MB Favorite Posts

Exploring the MB Favorite Posts Plugin

MB Favorite Posts is an innovative WordPress plugin designed to enhance user experience by allowing visitors to easily bookmark and manage their favorite posts. This functionality not only encourages users to engage with more content but also helps site owners understand user preferences better. The plugin presents an intuitive way for both guests and registered users to save posts they enjoy for future reference.

Installation and Setup

To get started with MB Favorite Posts, the first prerequisite is to have the Meta Box plugin installed and activated. Users can download Meta Box from the official WordPress repository. After that, the process involves downloading the MB Favorite Posts plugin from the user’s account page, followed by uploading the plugin’s .zip file through the Admin Dashboard. It’s worth noting that MB Favorite Posts is an independent feature, meaning it doesn’t come bundled with the Meta Box AIO, thus providing flexibility for installation.

Once successfully installed, the plugin automatically integrates a “Favorite Posts” button across the WordPress site with default settings, making it straightforward for users to begin bookmarking their favorite content.

Customizing Your Favorite Posts Button

One of the key features of the MB Favorite Posts plugin is the ability to customize the appearance and function of the Favorite Posts button according to specific needs. Accessing the settings is easy; simply navigate to Settings > Favorite Posts.

Users will encounter three predefined styles for the Favorite Posts button:

• Default: This displays a standard button format.
• Like: This presents a minimalist like icon, resembling a Facebook-style interaction.
• Rounded: This style features a rounded button with just an icon, offering a clean look.

Beyond these styles, the plugin grants further customization options by enabling users to modify elements like text, color, and icons. Additionally, you have control over where and when the button is displayed, ensuring it aligns with the overall user experience and site design.

User Dashboard and Registration Integration

The MB Favorite Posts plugin is integrated seamlessly with the MB User Profile plugin. This combination allows for the automatic creation of a User Dashboard and Registration Page, eliminating the need for any coding skills.

User Dashboard

On the User Dashboard, registered users can easily view a curated list of all their saved favorite posts. This personalized space not only improves user engagement but also incentivizes users to return to the site to explore their saved content.

Registration Page

The Registration Page provides users with a straightforward form to create an account, allowing them access to the Favorite Posts feature. An important aspect to note is that when users register, they are assigned the Subscriber role by default, controlling access and permissions effectively.

To set up these essential pages, site administrators can link existing pages or opt to create new ones through Pages > Add New. Simply fill in your desired page names and publish them to make them live.

Removing posts from favorites is also user-friendly; users can click an icon next to the post to unbookmark any favorite item.

Shortcodes for Flexibility

The MB Favorite Posts plugin allows users to efficiently implement functionality across their site through a series of powerful shortcodes. Three main shortcodes are available:

1. [mbfp-posts]: Displays a list of all favorite posts for the user.
2. [mbfp-button]: Shows the “Add to favorite” button on any page or post.
3. [mbfp-button id="post_id" class="custom_class" add="add_text" added="added_text" show_count="true"]: This versatile shortcode grants users extensive customization by accepting various parameters like post ID, custom classes, different text for added and not added states, and options to include or exclude icons and counts.

For example, if you wish to display a custom button that shows the count of favorites, you would utilize this shortcode while assigning necessary parameters to tailor the function.

1. [mbfp-count id="post_id"]: This shortcode retrieves and displays the total number of favorites associated with a specific post.

These shortcodes are incredibly useful, allowing site owners to place favorite posts functionality anywhere within the content—be it in sidebars, posts, or custom pages.

Data Management

The MB Favorite Posts plugin efficiently manages data related to user favorites. It stores favorite post information in two key locations:

• User Meta: For registered users, the plugin keeps a serialized array of favorite post IDs using the metadata key mbfp_posts. For unregistered users, this data is stored in their browser cookies, facilitating a seamless experience without requiring an account.

• Post Meta: The plugin records user IDs associated with each post that has been marked as a favorite using the metadata key mbfp_count. This way, site administrators can easily track how many users have favorited each post.

This dual approach provides flexibility, ensuring that whether or not a user is logged in, their favorite posts remain accessible and easy to manage.

Querying Favorites

For developers and site administrators, MB Favorite Posts offers robust capabilities to query favorite posts:

• To retrieve favorite posts for a specific user, you can employ the following code snippet:

php
$post_ids = get_user_meta($user_id, 'mbfp_posts', true);
$query = new WP_Query([
'post_type' => 'post',
'post__in' => $post_ids,
]);
// Execute actions with $query.

• Additionally, to find out which users favorited a particular post, the following code can be utilized:

php
$user_ids = get_post_meta($post_id, 'mbfp_count', true);
$users = get_users([
'include' => $user_ids,
]);
// Execute actions with $users.

This data management capability is powerful for building personalized experiences or targeting content to specific user demographics based on their favorites.

Developer Hooks

For those looking to extend functionality further, the plugin provides two key hooks:

1. mbfp_cookie_expiration: This filter allows developers to change the duration that cookies storing favorite post data remain active. This can be beneficial for controlling how long a user’s preferences are preserved.

php
add_filter('mbfp_cookie_expiration', function($days) {
$days = '1 month'; // Adjust to desired duration
return $days;
}, 10, 3);

1. mbfp_limit: This filter sets the maximum number of favorite posts a user can save. This is useful for managing database size and ensuring that users maintain a practical number of favorites.

php
add_filter('mbfp_limit', function($limit) {
$limit = 100; // Define your maximum limit here
return $limit;
});

These hooks not only empower developers to tailor the plugin’s functionalities but also enhance usability for end-users, yielding a more satisfying experience.

The MB Favorite Posts plugin stands out as an excellent solution for WordPress users seeking to enrich their website engagement. Offering easy installation, style customization, and data management flexibly, the plugin not only improves the user experience but also provides valuable insights into user behavior. Whether for a personal blog or a corporate site, MB Favorite Posts serves as a vital tool for fostering community and interaction around shared interests in content. By streamlining the process of saving and managing favorites, it helps create a more compelling and interactive environment for all users.