How to Randomize Your Image Slider in WordPress (Step by Step)

Do you want to shuffle the photos in your image slider? If your slider always opens on the same slide, repeat visitors stop noticing it — and the images at the end of the rotation barely get seen. In this tutorial, we’ll share how to randomize your image slider in WordPress.

We see this a lot on homepage sliders: the first slide gets all the attention, while slides four and five might as well not exist. Random order fixes that with a single setting.

WordPress doesn’t include an image slider by default, so we’ll use Soliloquy, which lets you switch any slider to random order in a couple of clicks. To randomize your image slider in WordPress, you’ll need to follow these 4 steps:

• Step 1. Install and activate Soliloquy
• Step 2. Create an image slider
• Step 3. Select random sorting
• Step 4. Publish the slider and add it to your site

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Step 1: Install and Activate Soliloquy

First, you’ll need to install and activate the Soliloquy WordPress slider plugin on your site.

If you’d like a hand with this part, our doc on installing Soliloquy covers it step by step.

Step 2: Create an Image Slider

After activating the plugin, go to Soliloquy » Add New to create a new slider.

Give your slider a title, then drag your photos into the Native Slider section.

For the full set of slider options, see our guide on how to create an image slider in WordPress.

Step 3: Select Random Sorting

Once your photos are uploaded, find the sorting dropdown on the Slider tab and choose Random.

With Random selected, your slides appear in a different order each time the page loads.

Pro Tip: Random order works best when every slide can stand on its own. If your slides tell a story in sequence, or slide one carries your main message, keep a fixed order instead.

Step 4: Publish the Slider and Add It to Your Site

Hit the Publish button, then copy the shortcode from the Soliloquy Slider Code widget.

Now edit the page or post where you want your randomized slider, and paste the shortcode where it should appear.

Update the page, then visit your site and refresh it a few times. You’ll see the slides shuffle into a new order on each load. If you’d like to place the slider somewhere other than post content, our guide on adding a WordPress slider with a shortcode covers every place shortcodes work.

FAQs About Randomizing a WordPress Slider

That’s it! We hope this tutorial helped you randomize your image slider in WordPress. If you’d like to keep improving your slider, check out these beginner-friendly guides:

• How to Add a Homepage Slider in WordPress
• How to Create Dynamic Image Sliders in WordPress
• How to Setup Default WordPress Slider Settings to Save Time
• How to Add an Image Slider with Captions in WordPress

Barbi Atkinson

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Published by Barbi Atkinson