Astra is dedicated to providing an exceptional user experience, and our latest efforts focus on enhancing the individual blog post format. In response to user feedback and a commitment to staying current with design trends, we’ve implemented significant improvements.
The single blog post now includes a modernized look, complete with an expanded set of options. This includes new controls, complementing the existing ones, to offer site administrators more versatility in crafting engaging content.
As a site admin using Astra, these improvements are designed to make your blog stand out and resonate with your audience.
Go through the following sections of this document to know more about the improvements introduced to single blog posts in Astra v4.6.0.
Enhancements to Single Blog in Astra v4.6.0
Featured Image Option for Related Posts
We’re excited to introduce new options for featured images in blog structure and related posts, accessible to both free and pro users. To enable this feature, go to the customizer and navigate to Blog > Single Post. Turn on the “Enable Related Posts” option. After that, under Post Structure, you’ll find the featured image option for related posts.
New Structural & Meta-Level Options Under the Banner Area
We’ve added a cool new section, focusing on making your titles and meta details more awesome. Now, you can easily tweak things like excerpts and images all in one place.
To access this feature, from the customizer navigate to Blog > Single Post and then access the Post Title section. From there, head to the Post Title section. In the General tab, locate the Structure module, where you can manage featured images, titles, meta details, breadcrumbs, and excerpts for individual blog posts.
Social Share Option for the Author Box area
In the pro version, we’ve added a new social icon option to the author box, simplifying post sharing. It’s designed to make sharing your content an easy job.
To unlock this feature, ensure you have the Astra Pro plugin installed and activated on your website. Also, make sure to enable the Blog Pro module within the Astra Pro modules.
Locate this option by scrolling down a bit in the Single Post section, and then navigate to Author Box > Author Info. Switch on the Author Info toggle.
Next, click on the arrow beside it to access the customizer settings for the author box.
Banner Title Avatar Options
Astra 4.6.0, the free version now supports the customization of author avatar pictures, offering new options such as enabling avatars and changing the avatar size for the author profile picture.
You will find this option after enabling Related Posts under Single Post. Under related posts, navigate to Meta > Author and enable the Author Avatar toggle button.
Meta Divider and Taxonomy Styles
Astra 4.6.0 introduces support for diverse meta dividers, allowing for a well-organized separation of labels in the related posts section.
You can also add various taxonomy styles/divider types for this feature, selecting options that suit their preferences, all within the free version.
You can find divider types on the same page and under the Posts Structure > Title & Post Meta section.
New Featured Image Options like Image Ratio, Image Size
With the Astra 4.6.0 free version, you can now personalize the featured image in the related posts section with new customization options like image ratio and changing image size.
Related Posts Spacing Option
You can now maintain consistent spacing within container area blocks with our newest option in the Astra 4.6.0 free version.
We have introduced a new spacing option, giving users control over the distance between various elements in the related posts section.
You will find this option under the Design section in Related posts.
Section Placement Options for Related Posts and Comments Area
You can now control how various sections are positioned and presented within your related posts and comments area on your website, giving you greater control over the display. Available with the Astra 4.6.0 free version.
You can find each of these section placements separately under both Related Posts and Comments area under Single post.
Post Titles Along With Post Navigation
Astra 4.6.0 introduces a better navigation experience with an improved user interface in the free version. Your readers can now easily view post titles alongside the Next and Previous buttons for smoother navigation.
Note
If you are an existing user, we strongly recommend eliminating legacy compatibilities to maximize the benefits of the overall blog improvements. To achieve this, you can incorporate the following filters into your child theme functions.php file.
add_filter( 'astra_apply_flex_based_css', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_is_header_footer_builder_active', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_v4_block_editor_compat', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_v4-4-0-backward-option', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_v4-6-0-backward-option', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_get_option_customizer-default-layout-update', '__return_true' );
add_filter( 'astra_addon_upgrade_fullscreen_search_submit_style', '__return_true' );
We hope this document has been helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.