How to Create a Directory Website with Bricks

Building a directory website usually means either hiring a developer or fighting with page builders that weren’t designed for directory content. Bricks Builder, paired with Directorist and AddonsKit for Bricks, removes most of that friction: Bricks is a fast, drag-and-drop WordPress theme, and AddonsKit adds Directorist-specific elements (listings, search forms, and more) directly into it, so you can assemble a directory site visually instead of writing custom code.

This guide walks through building a directory website with Bricks, listing plugin by plugin what you actually need and in what order.

Basic Requirements to Create a Directory Website with Bricks

• WordPress (latest version): the CMS everything else runs on.
• A domain name: register one through any domain registrar.
• Reliable hosting: any host that supports current WordPress and PHP versions.
• Directorist (version 8.0 or later): the directory plugin. AddonsKit for Bricks specifically checks for Directorist 8.0+ and will show an admin notice if your installed version is older.
• Bricks Builder: a premium WordPress theme, purchased and installed as your site’s active theme (not a plugin, and not paired with another theme).
• AddonsKit for Bricks: adds Directorist-specific elements (Listings, Search Form, Single Listing components, and more) to the Bricks element panel. Requires a valid license, Bricks as the active theme, and Directorist 8.0+ active.

Note: Bricks is itself your site’s theme, so you don’t install a separate directory theme alongside it. If you’d rather build your directory visually with Bricks and AddonsKit, skip installing any other theme; a separate directory theme is only relevant if you’re not using Bricks for the whole site.

Install Directorist Latest Version- Create a Directory Website with Bricks

To install Directorist, go to your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. Search for the plugin using the keyword “Directorist.”

Click the “Install Now” button.

Now Activate the plugin.

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Run through the setup wizard to begin with a fresh configuration. Confirm the version installed is 8.0 or later, since AddonsKit for Bricks won’t load its elements on older versions.

Install Bricks Builder Theme

As Bricks is a premium tool, you need to purchase its license to get things done. You can head over to its website to choose a plan.

Now, assuming you have already purchased a license key for Bricks. To install Bricks,

Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New Theme

Upload theme

Next, Choose File

Hit the Install Now button

You have successfully installed Bricks on your WordPress site.

Finally, Activate the theme.

Install AddonsKit for Bricks

To install AddonsKit for Bricks, you first need to purchase a valid license.

Once done, then navigate to Plugins > Add New

Upload Plugin

Now, click on the Choose File option.

Hit the Install Now button.

Finally, Activate the plugin.

You have successfully activated the AddonsKit for Bricks on your WordPress site.

Create Categories, tags, or Locations

• Create Categories

Navigate to Directorist > Categories and add the relevant categories for your directory (e.g., Restaurants, Real Estate, Travel).

P. S: You can set the description, category icon, and image.

• Create Tags

Head over to Directorist > Tags and add the relevant Tags for your directory.

• Create Locations

Go to Directorist > Locations and add the desired locations for your directory website.

P. S: You can add the description and image as well.

Create a Home Page for Your Business Directory Website

Now, you need to create a homepage for your directory website.

To create a homepage, navigate to WP Admin Dashboard > Pages > Home.

Then, EDIT WITH BRICKS

Now, you should see the following edit panel where you can find the Directorist widgets. You don’t have to code anything because everything is already around here.

For example, you can search for the keyword Search Form in the search bar.

Now, click on the Search Form option.

Finally, Hit the Save button.

You have successfully created a home page with Search Form component.

 Create a Listings Page on the Directory Website

The “All Listings” page displays all your listings, regardless of location, category, or tag. To set it up, simply edit the page with the Bricks Builder like before and add the Listings component. Finally, Save it.

Additionally, you can arrange the listings in different views just to enhance the user experience.

Moreover, your visitors might want to see the pagination or breadcrumbs for all listings. You can toggle on the Display Pagination.

Also, you can set the listings based on your preference. For example, you can only display featured listings, you can restrict your listings as well. And, this is the cool feature of Bricks and Directorist integration.

Remember to click the ‘Save’ button before leaving the editor panel.

Well done! You’ve successfully built your business directory website using Bricks.

Adding Motion to Your Directory Pages

Once the directory structure and functionality are created with Directorist and AddonsKit for Bricks, the next step is improving how visitors experience the website.

Users can add visual interactions with BricksFly for Bricks Builder, which provides GSAP-powered animation controls for effects such as ScrollTrigger reveals, SplitText, parallax movement, sticky sections, horizontal scrolling, and smooth scrolling.
BricksFly focuses on the animation and presentation layer, while Directorist AddonsKit continues to manage directory-specific elements such as listings, search forms, user dashboards, and checkout. This allows both tools to work together without overlapping responsibilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Building a directory website with Bricks and Directorist mostly comes down to getting the setup order right: Directorist 8.0+ and Bricks (as your active theme) installed first, AddonsKit for Bricks activated on top of both, and the Listings post type turned on in Bricks’ settings before you touch a single listing template. From there, the Search Form and Listings elements cover a homepage and an All Listings page without writing any code.

If you want more control over layout and fields beyond what’s covered here, the directory builder gives you more advanced customization options.

If you run into an issue following this guide, the Directorist support team can help you get unstuck.