Second blog & different subscription

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    I have a well established website with a blog. I have a static front page and a re-direct for blog posts to a Blog page.

    I’d like to add a second independent blog on another topic to this website. I know I can simply add a new page and use the new blog posts block for that.

    I have 2 questions:
    1. Will any blog post for this 2nd blog page be added to my original blog page? How do I stop that happening and just publish posts on a particular topic to my 2nd blog page?
    2. Can I have a Subscribe widget to my 2nd blog page for people to just subscribe to that blog?

    Many thanks.

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • adetolaadeniran · Staff ·

    Thank you for sharing the details about your website setup and your goal to create a second independent blog on a different topic. It’s great to see you exploring ways to organize your content effectively!

    Here are answers to your questions:

    1. For having two separate blogs on one site without mixing posts:

    Using the Blog Posts block on a new page will show posts based on categories or tags you specify.

    To keep the two blogs independent, assign posts for the original blog and second blog to distinct categories (e.g., “Articles” and “News”).

    When setting up the Blog Posts block on each blog page, configure it to show posts only from the respective category. This way, posts published under the second blog’s category will appear only on the second blog page, not on the original blog page.

    Your main blog page can continue to show posts from its category only, avoiding overlap.

    2. For a Subscribe widget specific to the second blog:

    By default, the subscription widget on WordPress.com subscribes users to all posts on the site.

    To allow subscriptions only to the new blog’s topic, you would need to enable category-specific subscriptions. In your website’s Newsletter settings, you can enable newsletter categories so visitors can subscribe to specific topics rather than all content you publish.

    We have detailed guide regarding Topic subscriptions here.

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Hi

    Thanks for the reply, however I don’t have a ‘newsletter’ option in my settings (or anywhere else).

  • Unknown's avatar
    themagicrobot · Member ·

    Not Settings. You find it at Jetpack > Newsletter

  • sukhenduguria · Staff ·

    Hi @bamimages,

    The Newsletter settings aren’t in the main Settings menu. You’ll find them under: Jetpack → Newsletter

    From there, you should see the option to enable Newsletter categories, which allows visitors to subscribe to specific topics instead of your entire site.

    Here’s the direct guide that walks through it step-by-step:
    https://wordpress.com/support/newsletter-settings/enable-newsletter-categories/

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Hi

    Thanks for this help. I’ve now separated my two blogs by category, and each post publishes to its relevant category page which is great.

    However, my subscribers still have no option to only subscribe to one of the blogs and get notified of posts to both blogs and all categories. It said in the Help pages that each newsletter email would now have a footer which allowed subscribers to choose which category to subscribe to but that’s not the case. There is just an unsubscribe link.

    I use the subscribe Widget in the primary widget area of both pages. How can I change this to enable existing subscribers to choose which category of blog post to subscribe to?

  • imranahmadrt · Staff ·

    Hi there 👋

    Thanks for the update. I’m really glad to hear you were able to successfully separate your blogs by category!

    Regarding the subscription options, I’d like to take a closer look to figure out why your subscribers aren’t seeing the category-selection option in their emails.

    Could you please share a bit more detail:

    • Which category are subscribers trying to subscribe to that isn’t showing as an option?
    • Are you able to send a screenshot of the email footer that your subscribers receive?

    Looking forward to your reply so I can help you sort this out 😊

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Thank for the reply.

    I have 2 pages on my website for blogs. Page one has a category of Photography (with sub categories) and Page two has a category of Soul & Spirit (with sub categories).

    I have the Subscribe Widget on each page in the Widget side bar area.



    When I create a new post on either page, email subscribers are notified. The footer at the bottom of each email only has an option to Unsubscribe, or an option to manage email options within WordPress (for WordPress subscribers).

    I need an option for email subscribers to be able to only subscribe to the category they are interested in, rather than all categories.


  • mpriyatt · Staff ·

    Hi there! Long answer alert! :)
    I’ve checked your site and noticed the following:

    1. Current Setup

    Both Photography (with subcategories) and Soul & Spirit (with subcategories) are using the same Default template.

    The Subscribe form is currently added to the template sidebar (via Widgets), not directly to the individual pages.

    Because of this, the form applies to the entire site rather than a specific category. If you would like visitors to subscribe to one category at a time, I recommend:

    • Removing the Subscribe block from the Widgets area (since that attaches it to the template sidebar).
    • Adding separate Subscribe blocks directly to each page instead.

    This way, you can configure each form to subscribe users only to the specific category on that page (for example, one form for Photography and one for Soul & Spirit).

    2. Page Layout Suggestion

    To achieve better control over placement:

    • You can switch the page layout to a Full Width template (instead of the sidebar layout).
    • Then manually place the Subscribe block on the right side of the posts within the page content.
    • Or you can add the form to the bottom of the page if you do not want to change it to Full width.

    This gives you more flexibility and avoids template-wide settings.

    3. Set Category-Specific Subscriptions

    To create a Subscribe form limited to a specific category:

    1. Add the Subscribe block to the page.
    2. Select the block and open the Block Settings panel on the right.
    3. Go to Settings → Preselect Categories.
    4. Choose the category relevant to that page.

    Anyone subscribing through that form will then receive updates only for the selected category.

    4. Add a Clear Heading (Optional)

    Above each Subscribe form, please add a text heading such as:

    Enter your email to subscribe to Photography
    or
    Enter your email to subscribe to Soul & Spirit

    This makes it clear to visitors what they are signing up for.

