Watrix Drag Drop Reorder

FAQ

Where is the order data stored?

Post and page order is stored in the core menu_order column of the posts table. Category and tag order is stored in the term meta key _wddr_term_order. The feature toggles, the top-level admin menu order, and the custom and hidden admin menu separators are stored in four options (wddr_settings, wddr_admin_menu_order, wddr_admin_menu_separators and wddr_admin_menu_hidden_separators). No database tables are added or altered.

What happens when I uninstall the plugin?

Uninstalling deletes the plugin’s own data: the four options listed above and the _wddr_term_order term meta. The menu_order values are kept, because menu_order is a core field shared with other features (such as the page “Order” attribute); resetting it could break ordering you set elsewhere. Your content is never touched.

Why can’t I drag rows?

Drag and drop is paused while the list is sorted by a column (for example after clicking the Title, Author or a taxonomy column header, or when you arrive via a link that includes a sort). Reordering a column-sorted list would be ambiguous, so the plugin disables dragging and shows an admin notice instead. Click “Show default order” in the notice (or remove the sort from the column header) to switch back to the saved order — dragging works again immediately. Also make sure the feature for that screen is enabled in Settings > Sort Order.

I reordered posts but the front end did not change. Why?

Front-end ordering is off by default so that activating the plugin never changes your public site. Enable “Apply post order on front” (and/or “Apply term order on front”) in Settings > Sort Order. Note that sticky posts still appear first — that is standard WordPress behavior.

I dragged rows while filtering the list by category. What order was saved?

The global order. Watrix Drag Drop Reorder keeps a single order per post type (and per taxonomy); it does not store a separate order per category filter. Reordering a filtered list updates the global positions of the rows you see.

Can I use Watrix Drag Drop Reorder together with another ordering plugin?

No. Plugins such as Intuitive Custom Post Order, Post Types Order or Category Order write to the same menu_order field and would fight over the result. Deactivate other ordering plugins before using Watrix Drag Drop Reorder.

The order numbers looked odd right after my first drag on a large site. Is that a problem?

No. When existing posts have mixed or duplicate menu_order values, Watrix Drag Drop Reorder falls back to renumbering the visible page from the smallest value. This can temporarily overlap with neighboring pages, but the list stays stable (date is used as the secondary sort key) and the numbering self-heals the next time you reorder that page.

Which post types are supported?

Posts, pages and every custom post type that has an admin list screen (registered with show_ui). Custom post types work out of the box — no code needed — and can be turned off with the “Custom post type order” toggle in Settings > Sort Order. Hierarchical post types are reordered within the same parent, like pages. Developers can narrow or extend the list with the wddr_sortable_post_types filter.

Does it work with custom post types and taxonomies?

Custom post types are supported out of the box (see the previous answer). Custom taxonomies are available for developers via the wddr_sortable_taxonomies filter; a selection UI is planned for a future version.

Anything to know for very large sites?

Sorting the Categories/Tags columns on the Posts list uses a JOIN with GROUP_CONCAT, and saving a term order renumbers all terms of that taxonomy. Both are limited to the admin screens and are fine for typical sites (hundreds of terms), but may be slow on sites with many thousands of terms or posts.