The Shortcode Builder lets you visually configure and generate a BoardScribe shortcode to display meetings on your website. As you change the settings, BoardScribe automatically updates the shortcode and the preview so you can see how your meeting table or list will appear before adding it to a page or post.

BoardScribe Shortcode Builder screen showing display settings for filtering and formatting meetings, a generated shortcode with a Copy button, and a preview table of meetings with dates, agenda links, and minutes links.

The Shortcode Builder provides the same display settings as the Board Meetings block, making it easy to create meeting displays for websites using the Classic Editor or page builders like Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, or WPBakery.

BoardScribe Pro adds additional display templates, filters for Meeting Groups and Meeting Types, and options to display meeting locations, livestreams, recordings, transcripts, and supporting documents.

To access the Shortcode Builder, go to Board Meetings > Settings in the WordPress admin and click “Shortcode Builder” in the settings navigation.

Using the Shortcode Builder

The Shortcode Builder has three main areas:

Display settings — Configure which meetings are shown and how they are displayed.
Your Shortcode — Shows the shortcode generated from your current settings with a button to easily copy the shortcode to your clipboard.
Preview — Displays a preview of the meeting table using the current settings.

After configuring the display, copy the generated shortcode and paste it into a shortcode block or widget on any page or post where you want the meetings to appear. The shortcode lets you display BoardScribe on pages built with page builders such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, etc.

Configuring the Shortcode

The Shortcode Builder provides visual controls for the attributes available in the [edbs_boardscribe] shortcode. You don’t need to know the attribute names or write shortcode code manually.

Display Settings

Display Settings control which meetings appear and how they are organized.

You can configure:

Display Template: Choose between Table (Free), Timeline grouped by year (Pro), and List (Pro).
Pagination: Set the number of records per page or show all meetings without pagination.
Date Filters: Limit meetings by year, start and end dates, or whether they are upcoming or past meetings.
Sort Order: Display meetings from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.
Date and Time Formats: Customize how meeting dates and times appear using PHP date formatting.
Column Widths: Force all table columns to have equal widths.
Heading Level (Pro): Choose the heading level used for meeting titles in List view or year headings in Timeline view.
Meeting Groups (Pro): Filter meetings by board, committee, or organizational group.
Type (Pro): Filter meetings by Meeting Type, such as Regular or Special Meetings.

For example, to create a list of upcoming meetings, select Upcoming meetings under Date Scope and Oldest first under Sort Order. This displays future meetings with the next scheduled meeting at the top.

For a complete explanation of each setting, including accepted values, defaults, and examples, see the BoardScribe Shortcode documentation.

Links

Expand Links to customize the visible text used for agenda and minutes links.

You can also choose whether agenda and minutes links open in a new browser tab.

Accessibility note: We generally recommend leaving the new-tab setting off unless there is a specific reason to open links in new tabs. Unexpectedly opening a new tab can be confusing for some users. If enabled, BoardScribe adds a screen-reader hint indicating that the link opens in a new tab.

Hide Data

Expand Hide Data to choose which meeting information appears.

The free version allows you to hide the Title, Date, Time, Agenda, and Minutes.

BoardScribe Pro adds options to show or hide Location, Livestream, Recording, CC Transcript, and Documents. These additional Pro columns are hidden by default.

In the Table and Timeline templates, unavailable information may result in empty cells. In the Pro List template, labels for unavailable information don’t display.

Advanced

Expand Advanced to add custom CSS classes to the meeting display. This allows you to target a specific BoardScribe table or list with custom styles.

For more information about customizing individual settings, see the BoardScribe Shortcode documentation.

Copying the Shortcode

The Your Shortcode section automatically updates whenever you change a setting.

Shortcode builder showing a shortcode with a button to copy it to your clipboard.

For example, selecting:

Date Scope: Upcoming meetings
Sort Order: Oldest first
Records Per Page: 5

Generates a shortcode similar to:

[edbs_boardscribe date_scope="upcoming" order="asc" posts_per_page="5"]

The actual shortcode generated by your builder will reflect the settings you’ve selected.

Click the Copy button to copy the shortcode to your clipboard. You can then paste it into a WordPress Shortcode block or another location that supports shortcodes.

Important: If you change settings in the Shortcode Builder after copying a shortcode, you’ll need to copy the updated shortcode and replace the previous one on your page. Changing settings in the builder does not automatically update shortcodes you’ve already inserted elsewhere on your website.

Previewing Your Meeting List

The Preview section shows how the current shortcode configuration will display meetings. It updates as you change the settings.

Use the preview to confirm that the correct meetings are included, the display template and sorting are correct, and the desired information and document links appear. If you’re using BoardScribe Pro, you can switch between Table, Timeline, and List templates to compare how your meetings will appear.

The preview helps you configure the shortcode. The final appearance on the front end may vary based on your WordPress theme and any custom CSS applied to the site.

Accessibility note: Because BoardScribe meeting displays use your WordPress theme’s styles, accessibility issues in your theme may also affect the output. For example, your theme could introduce color-contrast issues or remove keyboard-focus indicators. Always test the published meeting display on your website’s front end.

Adding the Shortcode to Your Website

Once you’ve configured and copied your shortcode, add it to the page or post where you want visitors to find meeting information. If you’re using the Classic Editor or a page builder, simply paste the shortcode into a content area or widget that supports WordPress shortcodes.

You can add multiple BoardScribe shortcodes to the same page, each with different settings. For example, you might display upcoming meetings in one section and past meetings in another, or create separate displays for different boards and committees.

We recommend including headings before each meeting display so visitors understand what information each table or list contains.

Block or Shortcode?

The Board Meetings block and [edbs_boardscribe] shortcode provide different ways to configure the same BoardScribe meeting display.

Use the Board Meetings block when you’re working in the WordPress block editor and want to configure the display using visual controls.

Use the shortcode when you need to place a meeting list somewhere that accepts shortcodes, when you’re using a page builder that doesn’t support the block, or if you are coding BoardScribe output in your theme.

The Shortcode Builder provides the same display and filtering options as the block, including the additional settings available in BoardScribe Pro. Both approaches offer identical controls and output.