AT Announcement — Documentation
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Plugin Version: 2.0.0 · Last Updated: March 2026 · by Altechmind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Installation
- Getting Started
- Display Modes
- Shortcode Reference
- Sidebar Widget
- Announcement Settings
- Categories
- Global Settings
- Shortcode Examples
- FAQ
- Support
1 Installation
Upload via WordPress Admin
- Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
- Choose the
at-announcement.zipfile - Click Install Now, then Activate
Manual Installation
- Extract
at-announcement.zip - Upload the
at-announcementfolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and activate AT Announcement
After activation, a new AT Announcement menu appears in your WordPress sidebar with a megaphone icon.
Tip: The entire admin interface uses a dark premium theme. This applies consistently across the list view, editor, settings, and dashboard.
2 Getting Started
Step 1: Create an Announcement
Go to AT Announcement → Add New. Enter a title — this is the text displayed to visitors. Configure optional settings like link URL, schedule, priority, and urgency level.
Step 2: Display Announcements
Add the shortcode to any page, post, or widget area:
[at_announcements]This displays all active announcements using your global settings configured in AT Announcement → Settings.
Step 3: Customize
Go to AT Announcement → Settings to configure colors, speed, display mode, labels, and widget box appearance. Settings are organized into tabbed sections: Ticker / Bar, Widget Box, and Advanced.
3 Display Modes
AT Announcement supports four display modes. Set a global default in Settings, or override per shortcode.
| Mode | Shortcode Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ticker | mode="ticker" | Horizontal scrolling bar. Items scroll continuously from right to left (or reverse). Supports pause on hover. |
| Vertical | mode="vertical" | Single-item rotator with fade/slide transitions. One announcement at a time, rotating automatically. Navigation arrows appear with multiple items. |
| List | mode="list" | Static stacked list. All announcements visible at once in a clean vertical layout within the bar. |
| Widget | mode="widget" | Card-style box with vertical scrolling. Best for sidebars or page sections. Shows titles, descriptions, badges, dates, and read-more links. |
4 Shortcode Reference
Basic Usage
[at_announcements]With Mode Override
[at_announcements mode="widget"][at_announcements mode=”vertical”]
[at_announcements mode=”list”]
Ticker / Bar Attributes
These apply to ticker, vertical, and list modes.
| Attribute | Default | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
mode | ticker | ticker, vertical, list, widget | Display mode |
speed | 50 | 10 – 200 | Scroll speed in px/sec. Lower = slower. |
direction | left | left, right | Scroll direction (ticker mode only) |
max | 10 | 1 – 50 | Maximum announcements to display |
bg_color | #0f172a | Any hex | Bar background color |
text_color | #e2e8f0 | Any hex | Text color |
link_color | #38bdf8 | Any hex | Link text color |
accent_color | #7c3aed | Any hex | Accent color (label, badges) |
font_size | 14 | 10 – 24 | Font size in pixels |
border_radius | 6 | 0 – 30 | Corner rounding in pixels |
label | Announcements | Any text | Label badge text |
show_label | 1 | 0, 1 | Show / hide the label badge |
label_style | gradient | gradient, solid, outline, minimal | Label visual style |
separator_style | dot | dot, pipe, bullet, dash, arrow, none | Separator between items (ticker) |
container_shadow | 1 | 0, 1 | Enable / disable box shadow |
show_date | 0 | 0, 1 | Show date next to each item |
show_icon | 1 | 0, 1 | Show status indicator dot |
show_new_badge | 1 | 0, 1 | Show NEW badge for recent items |
new_badge_days | 3 | 1 – 30 | Days an item is considered “new” |
pause_on_hover | 1 | 0, 1 | Pause scroll on mouse hover |
category | (empty) | Slug(s) | Filter by category slugs, comma-separated |
Widget Box Attributes
These apply only when mode="widget".
| Attribute | Default | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
widget_height | 320 | 150 – 600 | Box height in pixels |
widget_bg_color | #ffffff | Any hex | Box background color |
widget_text_color | #1e293b | Any hex | Box text color |
widget_accent_color | #7c3aed | Any hex | Box header / accent color |
widget_border_color | #e2e8f0 | Any hex | Box border color |
widget_auto_scroll | 1 | 0, 1 | Auto-scroll / highlight items |
widget_scroll_speed | 4000 | 2000 – 10000 | Auto-scroll interval in ms |
widget_show_date | 1 | 0, 1 | Show date in widget items |
widget_show_badge | 1 | 0, 1 | Show NEW / Urgent badges |
widget_border_radius | 10 | 0 – 30 | Box corner rounding in pixels |
5 Sidebar Widget
AT Announcement includes a native WordPress widget for any widget area (sidebar, footer, etc.).
- Go to Appearance → Widgets
- Find AT Announcements in the available widgets
- Drag it into your desired widget area
- Configure: title, max items, height, category filter, auto-scroll, dates, and badges
The widget renders using the Widget Box mode, same as [at_announcements mode="widget"]. All widget-specific global settings from the Settings page apply unless overridden.
