Best Ways to Create a Responsive Table in WordPress (With & Without a Plugin)

Nowadays, users access websites on a myriad of devices, from desktops to smartphones, so creating a seamless, responsive user experience is crucial. A key part of this user experience is a responsive table. A non-responsive table can drastically diminish the readability and overall user experience of your WordPress website, especially on smaller screens.

Creating a responsive table in WordPress can be achieved both with and without plugins. Both approaches have their merits and can be tailored to your specific needs. So let’s see how the WordPress experts go about creating responsive tables in their pages and posts.

Let’s begin with what a responsive table is.

What is a Reponsive Table?

A responsive table is a table that automatically adjusts its layout and formatting to fit different screen sizes. This ensures optimal readability on various devices, from large desktops to small smartphones. By using techniques like CSS media queries and responsive design principles, you can create tables that look great and function seamlessly on any device.

But first, we’ll cover the easy method, i.e. using a plugin.

How to Create a Responsive Table in WordPress With a Plugin?

WordPress plugins are the go-to when it comes to adding new functionalities to the website. Plugins are one of the reasons WordPress is considered the best CMS.

Among the best plugins for creating responsive tables is TablePress. Here’s how you install the plugin and use it for creating the table.

Step 1: Log into the WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New’ and search for “TablePress”.

Step 3: Click ‘Install Now’ and then ‘Activate’ the plugin.

Step 4: Now, from the left-hand menu, access the TablePress plugin and click on “Add New Table”.

Step 5: Input your table data, including headers and rows and click ‘Add Table’.

That will create and show a basic table, which you can configure according to your requirements.

Step 6: Set table caption, description, and other general settings.

Step 7: Configure the table options according to your suitability.

Step 8: After you are satisfied with the configurations, click “Preview” and then “Save Changes”.

This plugin also gives you the ability to import or export a table into or from your WordPress website.

If you need help with customizing this plugin or ensuring a better use on your website, have a consultation with our WordPress development experts.

How to Create Responsive Tables in WordPress Manually? (Without Plugins)

While plugins offer a convenient way to create responsive tables, you can also achieve this manually using HTML and CSS. This method provides more granular control over the table’s appearance and behavior. Here’s the step-by-step process involving just three steps.

Step 1: Create a basic HTML table structure

<table class="responsive-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Header 1</th>
      <th>Header 2</th>
      <th>Header 3</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Cell 1</td>
      <td>Cell 2</td>
      <td>Cell 3</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Cell 4</td>
      <td>Cell 5</td>
      <td>Cell 6</td>
    </tr>   

  </tbody>
</table>

Step 2: Add basic CSS Styles

.responsive-table {
  width: 100%;
  border-collapse: collapse;
}

.responsive-table th, .responsive-table td {
  border: 1px solid #ddd;
  padding: 8px;
  text-align: left;   
}

.responsive-table th {
  background-color: #f2f2f2;   
}

Step 3: Implement responsiveness with media queries

@media only screen and (max-width: 768px) {
  .responsive-table {
    display: block;
    width: 100%;
  }

  .responsive-table th, .responsive-table td {
    display: block;
    width: 100%;
  }

  .responsive-table th {
    position: absolute;
    top: -9999px;
  }

  .responsive-table tr {
    margin-bottom: 15px;
  }

  .responsive-table td {
    position: relative;
    padding-left: 50%;
  }

  .responsive-table td:before {
    content: attr(data-th) ": ";
    position: absolute;
    left: 0;
    width: 50%;
    padding-left: 15px;
    font-weight: bold;
  }
}

Step 4: In your WordPress page or post, use the HTML block and paste your HTML and CSS code. 

This process can help create a fully-customized responsive table in WordPress. Seeing as it’s a more technically-inclined process, if you need help with it, consult with our professional WordPress development company.

Other Responsive Elements in WordPress Pages and Posts

While tables are a significant element, there are other components of your WordPress site that need to be responsive to ensure optimal user experience across various devices.

Responsive Images

Use the WordPress native image sizes to automatically generate smaller versions for different screen sizes. Implement lazy loading to defer image loading until they are about to be viewed, improving page load times.

Responsive Video Embeds

Use services like YouTube and Vimeo, which automatically adjust their videos to fit different screen sizes. Consider using a video player plugin like WP Video Lightbox for more customization and responsiveness.

Responsive Forms

Use CSS to adjust form elements’ size and layout for different screen sizes. Consider using a form plugin like Gravity Forms, which offers built-in responsiveness.

Fluid Grid Layout

Use a flexible grid system that adapts to different screen sizes. WordPress themes often come with built-in responsive grid systems.

CSS Media Queries

Use media queries to apply specific CSS styles to different screen sizes. Target mobile devices, tablets, and desktops.

Responsive Typography

Use relative font sizes (e.g., em, rem) to adjust font sizes based on the screen size. Consider using a responsive font size calculator to determine appropriate font sizes.

Make sure you test all these elements on your WordPress website on various devices and screen sizes. That will help identify and fix responsiveness issues. And, optimize the image sizes, minify CSS and JavaScript, and leverage browser caching to improve page load times.If you need help with responsive design practices on your website, get our WordPress web services.

FAQs on Creating a Responsive Table in WordPress

Let’s Summarize

Responsive tables play a significant role in ensuring a seamless user experience on WordPress websites by adapting to different screen sizes. By leveraging WordPress plugins like TablePress or manually coding with HTML and CSS, you can ensure that your tables look great and function flawlessly on any device.

But remember to prioritize mobile-first design, optimize image sizes, and test your tables across different screen resolutions.

If you need help with the responsive tables on your website, hire our WordPress professionals today!