- NewspaperWP Rocket and Newspaper Theme: Optimization Guide
- TutorialsFrom WPBakery to tagDiv Composer
- TutorialsOffset Feature
- TutorialsWhat is Ajax preloading?
- TutorialstagDiv Social Counter Tutorial
Hi,
First of all, thank you for your previous reply regarding Flex Blocks and background images.
I’m trying to optimize my website as much as possible for Google’s Core Web Vitals, especially on mobile, and I’d like to make sure I’m using Newspaper in the best possible way.
My website is:
https://actugeekgaming.com/
My latest PageSpeed report:
https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-actugeekgaming-com/aomr1s8vst?form_factor=mobile
At the moment my mobile score is around 50–60, and I’d like to improve it significantly while keeping Newspaper if possible.
Here is what I’ve already done:
Removed the homepage video background.
Replaced the hero section with a normal image.
Optimized all featured images.
Enabled WP Super Cache.
Enabled Jetpack CDN.
Upgraded to PHP 8.2.
Removed unnecessary plugins.
Added preload for the LCP image.
Contacted support regarding Flex Blocks using CSS background images.
I understand that Flex Blocks use background images by design, and you’ve suggested creating a custom Module Builder template using an element instead.
Before rebuilding my homepage, I would like to ask a few questions:
1) What are the official Newspaper recommendations for achieving the best possible Mobile PageSpeed score?
2) Which homepage modules or blocks are the most performance-friendly?
Are Flex Blocks still recommended for the first visible section, or would you recommend using a Module Builder layout instead?
3) Are there any Newspaper or TagDiv Composer settings that should be disabled to improve Core Web Vitals?
4) Do you have a performance optimization guide specifically for Newspaper?
5) Do you know of any websites using Newspaper that consistently achieve 85–90+ Mobile PageSpeed scores?
If so, could you share a demo or explain what makes them different?
6) Apart from replacing Flex Blocks, is there anything else inside Newspaper that commonly hurts LCP or overall mobile performance?
My goal isn’t simply to increase the PageSpeed score, but to build a fast, modern news website while continuing to use Newspaper.
Thank you very much for your advice!
1. I’m using this Big Grid Flex https://prnt.sc/AGrTw73kUHrl, and I want customize the corners like this next one that has the Image Radius option https://prnt.sc/AGrTw73kUHrl
2.I already have the pages setup https://prnt.sc/iIY7ifyZ6eGr, Checkout Page https://prnt.sc/1EFj173IfU16, https://prnt.sc/O8AhBBJqHveJ, https://prnt.sc/lNC-6tW9mAod, but when I make a testing this is the page the checkout shows https://prnt.sc/k_lWYKTagvzM, look the link, the link is not the one that I created. My Account Page is working https://prnt.sc/zOhTCtbTnUhZ, https://prnt.sc/HTFMVCZ-06hg, https://prnt.sc/myKpx5Jk3oyu, and the login/register is working too.
With the front page I made a mistake deleting the revisions, I have to recreate the front page again, that’s why I want to know if I can customize the corners of the image in Big Grid Flex because I want all the image with radius corners so they look modern. All other Flex Blocks had the option of Image Raduis but I want to use the Big Grid Flex and don’t have that option or I’m not finding it.
Let me know when we can change to email support.
Thanks again for all your help!!
Hi, hope your ok!
I’ve never been able to get the post preview/excerpt feature to work. I’ve tried several times, but it hasn’t worked, or I don’t know how.
Two additional things for now:
– First, there are certain sections that uses Big Grid Flex, which doesn’t give me the option to round the corners of the images. Is there any way to do this? I already added some CSS code, and it only fixed the images within the posts.
– In Opt-In Builder Subscriptions > Pages, even though I change the name of the Checkout and My Account Page, the slug still shows “week_pro,” which I don’t want. I want to customize and personalized it to biznetacademy, but it won’t let me; it still shows “week_pro.” I want to remove everything that says “week_pro” and customize it to biznetacademy, which is my platform. It seems I didn’t know how to do it correctly, and the changes and attempts I made affected and damaged the front page. Now, more than 80% of everything I had on the front page is gone. 🙁
Thanks again for all your help.
Hi,
There isn’t unfortunately. All flex blocks display the image as a background, that’s how they were built. We did have plans some time ago to add an option to choose how the image should be displayed, either img or background, but it was complicated and the plans were dropped.
You could create your own module -> https://forum.tagdiv.com/modules-builder-newspaper-theme/ This loads the image as img, not background. Then you could use this module in a flex block builder at the top of the page, which is where the LCP is most likely happening. You could give it a try.
Thank you!
Hello,
I’m using Newspaper 12.7.7 with the latest tagDiv Composer.
My homepage scores around 60 on Google PageSpeed Insights (mobile).
