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Working with Custom Post Types

7 min read

Learn how to enable and manage feedback on WooCommerce products, portfolios, documentation, and any custom post type in WordPress.

What Are Custom Post Types? #

WordPress has default post types:

  • Posts: Blog articles
  • Pages: Static pages
  • Attachments: Media files

Custom Post Types are additional content types created by plugins or themes:

  • Products (WooCommerce)
  • Portfolio Items (Portfolio plugins)
  • Documentation (Knowledge base plugins)
  • Events (Event plugins)
  • Testimonials
  • Team Members
  • And many more…

Was This Helpful works with ALL custom post types!

Enabling Feedback on Custom Post Types #

Step-by-Step Guide #

Step 1: Install Plugin That Creates Custom Post Type #

First, ensure you have a plugin that creates the custom post type you want.

Examples:

  • WooCommerce: Creates “Products” post type
  • The Events Calendar: Creates “Events” post type
  • Easy Digital Downloads: Creates “Downloads” post type

Step 2: Access Plugin Settings #

  1. Go to WordPress Admin → Was This Helpful
  2. You're on the Option Tab by default
  3. Scroll to Select Post Types section

Step 3: Find Your Custom Post Type #

You'll see checkboxes for:

  • ☑️ post (default WordPress posts)
  • ☐ page (default WordPress pages)
  • ☐ attachment (media)
  • ☐ product (if WooCommerce installed)
  • ☐ portfolio (if portfolio plugin installed)
  • ☐ your custom post type

Step 4: Enable Feedback #

  1. Check the box next to your custom post type
  2. Click Save Changes button
  3. Visit a post of that type to verify

WooCommerce Products Setup #

Complete WooCommerce Integration #

Step 1: Ensure WooCommerce is Active

  • Go to Plugins in WordPress admin
  • Verify WooCommerce is activated

Step 2: Enable Product Feedback

  1. Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
  2. Find Select Post Types
  3. Check ☑️ product
  4. Save Changes

Step 3: Customize for Products

Change your question to be product-specific:

Your Question: "Was this product description helpful?"
Positive Response: "Great! What helped you decide?"
Negative Response: "What information was missing?"

Step 4: Test on Product Page

  1. Visit any product on your store
  2. Scroll to product description area
  3. Verify feedback widget appears

WooCommerce-Specific Tips #

Best practices:

  • Place feedback after product description
  • Use product-focused language
  • Ask about information clarity, not product quality
  • Analyze feedback to improve descriptions

Question examples:

  • “Did this description answer your questions?”
  • “Was this product information helpful?”
  • “Do you have everything you need to decide?”

Documentation/Knowledge Base #

Setting Up Feedback on Help Articles #

Many sites use plugins for documentation:

  • Heroic KB (Knowledge Base)
  • BetterDocs
  • KnowAll
  • Echo Knowledge Base

These create custom post types like:

  • docs
  • kb-articles
  • documentation

Setup:

  1. Enable the post type:
    • Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
    • Check the documentation post type
    • Save changes
  2. Customize messages:
Your Question: "Did this article solve your problem?"
Positive Response: "Awesome! Glad we could help."
Negative Response: "Sorry about that. What was unclear?"
  1. Use feedback to:
    • Identify confusing articles
    • Find missing topics
    • Improve search results
    • Update outdated info

Portfolio Items #

Enable Feedback on Portfolio #

Common portfolio plugins:

  • Essential Grid
  • Jetpack Portfolio
  • Portfolio Post Type

Post type names (varies by plugin):

  • portfolio
  • jetpack-portfolio
  • portfolio_item

Setup:

  1. Check the portfolio post type in settings
  2. Customize questions:
Your Question: "Was this case study helpful?"
Positive Response: "Thanks! What inspired you most?"
Negative Response: "What would you like to see more of?"

Use cases:

  • Gauge project presentation quality
  • Learn what resonates with visitors
  • Identify most engaging work
  • Improve future case studies

Events #

Event Plugin Integration #

Popular event plugins:

  • The Events Calendar
  • Events Manager
  • Event Organiser

Post type: Usually tribe_events or event

Setup & Use:

Your Question: "Was this event information helpful?"
Positive Response: "Great! See you there?"
Negative Response: "What details were you looking for?"

