Shortcodes

Small tags that drop dynamic content, the copyright line, social icons, a template part, into places that only accept text.

A shortcode is a short tag in square brackets that WordPress swaps for real content when the page loads. [date format="Y"] becomes 2026. [kalium_social_icons] becomes your row of social links.

They're useful wherever you can type text but can't drop in a proper element, a widget, a text field, the middle of a paragraph.

Two of them are already on your site. Kalium's default footer puts [kalium_site_info] and [kalium_social_icons] into its first two widget areas, which is why the copyright year updates itself.

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Where shortcodes work

Place	Works
Post and page content	Yes
The builder's Text element	Yes
Text widgets	Yes, Kalium adds this; WordPress doesn't have it
WPBakery text elements	Yes
Theme option text fields	Only where the field says so
Custom JavaScript fields	No

Fields that accept shortcodes tell you: "HTML and shortcodes are supported."

A shortcode printing as plain text means the field you put it in doesn't process shortcodes. Move it to page content, a text widget, or a builder Text element.

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The copyright line

[kalium_site_info]

This is what builds the line at the bottom of your site.

Attribute	Default
display	{copyright} {year} {site_title} – {theme_credits}

Four placeholders are swapped for real values:

Placeholder	Becomes
{copyright}	©
{year}	The current year
{site_title}	Your site name from Settings -> General
{theme_credits}	"WordPress theme by Laborator", linked

To remove the theme credit while keeping a year that updates itself, use:

[kalium_site_info display="{copyright} {year} {site_title}"]

Anything that isn't a placeholder is printed as written, so you can put your own wording around them:

[kalium_site_info display="{copyright} {year} {site_title}. All rights reserved."]

This is the cleanest way to change the footer branding.

Adding/Editing Content

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Social icons

[kalium_social_icons]

Shows the accounts you've set once under Appearance -> Customize -> General -> Social Icons. The shortcode takes the list from there, the attributes only change how it looks.

Attribute	Values	Default
icon	yes / no	yes
label	yes / no	no
spacing	a number	theme default
size	a number	theme default
radius	rounded, square, or a value	none
outline	yes / no	no
new_tab	yes / no	theme default
no_follow	yes / no	theme default

Six color attributes take either brand, each network's own color, or any CSS color:

color · color_hover · label_color · label_hover · background · background_hover

[kalium_social_icons icon="yes" label="no" radius="rounded" background="brand"]

Nothing appears? No accounts are set under Customize -> General -> Social Icons. The shortcode has no list of its own.

A color attribute is ignored? background and outline need a shape to work with. Set radius first.

Social Icons

[lab_social_networks]

The original social shortcode, kept working for sites built with earlier versions of the theme. Existing uses keep working, so there's no need to convert them. Use [kalium_social_icons] for anything new.

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Template parts and snippets

[kalium_section]

Drops a Template Part of type Section into content, wherever you put the tag.

Attribute	Values	Default
id	The template part's ID	0
check_conditions	yes / no	no

[kalium_section id="482"]

Display conditions are skipped by default. You're placing it deliberately, so it appears where you put it. Set check_conditions="yes" to honor them anyway.

Nothing renders? The ID must belong to a template part whose Type is Section. A Header, Footer, Page or Popup part returns nothing at all.

[kalium_snippet]

Runs a Template Part of type Snippet inside content. The Template Parts list shows the ready-made tag in its Shortcode column.

Attribute	Values	Default
id	The snippet's ID	0
check_conditions	yes / no	no
anything else	Any text value	None

[kalium_snippet id="512" title="Hello" count="3"]

Any extra attribute you add is handed to the snippet's code, which is how one snippet can produce different output in different places.

Only a published snippet runs. A disabled one returns nothing.

Code Snippets

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Portfolio

[kalium_portfolio_share_buttons]

The share buttons from a portfolio project, usable anywhere.

Attribute	Default
id	The current post

Which networks appear, and whether they show as text or icons, both come from Customize -> Portfolio -> Project Page -> Social Sharing.

[kalium_ajax_like_button]

The like button with its count.

Attribute	Default
id	The current post

Likes are switched on per area, for the portfolio grid that's Customize -> Portfolio -> Portfolio Page -> Like Feature.

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Dates

[date]

Prints today's date.

Attribute	Default
format	Your date format from Settings -> General

[date format="Y"]

That prints just the year, handy in a copyright line.

Kalium only registers [date] if no plugin has already claimed it. If the output looks unfamiliar, another plugin owns the tag.

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Video and audio

Kalium takes over WordPress's own [video] and [audio] shortcodes to use a better player and accept some extra attributes.

Attribute	Values	Applies to
playsinline	yes / no, play inline on iPhone instead of going fullscreen	video
object_fit	contain / cover, how the video fills its box	video
controls	yes / no, lets you hide the controls	both
poster	An attachment ID as well as a URL	both

autoplay also gains a third value:

autoplay="on-viewport" starts playback when the video scrolls into view rather than on page load. This is the one to use, browsers block most autoplay on load, but allow this.

[video src="film.mp4" autoplay="on-viewport" object_fit="cover" playsinline="yes"]

Site-wide settings live at Customize -> General -> Media: which player is used, whether videos autoplay and repeat, and whether YouTube links use YouTube's player or the theme's. An attribute on the shortcode always beats the site-wide setting.

A video won't autoplay. Browsers block autoplay with sound. Kalium mutes autoplaying video for you, unless you've set muted="false" yourself, which stops it starting. Prefer autoplay="on-viewport".

Every video on the site autoplays. That's Customize -> General -> Media -> Autoplay Videos, not the shortcode.

The video looks different in the editor than on the site. Expected, Kalium doesn't theme the editor's preview. Check the front end.

[audio] is tiny. Without a poster it defaults to a narrow bar. Set a width, or give it a poster image.

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When a shortcode doesn't work

It prints as plain text. The field doesn't process shortcodes. Move it to page content, a text widget, or a builder Text element.

[acf] does nothing. Kalium switches ACF's shortcode off deliberately. Use a builder element or a template part to show a custom field.

Nothing appears where a shortcode should be. For [kalium_section] and [kalium_snippet], check the ID is right and the part is the correct Type and published. A PHP snippet that outputs nothing shows nothing. That's not an error.