Lighthouse identifies the homepage LCP element as:
<span class=”entry-thumb td-thumb-css”
style=”background-image:url(…)”>
The image is rendered as a CSS background instead of an element.
Lighthouse reports:
fetchpriority=high should be applied
render-blocking CSS, especially:
td_legacy_main.css
style.css
tds-front.css
I already tested:
latest Newspaper and tagDiv Composer versions
Jetpack Image Accelerator enabled
cache enabled
manually adding a preload for the LCP image
My questions are:
Is there any supported setting or Flex Block that renders the featured image as a real instead of a CSS background?
Is there an official hook/filter to customize the thumbnail markup?
Is there a recommended way to improve LCP for Newspaper homepages?
Can td_legacy_main.css or other legacy CSS resources be safely disabled on Newspaper 12.7.7?
Website:
https://actugeekgaming.com
PageSpeed test :
https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-actugeekgaming-com/hodhlqczsz?form_factor=mobile
Thank you!
Hi,
That option you mentioned refers to the block title -> https://prnt.sc/4V3adrcJP3gq So not the article title. Blocks 1 to 25 are the older standard blocks, we haven’t added new features for them since we added the flex blocks.
If you want to be able to customize blocks in detail, please use flex blocks. Like these ones which you can import from the cloud library -> https://cloud.tagdiv.com/#/load/Blocks
Flex blocks have many more options, including for setting a color for the article titles -> https://prnt.sc/SQLf6kQuhtEM
Let me know if I can help more.
Thank you!
I do hope locker control by category can be instituted soon. Locking individual articles is time consuming and inflexible – any adjustments mean opening individual posts and when you have 7000+ posts that’s a lot of work.
Anyway, hoping, as the locker has an attractive design compared to some.
MG
Hi,
Thank you — this worked perfectly.
The Big Grid Flex 2 now displays correctly on mobile, much closer to the Newsmag layout I wanted.
I’ll test it further on different screen sizes, but so far it looks good.
Thank you for the quick help!
Please try something like this:
@media (max-width: 767px) {
div.td_block_big_grid_flex_2 .td-big-grid-flex-scroll-holder {
overflow-x: auto!important;
overflow-y: auto!important;
white-space: normal!important;
}
.td_block_big_grid_flex_2 .td-big-grid-flex-scroll-holder {
display: grid!important;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
gap: 3px;
overflow-x: visible;
white-space: normal;
}
.td_block_big_grid_flex_2 .td-big-grid-flex-scroll-holder .td_module_flex_7 {
width: 100%!important;
flex: none!important;
}}
Then the Big grid flex 2 should look like this on mobile -> https://prnt.sc/BuxRJFJFWpqi
The code can be entered in the Live CSS in the admin bar, or in the theme panel custom CSS section. Maybe also clear the website cache to make sure the code applies.
Please give it a try and let me know if it worked or in case there are any problems with it.
Thank you!
Hi,
Yes, I am using Big Grid Flex 2.
If you can provide the CSS solution to make the mobile layout display like the Newsmag example, that would be great.
Thank you!
Hi,
That is possible. It could be made with a section, meaning using multiple blocks, which can be arranged as needed on desktop and mobile.
But it could also be done with some CSS. Maybe this will be easier if you just want the grid to look that way.
In Newspaper are you using Big grid flex 2? -> https://prnt.sc/VYV3XQeAAqxP Let me know if that’s the case, and I’ll provide a solution to make it display as you want on mobile.
Thank you!
We have been having the same issue with flex block 2 as well, it will only show a post if all categories is selected, but not the one we would like to display.
Hi,
I really like how Newsmag automatically changes the Hero/Big Grid section on mobile (see Screenshot). The first featured article stays large, while the next four articles are displayed in a clean two-column grid.
In Newspaper, the same section keeps the desktop layout and the smaller articles become horizontally scrollable instead.
Is there a built-in Big Grid, Flex Block, Cloud Library template, or responsive option that reproduces the same mobile layout as Newsmag?
Thank you!
Hello,
I have been battling with this challenge since I bought the theme.
I tried to make Flex Block 2 at the top of the website’s homepage show latest post, but it does not. I have changed categories and filters but still couldn’t show the latest post as the main big picture to be followed by subsequent posts.
Hi,
While I haven’t tested the plugin myself, I suggest using a regular post loop in the search template, meaning either of these two -> https://prnt.sc/SjVO_yiOaVck So not a flex loop, or a flex loop builder, or a block.
From what I see you are using a cloud template for the search results, is there no option to edit it with the composer? There should be one directly in the admin bar -> https://prnt.sc/Bsw1_b8OQH1j Or the option from the cloud library dashboard -> https://prnt.sc/lLMGfC8RQPvS
Then replace the flex loop builder that you are currently using in the search template with one of those two basic loops. Then it should work. If it does, then all that’s left is to customize the design of the loop to match the website a bit.
