My Static Front Page needs to change weekly – I need advice.

Your post is a bit complex so maybe i dont understand it all right away, but have you considered limiting the number of posts on the post page to 1?
Then the latest post you create will always be the only one shown on the front page.

Yes. This is possible. I do it pulling posts to a static page via an old plugin that just keeps on working called inline posts. I don’t know if you’ll be able to find it, but it works fine on anything up to and including WP 4.1.1 using any theme I’m running, some of them commercial themes, some of them Twenty-Fourteen or Fifteen or Twelve, some of them my own builds. If you can find it, it’s easy to use. The original developer was Aral Balkan of https://aralbalkan.com/ .

Are you aware that this is a setting within WP itself – you do not need a plugin?

Also, maybe I am misunderstanding, but when you mention this plugin, it seems to be a solution to your issue?

@wpfan1000: There is a way to specify what page is set to display as the home page and there are ways to assign specific categories of posts to display, but my understanding of the OP question was about a weekly change of a static home page *content* without having to recreate the design elements, just changing the text and illustrative content, keeping the previous content, but allowing it to continue to flow into the history archives. I assumed, which may be my error, that she will be posting more regularly to a category or the loop more than once per week, but that the changes to the home page, whether using an assigned, pre-constructed template or just a pull from the loop, would be discriminatory. If there is a way to *discriminately* pull specific single posts to assign to display on a static page other than by using WP calls, code, or the inline posts plug-in, then, no, I’m not familiar with that.

@ CyberCobre,

Sorry I thought your post was from the OP.

Anyways, having re-read the OPs issue, that just showing a single Post on the front page of the site will do it.

But lets see what the OP has to say.

Just to be clear this is what I am suggesting:
If the front page is set to the Posts page, and not a Page page, and the number of posts on the Posts/Front page is set to one, then each time, say weekly, when the OP creates a Post then it will be shown on the front page, and the previous post will not be, but will be in the archives, etc. as the OP is desiring.

That’s true, wpfan1000. Again, I tend to assume things, and I could be all wrong about what the OP desires to do. The standard WP method might be exactly what she wants.

(Your two most recent posts snuck in while I was composing this “essay”, but I’ll let it stand, to see what you both have to say. I MUCH APPRECIATE your help!)

Again, apologies for the long initial post. My current “confusion” suggests a full explanation is the only way others will grasp my plan. Thanks for replies, wpfan1000 and CyberCobre. ALL QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TO YOU BOTH, and to anyone else who will contribute.

wpfan1000 =
Your very simple (and elegant) suggestion may be dead-on correct, but the results of the various Settings > Reading screen settings are unclear to me. I returned to that screen per your comments, and here questions arise:

Front page displays: A static page (select below)
Front page: FRONTPAGE (I created a new page and named it “FRONTPAGE’)
Posts page: (questions here)

Maybe I’m missing something, but I think I want my one weekly post to appear on the page FRONTPAGE, which is my intended static front page. BUT…if I also choose FRONTPAGE as my “Posts page:” I see: Warning: these pages should not be the same! WHY should the two designations not point to the same page? Maybe it’s just because the average WP user doesn’t want what I’m attempting…(?) (wpfan100, please build upon your Post #6 to clarify further. What is the Posts page, as opposed to a ‘page’ page?)

CyberCobre ==
Thanks for your in-depth consideration of my problem. Your two posts indicate a solid understanding of my situation (though I don’t understand all terms used in your remarks, ha!). I visited your website and it appears you are very much the “Renaissance Woman”. I am a painter and songwriter, and though you referred to me as “she” I’m actually something of a “Renaissance Man“. (blush) I’m building this WP site to promote my work.

Settings > Reading screen
Blog pages show at most: 1

If I set this parameter to ‘1’ (and can resolve the Front page vs. Posts page issue described above) does it mean ANY and EVERY new POST will appear on my static front page, the page named FRONTPAGE? I have a related question, but will hold off until I receive your replies thus far.

Thanks very much

@bothhands: Apologies about the mistake in gender assignment. My bad.

If you only plan on posting one post a week, then you can simply leave your Reading Settings on “Your Latest Posts.”

If you want a specific static home page and a separate blog page, then you’ll need to use the static page setting, but that does require you to assign two different pages, one for the static home page and one for the posts. They can’t be the same page, no.

The posts page will incorporate what WordPress calls the loop.

To call specific posts to the home page will require using code to so call (See the documentation section) or a plug-in.

Maybe wpfan1000 has a better alternative, though.

Hi, try this please:

Go to Settings > Reading settings > Front page displays

Select “Your latest posts” NOT “A static page”

Set “Blog pages show at most” to 1

Publish a new post

Check to see if it is in the front page of your site

Publish another new post

Check to see if it is in the front page of your site

That should do it ??

Posts not Pages will also show up in the archives by month etc, so you need to use Posts.

As for explaining all about posts and pages and which ones have comments and when you should use a post and when a page etc, and your other questions, please do check the Internet – Google your questions – they are basic topics about how to use WordPress. There are TONS of articles explaining all of those.

Here’s a good article along those lines:

https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/what-is-the-difference-between-posts-vs-pages-in-wordpress/

This one may be helpful to you as well:
https://weblines.com.au/wordpress-basics/your-wordpress-front-page/

CyberCobre Post#9 and wpfan1000 Post#10 ==

You are both so knowledgeable – I wonder if you remember what it was like to FLAIL and THRASH ABOUT, Googling your brains out for three weeks trying to make sense of WordPress. Each clue leads in a dozen directions and you end up with only partial knowledge of a 100 concepts – 93 of which are of NO use to you at this stage of The Learning Curve, and ALL of them confirm the adage “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” LOL!

That’s exactly what the past three weeks have been for me. AAARGH!

You two (and WPyogi) have helped me here more than you can imagine! I implemented your suggestions and IT WORKS! Per your very helpful advice, I now (finally) understand the important distinctions between WP Page and Post, and that I need to write a POST for the presentation of each new painting. Also, now I understand that I DON’T need a static front page at all. I simply set “Front page to display” to Your latest posts, and set “Blog pages show at most” to ‘1‘. So simple! So easy! Such a buh-luddy waste of time until now…ugh!

When I read your initial reply, wpfan1000, it was at the end of a loooong day and I figured I’d just “sleep on it” – and all the while I had the nagging suspicion that your incredibly simple cure would render pointless all the hours (days!) spent learning about ‘custom page templates” and other unnecessary technical “savvy” I’ve been accumulating (sort of).

THE TWO VERY HELPFUL LINKS PROVIDED

WPyogi ==
Excellent link (wpbeginner). I watched the sub-two-minute video and learned most of what I need to know. ‘Read the entire page and came away knowing that my new content needs to be written as POSTS, not Pages. Thanks. (And, now I understand that Pages are not identified via Categories or Tags, so I really must use Posts.)

wpfan100 ==
Wow. That weblines.com link is absolutely spot on! SPOT ON! It covers exactly what was confusing me, right down to the final paragraph. Too, TOO GOOD!

I have other questions, but out of respect for this forum and its organization. I think I should ask them in other threads. I hope you helpful, knowledgeable people will find those threads and weigh in.

Thank you VERY much.

I am sorry that you had to go thru all that Googling ??
I do know what that is like
I am glad though that you have a solution and that I could help ??

wpfan100 ==

I have another active thread, with no resolution thus far.

If you have time and inclination, would you take a look at the issue and see if any fix occurs to you?

The thread deals with assigning a destination to my ‘HOME’ main nav menu link – now that I no longer have an actual “Front Page”…

HERE’S THE LINK

It’s always sumthin’ right?
Thanks