In the early days of website building, tables were built primarily for desktop viewing, where screen space was plentiful. As websites began to include complex data, tables became a popular way to organize large amounts of information neatly.
With the rise of mobile usage, the need for responsive tables became vital. More users accessed websites on phones and tablets, where traditional tables caused frustration by requiring horizontal scrolling or zooming just to read content.
Today, responsive tables are not just about convenience; they’re essential for SEO and accessibility, especially with Google’s mobile-first indexing. While WordPress’s default Table Block lacks built-in responsiveness, you’ll need methods like CSS adjustments or plugins to solve that issue.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the simplest way to create mobile-optimized tables in WordPress using a plugin.
Step 1: Install and Activate The Tableberg Plugin
The first step is simple. Go to your WordPress Dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. Once you’re there, type Tableberg and find the plugin. Once you find it, click Install Now. After installation, all that remains is to Activate it. Click on Activate to enable the plugin on your site.
Step 2: Create a New Table with Tableberg
From your WordPress Editor, click the plus (+) icon, search for Tableberg, and then add the Tableberg block.
Choose the number of rows and columns for your table and then hit the create button. For this tutorial, we chose a table containing 4 rows and 5 columns.
Step 3: Add Data to Your Table
After creating your table, you’ll be taken to the table editor, where you can add content to each cell. Click on any cell, tap on the plus (+) sign, type the required block, and continue to enter text, images, lists, star ratings, buttons, or anything that suits your requirements.
Step 4: Enable Responsive Settings
To make sure your table displays well across all devices, Tableberg offers a structured Responsiveness Settings section. First, select the parent block, move to the settings on the right side of the editor, and then scroll down to find the Responsiveness Settings.
Next, choose the device for which you’d like to configure responsiveness. At the top of the Responsiveness Settings panel, you’ll see options for Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile. Select the device you want to customize, as this will determine how the table behaves on that particular screen size. Here, we’ve selected Mobile.
With the device selected, toggle on the Enable Breakpoint option to activate responsive behavior for the chosen device. This setting allows the table to apply responsive adjustments when the screen width is at or below the value you set in Max Width. For example, setting the Max Width to 1024px means the table will adjust responsively on screens that are narrower than 1024px. Below this setting, you’ll find the Make Top Row Header option that designates the first row of your table as a header and applies specific styles or formatting to distinguish it from other rows.
Finally, use the Mode option to choose how the table behaves on smaller screens. You can select Scroll to enable horizontal scrolling and allow users to swipe through the table if it’s too wide. Alternatively, choose Stack to rearrange the table content vertically. When using the Stack mode, additional options like Stack Direction let you control the stacking direction, and Items per Row allows you to set how many items should appear per row to provide more customization for smaller screens.
That’s it—your table is all set, ready to shine on screens of any size. Publish it, and let your data flow smoothly across desktops, tablets, and phones!
Conclusion
Responsive tables aren’t just a feature—they’re a must-have in today’s WordPress world. With Tableberg, you’ve turned traditional tables into something that adapts, flexes and shines on any screen. Your site now offers a cleaner, more accessible way to present data, whether viewed on a desktop, tablet, or phone. You can say goodbye to clunky displays and hello to a user experience that flows as smoothly as your content. Your audience will love the upgrade, and so will search engines.