I hope it works fine.
Thank you!
Hello,
I’m using the Newspaper theme (version 12.7.6, with tagDiv Composer) on my live news site zzpnieuws.nl, which has an archive of 1,100+ articles. I want to use the Relevanssi search plugin to improve site search, but the search results page returns no results when Relevanssi is active.
What I’ve confirmed:
– With Relevanssi active, the search results page (e.g. /?s=schijnzelfstandigheid) shows “no results” for terms that appear hundreds of times in my archive, even though Relevanssi’s index is fully built and correct (1,122 documents, ~139,597 terms; posts and pages both included) and all Relevanssi settings are correct.
– The moment I deactivate Relevanssi, the theme’s native search works again immediately and returns the expected results. So the theme search itself is fine; the conflict is specifically between the search results template and Relevanssi.
– This persists on the latest version 12.7.6, with all caches cleared.
I’ve read an earlier reply from your team (Bettina) to another user, suggesting to edit the search page with tagDiv Composer and use a Flex Block with the filter “Search: Current Search” and no offset value. I’d like to apply this correctly but I’m not sure which template controls my search results page.
My questions:
1. Which template controls the search results page in the Newspaper theme – is it a Cloud Library template, a dedicated Search template in the Website Manager, or the theme default? I have a custom archive page that contains the search form, but the results appear on a separate /?s= page.
2. How should the Flex Block (“Search: Current Search”, no offset) be configured so the search results respect Relevanssi’s output instead of the theme’s own query?
3. Is there a recommended filter or hook for this that survives theme updates, rather than editing a core theme file?
I have a full backup in place and can provide temporary admin access through the official support channel if needed. This isn’t urgent – native search is working as a fallback – but I’d like to know the correct way to integrate Relevanssi with your theme.
Thank you,
Marco Weeber
zzpnieuws.nl
Hello,
I’m using the Filter Everything Pro plugin to filter ACF fields.
It works fine, but only with the post loop. Is there a way to filter Flex Blocks as well? Does anyone happen to know a solution?
Another option would be to display the post loops for a specific category only.
Hello Simion,
Thank you very much for your quick reply.
Today I tried again, and sure enough, this time Flex Loop Filter worked – at least partially. I didn’t do anything differently than yesterday. Maybe I should have waited a bit between making changes yesterday.
Nevertheless, thank you for your illustrated guides. They helped me be confident that I wasn’t doing something completely wrong.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to fully implement my use case yet. It is now possible to see and select the subcategories. However, I wasn’t able to limit the subcategories to only selected ones. Example: A subcategory called “Region” has three sub-subcategories: “Region A”, “Region B”, and “Region C”. Only these three should be visible to the user. The user should be able to select one, e.g., Region A, and then in the Flex Loop only posts from Region A should appear – or, depending on the selection, Region A and Region B.
I wasn’t able to enter the slugs of the subcategories into the list of slugs. It only accepts ‘category’. Or is there a special syntax I need to use here? Or, how can I display only slugs I want to have within the filter list?
Regards
Nelly
Hi,
If you add a flex loop in the homepage it will display the latest posts from all your categories by default.
If you want to use the filters for the flex loop, then you have to add taxonomy slugs. So for example, I want to display all my categories in the filter, I add the category slug -> https://prnt.sc/gWzHwas7s7Ie
Or, I have a taxonomy called Ingredient for a custom post type -> https://prnt.sc/LwbyOYtRCmWy I add the ingredient slug -> https://prnt.sc/tYz93jI8vnCb
If it’s not working, then it probably means you aren’t using the correct taxonomy slugs. Please make sure you add them correctly, and all the terms from that taxonomy should appear in the filter. If you want I can take a closer look as well. I’ll need admin login for the website, which you can send via email at contact@tagdiv.com and please also include a link to this topic in the email.
Thank you!
Hello,
for the following use case I tried to use the “Flex Loop …” items and unfortunately it does not work for me:
On the homepage, I wanted some of the posts filtered by region after user clicks on region buttons. User should be able to choose one or the other region and also should be able delete the filter. All other – non-regional posts should stay the same at the same time.
I have inserte all necessary Flex Loop elements on the page. The “flex loop filters” always says “This shortcode requires you to fill in at least on Taxanomy slug to work.” even though I put some slugs in it. Meanwhile I have tried different taxonomy slugs, but it always gives the same message. As result, there is no button displayed in the frontend. Besides, it does not work together with “flex loop” what is probably because “flex loop filters” does not work.
The documentation was not very helpful for me: https://forum.tagdiv.com/filters-sorting-taxonomies/
Could someone help me with this?