6 Announcement Settings
When creating or editing an announcement, these options are available in the Announcement Settings meta box.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Link URL | Optional URL to link to a page, document, or external resource. |
| Link Text | Custom text for the link (e.g., “Read More”). Leave blank to make the entire title clickable. |
| Priority | Numeric value (1–100). Lower = higher priority. Sorted by priority first, then by date. Default: 10. |
| Start Date | Optional. Announcement appears only from this date onward. Leave blank for immediate. |
| End Date | Optional. Announcement auto-hides after this date. |
| Short Description | Optional brief description. Shown only in Widget Box mode. Keep to 1–2 sentences. |
| Open in New Tab | Opens the link URL in a new browser tab. |
| Mark as Urgent | Red indicator in bar modes. Colored badge and left border in widget mode. |
| Pin to Top | Distinct pinned indicator and badge. |
Note: Scheduling is automatic. Once an end date passes, the announcement stops appearing — no manual action required. Future-dated start dates remain hidden until their date arrives.
7 Categories
AT Announcement includes a built-in category taxonomy. Use categories to organize announcements (e.g., “Events”, “Notices”, “Deadlines”) and filter them in shortcodes.
Creating Categories
Go to AT Announcement → Categories. You can also assign categories when editing an announcement via the category meta box.
Filtering by Category
[at_announcements category="events"]
[at_announcements category="notices,deadlines"]Multiple slugs can be comma-separated. Only published announcements within the specified categories (and within their scheduled dates) will appear.
8 Global Settings
Navigate to AT Announcement → Settings to configure global defaults. Organized into three tabs:
Ticker / Bar Tab
Default mode, scroll speed, direction, max items, separator style, background/text/link/accent colors, font size, border radius, shadow, label text and style, date/icon/badge visibility, pause-on-hover.
Widget Box Tab
Background, text, accent, border colors, box height, border radius, auto-scroll toggle, scroll interval, date and badge visibility, max items.
Advanced Tab
Reserved for future options. Additional configuration will be available in upcoming updates.
Tip: Global settings serve as defaults. Override any setting on a per-shortcode basis using the corresponding attribute listed in the Shortcode Reference.
9 Shortcode Examples
Default Horizontal Ticker
[at_announcements]Uses all global settings. Displays as a horizontal scrolling bar.
Dark Compact Ticker
[at_announcements bg_color="#111111" text_color="#cccccc" font_size="12" show_label="0" speed="35"]Minimal dark ticker without the label badge, smaller text, slower scroll.
Vertical Rotator with Dates
[at_announcements mode="vertical" show_date="1" max="5" speed="60"]Shows one announcement at a time, rotating through the latest 5, with dates visible.
Static List with Custom Label
[at_announcements mode="list" label="Latest Notices" max="8" label_style="outline"]Clean stacked list with an outlined label badge.
Widget Box for Sidebar
[at_announcements mode="widget" widget_height="350" widget_accent_color="#e63946" max="6"]Red-accented widget box at 350px height showing up to 6 items.
Category Filtered
[at_announcements category="events" mode="ticker" bg_color="#1e3a5f"]Only “events” category announcements, displayed in a blue ticker bar.
Multiple on Same Page
Each shortcode creates an independent instance. They do not interfere with each other.
[at_announcements mode="ticker" category="urgent" bg_color="#7f1d1d" label="Urgent"]
[at_announcements mode="widget" category="general" max="5"]10 FAQ
Can I use multiple scrollers on the same page?
Yes. Each [at_announcements] shortcode creates an independent instance with its own configuration.
Will the plugin slow down my website?
No. CSS and JavaScript assets are only loaded on pages where the shortcode is used. The ticker animation is pure CSS for optimal performance. No external libraries are loaded.
What happens when an announcement expires?
It automatically stops appearing on the frontend. The announcement remains in your dashboard for reference — update the end date to reactivate it.
Can I use it with Elementor or other page builders?
Yes. Use a shortcode widget in Elementor, or a text/HTML block in any page builder. It renders normally in any context that processes WordPress shortcodes.
What happens when I delete the plugin?
Deactivating preserves all data. Deleting the plugin through the WordPress Plugins page permanently removes all announcement posts, categories, and settings.
Does it work on WordPress multisite?
Yes. Each site maintains its own announcements and settings independently.
Can I add custom CSS?
Yes. All frontend elements use CSS classes prefixed with atan- and CSS custom properties (variables) for straightforward overrides in your theme customizer.
How do I show announcements only on the homepage?
Place the shortcode only on your homepage. If using a theme builder, add it to the homepage template only.
11 Support
AT Announcement is developed and maintained by Altechmind.
For issues, customization, or feature requests:
- Website: www.altechmind.com
- Email: support@altechmind.com
Important: Before contacting support, please ensure you are running the latest version of the plugin and that your WordPress installation meets the minimum requirements (WordPress 5.8+, PHP 7.4+).
AT Announcement v2.0.0 · Built by Altechmind
Last updated on March 6, 2026