• Support Docs
    • Requesting a Site
    • Planning Your Site
    • 2015 Theme Docs
  • Contact Us
    • Web Support
    • New Website Request
Skip to content
University of Wisconsin-Madison UW-Madison
  • Login
  • CALS Main

Dark Mode On

Your device is set to dark mode so this site is matching that preference. You can click the sun icon to change your site experience.

UW Crest
CALS WordPress Hosting

University of Wisconsin Madison

  • Support Docs
    • Requesting a Site
    • Planning Your Site
    • 2015 Theme Docs
  • Contact Us
    • Web Support
    • New Website Request
  • Getting Started
    • Requesting a Site
    • Planning Your Site
    • Setting up Your Site
    • Adding Content to Your Site
    • Web Hosting Guidelines
  • Tutorials
    • Basic Tutorials
      • Theme Customization Options
      • Logging In
      • Adding/Removing Users
      • Editing Your Site Menu
      • Google Analytics
      • Jump Links
      • Creating Accessible Content
    • Advanced Tutorials
      • Using Animation
      • E-Commerce & Shopping Cart Options
      • Embed a Google Calendar
  • Blocks
    • CALS Blocks Transition
    • CALS Blocks
      • Accordion
      • Tabs
      • Card
      • Carousel
      • Modal
      • Posts
    • Core WordPress Blocks
  • Plugins
    • Plugin Guidelines
    • Resource Directory
    • Protect Pages With NetID
    • Redirection Plugin
    • Broken Link Checker
  • 2015 Theme Docs
Plugins

CALS People Directory

    Our People Directory plugin allows for the flexible management of biographical/contact information. It has an associate Directory display Gutenberg block that provides flexible display options on your website. Site visitors can easily search or filter your directory of people based on the groups/categories that you define. You can control how the people directory is displayed and what search and filter options are available to site visitors. The plugin also provides a details view for each entry with a standard set of biographical information and the ability to create custom information entries.

    Use Cases & Examples

    This plugin is helpful in managing lots of people information, and with the associated display block, can allow a site manager to have one source of people information and display the same information in different ways across different pages on your website. If your not sure if the plugin will fit your use case, please reach out and we’ll let you know if we think this plugin is a good fit for you, or we can advise on other options.

    • Website Examples
      Easily organize and display people information across various units and pages using the Directory Gutenberg block’s flexible display options. Users can quickly search, filter, and sort to find who they are looking for. Below are a few different examples of the display options in use.
      • CALS Admin Website: Full directory page with filtering
      • CALS Admin Website: List view display of specific department/unit
      • Department Website: Grid view display option with filtering. Also using categories to allow for directory listings on pages by category.

    The CALS People Directory is designed to be used for large amounts of content. If you only have a few people to display (five-ish or less), consider just making a page and using the grid, card, group, or columns blocks to layout the information.

    Getting Started

    To request this plugin to be enabled on your site, please contact us and we can active the plugin, and also provide you with a quick demo if you would like.

    Managing People Information

    Add / Edit People

    Click the “Add New Person” button to create a new entry or hover your mouse over an existing entry and click “Edit” below the name to edit the entry for that person.

    There are a number of directory fields available to be filled out. Most fields are optional, and information for that field will only be displayed if there is data in that field.

    Creating and Organizing Groups

    You have the option to use the Group taxonomy to tag your people entries to further organize people into groups. This is not required, but if you have lots of groups of people in your directory (i.e., faculty, staff, graduate students, emeriti, etc.) then this can be helpful in managing, finding, filtering the directory.

    Here are some additional WordPress instructions for creating categories/taxonomies: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/posts-categories-screen/

    Directory Block for Displaying People Information

    In order to display the people you have entered in the back-end use the Directory block by inserting it into a page and then configured the settings for how you want your people displayed.

    The plugin uses the Directory block to display the people entries, and provides a range of flexible display options from grid view, to list view, with our without photos. You can also turn filtering and directory search on or off. The block be placed on any page(s) where you need to display all, or just a subset of the people added to your Directory Plugin.

    Wordpress block inserter showing selecting of Directory block.

    Interested in using this plugin on your site?

    Please contact us and we’ll help you get it activated and set up.

    Contact Us

    All Support Docs
    CALS PluginDirectoryPeople
    Privacy Notice | ©2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
    Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: websupport@cals.wisc.edu
    Login Request Help Help Docs