Benefits:

  • Improve event descriptions
  • Identify missing information
  • Understand attendee needs
  • Refine future event pages

Finding Custom Post Type Names #

Method 1: Check Select Post Types List #

The easiest way:

  1. Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
  2. Look at Select Post Types section
  3. All registered post types appear there

Method 2: Check Plugin Documentation #

Most plugins document their post type names:

  • WooCommerce: product
  • Events Calendar: tribe_events
  • Easy Digital Downloads: download

Method 3: Using Code (Advanced) #

Add this to functions.php temporarily:

function show_custom_post_types() {
    $post_types = get_post_types(['public' => true], 'names');
    echo '<pre>';
    print_r($post_types);
    echo '</pre>';
}
add_action('admin_notices', 'show_custom_post_types');

This displays all post types in admin area.

Analyzing Custom Post Type Feedback #

Separate Analysis by Type #

In Report Tab:

While the plugin shows all feedback together, you can:

  1. Identify by title: Post/page/product names are usually distinct
  2. Filter by date: If you enabled a type on a specific date
  3. Sort by title: Group similar content types together

Pro tip: Keep a spreadsheet:

| Title | Type | Yes % | No % | Notes |
|-------|------|-------|------|-------|
| Blue Shirt | Product | 85% | 15% | Good |
| Install Guide | Docs | 60% | 40% | Needs update |

Common Patterns by Type #

Products:

  • High negative = Missing specs, unclear features
  • High positive = Great descriptions, good images

Documentation:

  • High negative = Confusing steps, missing screenshots
  • High positive = Clear, well-structured

Portfolio:

  • High negative = Not enough detail, no process shown
  • High positive = Great storytelling, clear results

Events:

  • High negative = Missing venue details, unclear time
  • High positive = Complete info, easy to understand

Best Practices by Post Type #

WooCommerce Products #

✅ Do:

  • Ask about description clarity
  • Request missing information feedback
  • Keep questions product-focused

❌ Don't:

  • Ask about product quality (use reviews for that)
  • Mix with actual customer reviews
  • Use negative language

Documentation #

✅ Do:

  • Ask if problem was solved
  • Request specific improvement areas
  • Update based on feedback quickly

❌ Don't:

  • Ignore negative feedback
  • Keep outdated info
  • Use generic questions

Portfolio #

✅ Do:

  • Ask what was inspiring/interesting
  • Request feedback on presentation
  • Learn what visitors want to see

❌ Don't:

  • Take criticism personally
  • Ignore patterns in feedback
  • Show on every portfolio item (can be overwhelming)

Troubleshooting Custom Post Types #

Issue: Custom Post Type Not Appearing #

Solutions:

  1. Ensure plugin is active:
    • Check Plugins page
    • Plugin creating the type must be active
  2. Reactivate Was This Helpful:
    • Deactivate the plugin
    • Reactivate it
    • Check again
  3. Post type must be public:
    • Some custom types are not public
    • These won't appear in the list
  4. Flush rewrite rules:
    • Go to Settings → Permalinks
    • Click Save Changes (don't change anything)
    • This refreshes WordPress's knowledge of post types

Issue: Feedback Showing in Wrong Place #

Solution: This depends on the custom post type's template. Contact support if positioning is problematic.

Advanced: Multiple Post Types Strategy #

Scenario 1: E-commerce + Blog #

WooCommerce store with blog:

Enable on:

  • Post (blog)
  • Product (store)

Use different question tones:

  • Blog: “Was this article helpful?”
  • Products: “Was this description helpful?”

Scenario 2: Full Content Site #

Site with multiple content types:

Enable on:

  • Post (articles)
  • Page (services/about)
  • Portfolio (work samples)
  • Docs (help center)

Use generic question: “Was this helpful?”

Scenario 3: Documentation Only #

Knowledge base/help site:

Enable on:

  • Docs (or whatever your KB uses)

Disable on:

  • Post
  • Page

Use specific question: “Did this solve your problem?”

Measuring Custom Post Type Success #

Key Metrics #

For Products:

  • 70%+ positive = Good descriptions
  • Track which products need better info

For Documentation:

  • 80%+ positive = Effective articles
  • <70% = Needs immediate update

For Portfolio:

  • 75%+ positive = Engaging presentations
  • Read comments for inspiration

For Events:

  • 85%+ positive = Clear, complete info
  • <75% = Missing critical details

Related Guides #

Common Questions #

Q: Can I enable feedback on all post types at once? A: Yes, just check all boxes in Select Post Types.

Q: Can I have different settings per post type? A: Not through the interface, but possible with custom code.

Q: Do custom post types affect reports? A: No, all feedback appears together in reports.

Q: Can I disable a post type later? A: Yes, just uncheck it and save. Existing feedback remains in database.

Ready to enable feedback on your custom content types? Start collecting valuable insights across your entire site today!

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