    Do let us know if you have further questions :)

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    That’s so helpful, thank you! 🙏🏻

    I have questions:

    Having changed the template to full width, how do I place the subscribe block to the right of the posts? I’ve tried dragging it and it sits halfway down the entire page – can’t get it to sit at the top.
    Having positioned the subscribe block, can I pin it to the top of the page?

    In terms of emails, I can see how new subscribers will then just be able to subscribe to each category page.
    But how do existing subscribers (currently subscribed to all categories) choose which page they subscribe to?

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Hmmm, I’ve had another thought about this. Please can someone tell me if this will work?

    I’ve added a subscribe block to the widget area. I’ve chosen Photo as the category for subscription. I’ve chosen Page visibility as my Photo Blog page.

    I’ve added a second subscribe block to the widget area. I’ve chosen Soul & Spirit as the category for subscription. I’ve chosen Page visibility as my Soul & Spirit Page.


  • melvend5 · Staff ·

    Hi @bamimages,

    To place the Subscribe block at the top right, you’ll need to use a Columns block rather than just dragging the form. Add a Columns block at the top of the page (for example, a 70/30 layout), place your posts in the left column and the Subscribe block in the right column. That will align it properly at the top.

    As for “pinning” it, unless your theme supports sticky positioning, the block will scroll with the page rather than stay fixed.

    Regarding existing subscribers: anyone who previously subscribed through the site-wide widget is currently subscribed to all categories.

    Unfortunately, they can’t automatically switch to just one category. The simplest solution is to ask them to unsubscribe and then re-subscribe using the specific category page (Photography or Soul & Spirit). New subscribers going forward will only receive posts from the category selected on that page.

    I hope that clarifies things!

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Thanks for this explanation.

    The page looks awful like this and unprofessional 🙁

    I tried adding the Subscribe block to the widget sidebar, making sure that just one category was selected (as per my previous post) then tested it out. It subscribed to both categories, despite only 1 category being selected in the Subscribe block.

    Not being able to place different subscribe blocks in a side menu is poor, so I hope WordPress designers look into this & come up with a solution.

  • dhruvikmalaviya · Staff ·

    Hi there!

    Thanks for testing that out, that helps a lot.

    Before we go further, can I just confirm one thing:

    Have you enabled Newsletter categories under Jetpack → Newsletter, and are both “Photography” and “Soul & Spirit” added there as selectable newsletter categories?

    That setting controls whether category-based subscriptions are actually available.

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Yes, as stated in an earlier post.

    When I publish a photo post it only appears on the photo blog page, because I have newsletter categories enabled.

  • melvend5 · Staff ·

    Hey @bamimages
    Thank you for testing that and I completely understand your frustration.

    What you’re seeing with the sidebar form is expected behaviour. Even if a single category is selected in the Subscribe block, when it’s placed in the Widget sidebar it still functions as a site-wide subscription form. Sidebar widgets are tied to the overall template, so they can’t isolate subscriptions by category.

    You’re absolutely right that it would be ideal to have separate category-specific subscribe forms in the sidebar. At the moment, though, WordPress only supports reliable category filtering when the Subscribe block is placed directly within the page content rather than in a global widget area.

    If keeping a clean, professional layout is the priority, one option would be to maintain a single site-wide subscribe form in the sidebar and clearly explain subscription options within the page content. Another alternative would be using an external email marketing service that supports interest-based signups more flexibly.

    I appreciate you raising this. Feedback like yours is important, and I’ll ensure it’s shared. Please let me know if you’d like help exploring the cleanest possible layout within the current limitations.

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Thanks for this reply.

    If I make my page full width, is there any way of placing a subscribe block on the right of the page so that it stays at the top, and the blog posts to the left of the page? Placing the subscribe block to the right of a column block I get a blank area about the blog posts and the subscribe block on the right, but that looks awful to be honest.

    In other words, is there any way of simulating the subscribe block on the page how it looks when it’s in a side widget area?

  • elcristofue · Staff ·

    Thank you so much for sharing this with us, @bamimages. I just want to be sure I’m understanding correctly. Are you hoping to have your posts displayed on the left and the Subscribe to Blog section on the right, similar to the layout in your Soul and Spirit blog section? Please feel free to correct me if I got that wrong.

    If you have something slightly different in mind, please let me know so I can guide you more accurately.

    I also understand how limiting the customization options in your current theme can feel. If you would like more flexibility and control over your site’s overall design, I recommend considering a switch to a block theme. Block themes give you much more freedom to customize different parts of your site and adjust the layout to match exactly what you have in mind. If you would like to learn more about how to switch, you can follow this guide:

    https://wordpress.com/support/migrate-from-a-classic-theme-to-a-block-theme/

    I also want to mention that since you’re on a paid plan, you have access to direct support through your dashboard here:

    https://wordpress.com/support/help-support-options/#how-to-contact-us

    Looking forward to hearing back from you! We’ll be here, ready to help.

  • Unknown's avatar
    amanda22dc · Member ·

    I’ve tried setting up something similar before and using categories is definitely the way to go. Keep in mind that even with categories enabled, the ‘Subscribe’ block usually defaults to the whole site unless you specifically configure it. Double check the block settings on your Photography page to make sure it’s only showing the Photography category as an option. It can be a bit of a puzzle to get the filtering exactly right so people don’t end up getting emails they didn’t sign up for.

  • Unknown's avatar
    bamimages · Member ·

    Thanks for the reply. I’m already using blocks and have been since they first came out.

    I thought this would be a simple fix but as it’s gone on for some time now and seems more complicated than I’d envisaged, I am going to contact Help directly through my dashboard as it’s quicker.

    Thanks all for your replies.

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