Regards
Nelly
The data I mentioned is not in files. The data is kept in tables in the database.
I don’t think it’s the data from socials because that can’t get out of control.
Are you using any video playlists on the website? https://forum.tagdiv.com/video-playlist-2/ Although these should also not get out of control.
Are you using the block cache from the theme on any blocks? https://forum.tagdiv.com/use-flex-blocks-cache-option/ Normally this works with transients, and they are automatically cleared when new ones are created. There could be cases when the transients aren’t getting removed automatically and they pile up.
Then all that’s left is a log for debugging, which is disabled by default. I suggest starting with this. In the database, in the wp_options table, search for an option name called td_011_log like this https://prnt.sc/REaK59LeuNFW Delete that log https://prnt.sc/UUIL1VFCvErj Then check the system status panel to see if it loads.
Please be sure to search for and delete that exact table, td_011_log Not anything else. If you maybe have a staging site clone test it there first. Or if you try it on the main website, then please make a full database backup before doing anything.
Let me know.
Thank you!
Hello,
We are experiencing an issue on our WordPress website using the Newspaper theme together with Cloudflare.
Every time we publish a news article, Cloudflare shows a CAPTCHA challenge before the publishing process can be completed. If we do not complete the CAPTCHA, the article is not published. The same thing also happens quite often when saving a draft.
The main problem is that we are currently unable to upload images properly. It looks like Cloudflare is blocking the upload process, but in this case no CAPTCHA is shown, so we have no way to complete the challenge. The only workaround we have found is to save a draft of any article, wait for the Cloudflare CAPTCHA to appear, complete it, and then our computer seems to be temporarily “authorized”. After that, we can publish articles, upload images and make other important changes for a while.
This issue also affects some Newspaper theme features. For example, the infinite scroll option, which loads more articles when scrolling, does not work unless the Cloudflare CAPTCHA has already been completed. The same happens with some news modules that load more posts or paginate results using AJAX.
This is especially important because the infinite scroll and AJAX loading issue affects 100% of our users. Visitors never see the Cloudflare CAPTCHA challenge, so they cannot complete it. As a result, they are unable to load more articles in any of the Newspaper theme “flex” modules that rely on AJAX loading or pagination. The module simply keeps loading forever, showing the spinning icon, but no additional content is loaded.
So the issue seems to be that Cloudflare is challenging or blocking some WordPress/Newspaper AJAX requests or admin actions, but in some cases the CAPTCHA is not displayed to the user, which makes the action impossible to complete.
Could you please help us identify which Newspaper theme AJAX requests, endpoints, scripts or WordPress actions should be excluded or whitelisted in Cloudflare so that features such as infinite scroll, AJAX pagination, image uploads, post publishing and the “flex” modules work correctly?
We would also appreciate any recommended Cloudflare configuration for the Newspaper theme, especially regarding:
* WordPress admin actions
* Media uploads
* admin-ajax.php requests
* Newspaper infinite scroll
* Newspaper AJAX pagination and post loading modules
* Newspaper “flex” modules that load more posts through AJAX
* Any theme-specific AJAX endpoints that should not be challenged by Cloudflare
Thank you.
Hi,
Normally the aspect ratios we provide for the block modules should cover pretty much all the cases https://prnt.sc/mQl9loGJNWbi Or you can set a custom width, height, and vertical alignment for the images in a block https://prnt.sc/lovms5y9HVAv
It’s more of a make the module to display the image better, rather than make the image fit the module. These thumbs that flex blocks use aren’t cropped at all https://prnt.sc/RUYrJbBzPMIx The flex blocks display the image as a background, so you can adjust the module depending on the case. There are all kinds of block designs in the cloud library if you want to check them out https://cloud.tagdiv.com/#/load/Blocks
Could you provide an example of the issue you are having with the thumbs?
Thank you.
I don’t understand what you mean unfortunately. Blocks and grids can’t be converted to pages. Blocks are for displaying posts from your website.
There are 575 blocks in the cloud library -> https://cloud.tagdiv.com/#/load/Blocks which you can import anywhere you want on the website. Please explore other blocks if you want a different design.
To make the block display the posts that you want please check the filter section of the block -> https://prnt.sc/FogFOqDf81Tm
Also please check this guide explaining the block settings -> https://forum.tagdiv.com/flex-block-settings-guide/
Thank you!
Hello,
I recently updated my Newsmag theme to the latest version to patch a security vulnerability. However, the td-cloud-library plugin is completely missing from my Newsmag Plugins installation panel.
My homepage relies on flex blocks (specifically [td_block_big_grid_fl_5]), so my layout is currently broken and just displaying the shortcode text.
Could you please provide the secure, updated td-cloud-library.zip file so I can install it manually and restore my homepage?
Thank you!
