Display Automation
Rule-based like button placement for WordPress, WooCommerce, EDD, BuddyPress, and bbPress.
Automatic Display is perfect when every post should get the same button. Display Automation is for everything else — categories, post types, WooCommerce reviews, EDD downloads, BuddyPress streams, or different templates per section.
WP ULike → Tools → Display Automation
Requires an active Pro license to save rules.
When to use it
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
All blog posts, same style | Automatic Display (Content Types tab) |
Only "Reviews" category gets buttons | Display Automation |
Products use one template, posts use another | Display Automation |
WooCommerce product reviews | Display Automation |
Easy Digital Downloads shop or single | Display Automation |
One post is special | Post editor panel (meta box guide) |
Before you start
- Turn off Automatic Display for content types that Display Automation manages — otherwise you may see two buttons on the same item.
- The Posts settings tab shows a link to Display Automation when Pro is active.
- Test on a staging site first if your theme uses heavy caching.
How rules work
Each rule includes:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
Content type | post, comment, product_review, activity, activity_comment, topic |
Placement group | WordPress, WooCommerce, EDD, BuddyPress, bbPress, custom hooks |
Conditions | Show on contexts, post types, taxonomies, terms, bbPress forum/topic filters |
Template & counter | Override global defaults for matching items only |
Likers box | Enable/style per rule |
Enable/disable | Pause a rule without deleting it |
Rules run top to bottom. Put specific rules above broad ones.
Quick-start presets
Start from a preset, then tweak conditions:
| Preset area | Covers |
|---|---|
Blog | Single posts, archives, pages |
Comments | Comment threads |
WooCommerce | Single product, shop loop, product reviews |
Easy Digital Downloads | Single download, shop grid |
BuddyPress | Activity stream items |
bbPress | Forum topics and replies |
WooCommerce & EDD examples
- Product reviews — content type
product_review, placement on review forms or review lists - Shop loop — like buttons on archive cards without affecting single product layout
- EDD downloads — buttons on download single or grid via EDD placement group
Pair with Pro Statistics → WooCommerce intelligence to measure engagement vs sales.
Custom hooks
When theme hooks are not covered by presets, use the custom hook placement group and enter your theme's action name.
Developer filters: wp_ulike_pro_display_automation_quick_start_presets to add site-specific presets.
Singular Pages matching
When a rule’s Show on conditions include Singular Pages (and no other matching context), Display Automation only renders on the main queried item — the post or page WordPress is actually showing.
Related posts, widgets, or secondary loops that run while is_singular() is true do not get the button from that rule alone. Add another context (for example archives) if you need buttons in those loops, or use Automatic Display / shortcodes for those placements.
This keeps “show on single posts” from flooding every related-post card on the same request.
Engagement templates on rules
Rules can override the template (including Emoji Reactions and Star Rating). When Template is Emoji Reactions, extra fields appear:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
Reactions | Chip subset of the reactions configured in Settings (empty = use all) |
Reaction Picker | Default (inherit Settings) · Hover · Inline |
When a rule sets an emoji/star template, that engagement style is scoped to the rule’s context — it does not bleed into other loops that still use your global posts template.
Rules can also override display counters, likers box, and likers style for matching items only.
Setup guide: Emoji Reactions & Star Ratings.
Backup & migration
Display rules export with your settings backup on Pro sites (Overview → Export settings). Import on the new site after activating Pro.
Related: Shared Content Type Options · Third-Party Integrations
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