We started 2023 with a bang when we released Astra 4.0. It brought a completely new design that made our WordPress theme easier to use and more intuitive than ever!
We didn’t stop there though.
That’s why we’re announcing Astra 4.4!
Astras 4.4 brings new features in the backend and frontend so that both you and your users can enjoy a new way of interacting with your website.
We’re excited to share this new update with you, so read on to see what’s in Astra 4.4!
New Astra 4.4 Features That Will Make Your Life Easier
This is what you’ll find once you hit the update button and update to Astra 4.4.
New Featured Image Options
Now you can control in detail what your featured image looks like in posts and pages.
If you go to Customizing > Single Post > Post Title, you’ll see that there now you can determine how you want it to be displayed in relation to your content.
You can define the image position to:
- None
- Below the content, which offers a more classic look
You can also define the ratio of the image:
- Keep the original ratio
- Use a standard size (1:1, 4:3, 16:9 or 2:1)
- Or use custom sizes
In addition to the ratio you can also choose the size of the image. From thumbnail to full size, through standard sizes and custom dimensions.
From now on it will be much easier for you to display the featured image as you want without having to use code.
A New Filter for Categories and Tags
This new feature is huge and we’re so excited to announce it.
The new filter function in Astra 4.4 adds the ability to filter blog posts by category or tag.
It’s a small, but powerful feature. One that previously needed a standalone plugin to provide. It is now built into the Astra WordPress theme.
From the Customizing > Blog / Archive section, you can now enable post filters.
You can choose between 2 styles, and define whether you want the filtering to be based on categories or tags.
And yes, you can exclude any tag or category you don’t want to show!
This is super handy for users as the content will be filtered without the need to reload the page.
Sticky Sidebar
Surely by now you already know and use our sticky header!
Astra 4.4 introduces the new sticky sidebar. Once you update, your sidebar content can always accompany users while they scroll.
This is ideal for adding elements that you want to be always present, such as an advertising frame, call to action or newsletter subscription box.
You can easily activate this functionality from Customizing > Sidebar.
Outline Buttons
From now on it will be easier than ever to modify the appearance of the “outline” buttons. Those that are usually used as secondary calls to action.
You can modify all the design parameters from Customizing > Buttons.
From here you can modify the style, colors, font and more to adapt the final result to your liking.
New Editor To Modify Background Settings at Page-Level
Do you want to give a unique look to a particular page of your website?
Instead of making the changes from Customizing > Colors > Surface Color, simply open the advanced settings of the specific page.
There you’ll find the option to modify the background and content color independently of the theme.
The changes will only apply to the page you are working on, not the site as a whole.
Improved Live Search
We have also improved our live search module to make your website look even more professional in Astra 4.4.
If you add the search module from the header builder, you will see that it is now possible to activate a full-screen search style.
This is fully compatible with live search and honestly, we think it looks neat!
You can modify some parameters here, such as the color style of the box, or the text placeholders you want to use.
Ready to Start Enjoying Astra 4.4?
This update includes many new features that will help you further refine the design of your website.
You can better define the style of the secondary buttons, the content and background colors per page, how the live search appears or the position and size of the featured image.
Astra 4.4 also includes functional improvements such as blog filters or the sticky sidebar that will make your blog more usable without having to install third-party plugins.
We really hope you enjoy these new features!
Let us know in the comments below which one is your favorite and what would you like us to include in future releases!
Our devs are listening…
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Hi there.
When I enable sticky sidebar this only adds a vertical scroll bar to the sidebar, and it also keeps scrolling. Any ideas?
Thx
We might want to check it out, please reach out to us through our Support Portal to assist you in the best possible manner – https://wpastra.com/support/open-a-ticket/
Apparently I had updated from an earlier version to 4.0
No worries, that should be fine!