I know how to add the recent posts shortcode to the widget area, my question is how do I make it a specific post id, so I can control what is showing. I know I can by category but I would like to use specific posts.

Thanks

You’ll need to create a modified copy of the Recent Posts shortcode function. The file you need is shortcodes.php located in wp-content\plugins\x-shortcodes\functions. For an example, please add the code below in your functions.php. The code does what you need. Use the shortcode [x_post post_id="1"] (post_id is the ID of your post). It is a modified copy of the Recent Posts shortcode function. Please compare the difference between the original (Recent Posts section in shortcodes.php and the modified copy.

function x_shortcode_post( $atts ) {
  extract( shortcode_atts( array(
    'id'          => '',
    'class'       => '',
    'style'       => '',
    'type'        => '',
    'category'    => '',
    'no_image'    => '',
    'fade'        => '',
    'post_id'     => ''
  ), $atts ) );

  $id            = ( $id          != ''          ) ? 'id="' . esc_attr( $id ) . '"' : '';
  $class         = ( $class       != ''          ) ? 'x-recent-posts cf ' . esc_attr( $class ) : 'x-recent-posts cf';
  $style         = ( $style       != ''          ) ? 'style="' . $style . '"' : '';
  $type          = ( $type        == 'portfolio' ) ? 'x-portfolio' : 'post';
  $category      = ( $category    != ''          ) ? $category : '';
  $category_type = ( $type        == 'post'      ) ? 'category_name' : 'portfolio-category';
  $no_image      = ( $no_image    == 'true'      ) ? $no_image : '';
  $fade          = ( $fade        == 'true'      ) ? $fade : 'false';

  $output = "<div {$id} class=\"{$class}{$orientation}\" {$style} data-fade=\"{$fade}\">";

    $q = new WP_Query( array(
      'p'          => $post_id
    ) );

    if ( $q->have_posts() ) : while ( $q->have_posts() ) : $q->the_post();

      if ( $no_image == 'true' ) {
        $image_output       = '';
        $image_output_class = 'no-image';
      } else {
        $image_output       = '<div class="x-recent-posts-img">' . get_the_post_thumbnail( get_the_ID(), 'entry-' . get_theme_mod( 'x_stack' ) . '-cropped', NULL ) . '</div>';
        $image_output_class = 'with-image';
      }

      $output .= '<a class="x-recent-post' . $count . ' ' . $image_output_class . '" href="' . get_permalink( get_the_ID() ) . '" title="' . esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ) . '">'
                 . '<article id="post-' . get_the_ID() . '" class="' . implode( ' ', get_post_class() ) . '">'
                   . '<div class="entry-wrap">'
                     . $image_output
                     . '<div class="x-recent-posts-content">'
                       . '<h3 class="h-recent-posts">' . get_the_title() . '</h3>'
                       . '<span class="x-recent-posts-date">' . get_the_date() . '</span>'
                     . '</div>'
                   . '</div>'
                 . '</article>'
               . '</a>';

    endwhile; endif; wp_reset_postdata();
  
  $output .= '</div>';

  return $output;
}

add_shortcode( 'x_post', 'x_shortcode_post' );

Hope that helps. 🙂

It is best to put this in the functions.php of the child theme so it won’t get overridden by updates. Place the given code at the very end of the code in functions.php. The child theme’s functions.php file should be blank the first time you open it.

Thanks.