How to have continuous numbering in a WordPress Post
WordPress is, it has to be said, quite a wonderful Content Management System. That is the reason why it commands such a high percentage of the websites market across the globe. However, for all its wonder, WordPress can be a bit simplistic, for want of a better word. One of the things that you will discover while using it is that there is really no build in feature that enables you to have a continuous numbering system. So, how can you have Continuous Numbering in a WordPress Post?
UPDATE: If you have switched over to the new WordPress Gutenberg editor, scroll down to the bottom of this page and go to page 2 of this article for the updated method of getting continuous numbering in a WordPress post.
The video above contains a step by step guide on how to have continuous numbering in a WordPress post. However, if you would rather not watch the video, keep scrolling down this page for more.
A brief explanation
If you have been using Microsoft Office Word for any given amount of time, you will know that you can have ordered lists that start from number 1 to any number by simply clicking on the “Numbering” button. If, as an example, you have the following sentences;
| This is Sentence Number 1This is a break in the numbering….This is Sentence Number 2 |
All that you need to do in order to number them in Microsoft Office Word is, as mentioned above, use the numbering button. Word will automatically number the second sentence as sentence number 2. Where it does not, its very easy to just right click on the number and choose “Continue Numbering”
Creating Numbers in WordPress
The really annoying thing is that WordPress is not that intelligent. If you create sentence number 1 and break to write something, the next time that you click on the numbering button, the CMS will simply repeat the numbering process. Just look at the example below
| This is an example of WordPress NumberingIf you break off the numbering process as is the case here, WordPress will restart the whole process, as in below.This is another example of WordPress numbering |
How to have Continuous Numbering in a WordPress Post
Fortunately, all is not lost. Continuing numbering after breaking from an ordered list in WordPress is simple enough. In order to have continuous numbering in a WordPress Post, all that you need to do is the following;
- Write the sentence that you wish to number
- WordPress will restart the numbering process as in the above example
- Switch from the Visual to the Text Editor on your screen
- Go to the place where you wish to continue with the numbering. It will look something like the picture below;
- Add: start=”2″ to the front of the first “ol”
- You will then have something that’s similar to the image below;
- You can now switch back to Visual mode
- You will see that you will now have a properly numbered list as in below
- Unfortunately, however, you actually have repeat the process for every number that you wish to create. Its not too much work, but its a bit annoying, nevertheless.
| This is an example of WordPress NumberingIf you break off the numbering process as is the case here, WordPress will restart the whole process, as in below.This is another example of WordPress numbering |