How do I display a slider?
Add the “General Slider” block to any page and pick your slider, or paste the shortcode [general_slider id="123"] (the exact shortcode is shown on each slider’s edit screen).
Why is my slider not showing?
Check these in order: (1) the slider has at least one slide and is published ; (2) the block or shortcode actually points to that slider — the exact shortcode is shown on the slider’s edit screen; (3) if your site uses page caching, clear the cache so the latest version loads. Still stuck? Ask in the support forum with your page link and we’ll help.
Do I need to write any code?
No. Everything is done from the WordPress admin.
Does it load jQuery?
No. The front end uses the lightweight, dependency-free Splide engine.
Will it slow down my site?
No. There is no jQuery and no external libraries; CSS/JS load only on pages that actually contain a slider, images are lazy-loaded (the first slide is prioritised for a better LCP), and sliders initialise only when scrolled into view.
Does it work with caching plugins?
Yes. General Slider works smoothly alongside caching and performance plugins. If you edit a slider and the change doesn’t appear on the front end right away, just clear your site’s cache to see the latest version.
Can I change the look of the arrows and dots?
Yes — pick a navigation & frame skin in the slider’s settings box, or set a site-wide default under General Slider → Settings . Skins change the chrome (arrows, dots, frame) and work with every design preset: Classic, Soft (floating card), Stories and Stories Progress (segmented top lines — Progress fills over the autoplay interval), Numbers (editorial 01 02 03), Vertical (right-edge dots), Corner (square corner arrows), Neon (accent glow), Minimal, Pill, Outline, Retro, Glass and Dark. Developers can register their own via the general_slider_skins filter.
How can I style the slider?
Three layers, no code needed: pick a design preset (the slide layout), a navigation & frame skin (the chrome) and your accent colour — all in the slider’s settings box, with site-wide defaults under General Slider → Settings . Overlay darkness/style, height, image fit and focus are per-slider too. For anything beyond that, each slider has its own Custom CSS box.
Does it work with Elementor and page builders?
Yes. There is a dedicated “General Slider” Elementor widget, and the shortcode works in any page builder or the classic editor.
Does it work with my theme?
Yes. It works with both block (FSE) themes and classic themes. Slide text inherits your theme’s styling, and you can set an accent colour or add custom CSS per slider.
Is it responsive and mobile friendly?
Yes. Sliders are fully responsive, and multi-slide carousels automatically reduce the number of slides on tablets and phones. You can also set device-specific values: open the slider’s “Responsive” settings to give tablet and mobile their own slides-per-view, gap, height, arrows, dots, or hide the slide text on small screens.
How do I change the slider height?
Each slider has a “Slide height (px)” setting in its settings box — set the height you want. You can also give tablet and mobile their own heights in the “Responsive” settings, so the slider fits every screen.
Can I change the slide transition speed?
Yes. In the slider’s settings box, set “Transition speed (ms)” to control how quickly one slide changes into the next — lower is snappier, higher is more gradual. This is separate from “Autoplay speed”, which is how long each slide stays before advancing.
Can I build a slider from my posts or products automatically?
Yes. In the Slides box, switch “Slides source” to Pull slides from posts (dynamic) and choose a content type — posts, pages or, if WooCommerce is active, products. The slider builds itself from your latest content (featured image, title, excerpt and link) and refreshes automatically when you publish or edit content. Every preset, skin and effect works with dynamic sliders too.
Can I animate the slide text?
Yes. In “Slider settings”, pick a Text animation — fade, fade up or down, slide from the left or right, or zoom. The sub heading, heading, text and button enter one after another. Animations are pure CSS and respect the “reduced motion” accessibility setting.
How do I show more than one slide at a time?
Open the slider, and in “Slider settings” set “Slides per view” to 2 or more to create a carousel (great for logos, products or testimonials).
Can I use a video background?
Yes. In a slide’s “Background video” field, paste a YouTube or Vimeo link, or a self-hosted MP4/WebM URL. The video plays muted and looped behind the slide content.
Is it accessible?
Yes. Sliders support keyboard navigation, screen-reader labels, a play/pause button for autoplay, and respect the “reduced motion” setting.
Can I move sliders between sites?
Yes. Use the JSON import / export tools on the General Slider > Settings screen, or export a slider as a demo package (.zip) and import it on another site.
Can I create and duplicate multiple sliders?
Yes. Build as many reusable sliders as you like, each with its own slides and settings, and use the Duplicate action to copy an existing slider as a starting point.
Can I use more than one slider on the same page?
Yes. Add as many sliders as you need to a single page — each one runs independently.
Does it support right-to-left (RTL) languages?
Yes. Sliders are RTL ready and follow your site’s text direction automatically.
Is General Slider translation ready?
Yes. Every string is translatable and the plugin ships with a .pot template in the /languages folder.
Does it work with Full Site Editing (FSE) and block themes?
Yes. The General Slider block works in the block editor, the Site Editor and template parts, as well as in classic themes.
Can developers customise the output?
Yes. The plugin provides filters: general_slider_settings (a slider’s resolved settings), general_slider_slides (the slides before rendering), general_slider_config (the Splide JS options), general_slider_html (the final markup), general_slider_presets (register your own design preset) and general_slider_skins (register your own navigation & frame skin). Full hook reference with code examples .
Where do the demos come from?
The Demo Library loads ready-made sliders from an online library so new demos can be added without updating the plugin. It only connects when you open the Demo Library screen or import a demo. See “External services” below.
You can also browse the demos online before installing.
Is this plugin actively maintained?
Yes. General Slider is actively developed, with regular feature updates and new demos. See the Changelog for the latest releases, and the GitHub repository for ongoing development.
