About the plugin

Aha Orbit Testimonials is a free WordPress plugin (GPLv2 or later) that creates animated testimonial sliders using a dedicated Custom Post Type (aha_orbit) and a simple shortcode. Each slider is a CPT post: you add testimonials and configure the layout directly in the post editor. Display is controlled entirely via the shortcode [aha_orbit id="POST_ID"].

Key features:

• Orbit Testimonials CPT with a repeater for as many testimonials as needed, each with name, role, text, and an optional avatar image
• Initials fallback — when no avatar image is provided, the component automatically generates a coloured avatar using the person’s first and last initials (e.g. DS for David Smith)
• Social media badges — add optional social network badges (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X) on avatars with clickable profile links
• Two layout modes — Auto (Elliptical) places avatars in an orbit automatically; Manual Coordinates lets you set the exact position of each avatar
• Smooth animated transitions powered by vanilla JavaScript — no jQuery, no third-party carousel library
• Design controls in the post editor with 8 colour presets (Default, Dark, Midnight, Purple, Ocean, Emerald, Warm, Rose) and individual colour pickers for every token
• Independent sliders — all configuration is managed directly in the slider edit screen without affecting other sliders
• Drag and swipe support on desktop and mobile
• Drag to reorder testimonials — quickly reorganize testimonials in the admin editor
• Grayscale effect on inactive avatars (optional)
• Autoplay with configurable interval, transition speed, and animation delay
• Navigation arrows and pagination bullets (optional)
• Works with any theme or page builder via shortcode

Installation

Via WordPress admin

1. Go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for Aha Orbit Testimonials (or upload the plugin ZIP file).
3. Click Install now, then Activate.
4. Go to Aha Orbit in the admin sidebar to create your first slider.

Via FTP

1. Unzip the plugin ZIP file on your computer.
2. Connect to your server via FTP and go to wp-content/plugins.
3. Upload the aha-orbit-testimonials folder into wp-content/plugins.
4. In the WordPress admin, go to Plugins and activate Aha Orbit Testimonials.

Creating a testimonial slider

Go to Aha Orbit → Orbit Testimonials → Add New. Each slider is a WordPress post with two custom meta boxes: Slider Settings and Testimonials.

Give your slider a title

The post title is used only for internal reference in the admin list — it is never shown on the front end. Use a descriptive name such as “Homepage testimonials” or “Product page reviews”.

Publish the post

The slider must be in Published status to render on the front end. Draft sliders return an HTML comment instead of output.

Get the shortcode

After publishing, note the post ID shown in the URL bar (e.g. post=42) or in the Aha Orbit list. Use that ID in the shortcode: [aha_orbit id="42"].

Adding testimonials

The Testimonials meta box is a repeater that lets you add as many testimonials as needed. Each item has the following fields:

Initials avatar

When no image URL is provided, the plugin extracts the first letter of the first word and the first letter of the last word from the Name field. For example, David Smith produces DS and Ana produces A. The avatar is rendered as a gradient circle with white text.

Managing items

• Click + Add Testimonial to add a new item at the bottom of the list.
• Click Remove on any item to delete it (a confirmation dialog appears).
• Reorder testimonials by dragging the drag handle (six-line icon) on the left side of each testimonial item. Drop it in the desired position to reorganize.
• Testimonials are displayed on the front end in the order they appear in the admin repeater.

Slider settings

The Slider Settings meta box controls the behaviour and design of this individual slider. Each slider is completely independent.

Behaviour

Plugin settings

Go to Aha Orbit → Settings in the admin sidebar. Settings are organized in tabs: General, Shortcode, and Uninstall.

General

Contains a simple toggle to enable or disable all Orbit Testimonials across the site globally.

Shortcode

Documentation-only tab: copyable shortcode, the full attribute reference, and examples.

Uninstall

Choose whether to remove all plugin data (sliders, testimonial meta, and settings) when the plugin is deleted from Plugins → Installed Plugins. Deactivating alone does not remove any data. Media files in the library are not deleted automatically.

Shortcode reference

Use the shortcode to display a testimonial slider on any page, post, widget, or page builder block. Place it in a Shortcode block (Gutenberg), a Shortcode widget, or directly in the HTML area of any page builder.

Basic examples

Multiple sliders on the same page

You can place several shortcodes on the same page. Each instance runs independently with its own orbit animation and unique DOM id:

[aha_orbit id="42"]

[aha_orbit id="85"]

Finding the slider ID

After creating and publishing a slider, the ID is visible in the URL when editing the post (e.g. post=42) and also in the Aha Orbit → Orbit Testimonials list view. The Shortcode tab in Settings also shows a ready-to-copy example.

Attribute reference

In page builders

• Elementor — Add a Shortcode widget and paste the shortcode.
• Gutenberg — Add a Shortcode block and paste the shortcode.
• Bricks, Divi, Oxygen — Use the shortcode / HTML element and paste the shortcode.
• Classic editor — Paste the shortcode directly in the content.

Video – Setup and demo

Video walkthrough for setup and plugin demonstration.