Adding Animals to Sidebars and Other Pages #
PetMatchPro shortcodes work anywhere WordPress supports shortcodes – sidebars, footers, widget areas, and regular content pages. The key is choosing the right template and limiting the output.
Template filenames are partner-specific. The examples below use adopt-search-compact, which exists for RescueGroups. PetPoint and AnimalsFirst users should substitute featured-search-compact with type="featured", or another compact-style template available for their partner. Browse the Search Templates Gallery to confirm template names.
Sidebar Widgets #
Add a “Text” or “Custom HTML” widget to your sidebar and paste a shortcode:
[pmp-search type="adopt" template="adopt-search-compact" count="3" row="1"]This shows 3 animals in a single column – perfect for narrow sidebars.
Footer Sections #
Add a row of animals above your footer:
[pmp-search type="adopt" template="adopt-search-compact" count="4" row="4"]About Page or Donation Page #
Show a few animals to encourage engagement on non-search pages:
[pmp-search type="adopt" count="3" row="3" subtitle="Animals Who Need Your Help"]Controlling the Output #
| Parameter | Purpose | Sidebar Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
count |
Maximum animals shown | 3-4 |
row |
Animals per row | 1 for sidebar, 3-4 for footer |
rows |
Maximum rows | 1 for footer, 3-4 for sidebar |
filter |
Search filters | disable (saves space) |
pagination |
Page controls | disable (not needed) |
template |
Layout style | Compact for tight spaces |
Tips #
- Always set
countto keep page load fast - Disable filters and pagination – they don’t make sense outside a search context
- The compact template is purpose-built for small spaces
- Use
speciesto show only dogs or only cats if space is limited - Enable API caching to prevent slow loads on high-traffic pages
Next Steps #
- Featuring Animals on Your Homepage — Carousel and featured displays
- Common Shortcode Recipes — Copy-paste examples
- [pmp-search] Reference — Full parameter reference
