? The most perfect solution would be if we could change the icon of a folder. Like 'File Nice Name'. Than hidename is not needed. Perhaps you could help us out. We bought all packages for your reference.
    1. Mitch May 4, 2026 at 9:46 am

       Thank you. You will need to use hidetype="jpg"