Running Banner self-updates
`Running Banner` is a custom WordPress plugin that adds a scrolling banner block and shortcode for repeated text-and-image marquees.
by Bruno Fernandes · github.com/barbaburns/running-banner · website
Install
No release zip yet. The repository archive installs, but the folder name will carry the branch suffix and updates will not flow:
wp plugin install https://github.com/barbaburns/running-banner/archive/refs/heads/main.zipShips its own WordPress updater (built-in updater), so new versions show up under Dashboard → Updates.
Running Banner is a custom WordPress plugin that adds a scrolling banner block and shortcode for repeated text-and-image marquees.
Features
- Gutenberg block:
running-banner/running-banner - Shortcode:
[running-banner] - Repeated text items with optional image
- Adjustable item count and animation speed
- Text color and background color controls
- Font size, weight, style, and family controls
- Google Font loading for selected font families
- Server-side rendering for block output
Installation
- Copy the plugin folder to
wp-content/plugins/running-banner - Activate
Running Bannerin the WordPress admin - Add the
Running Bannerblock in the editor or use the shortcode
GitHub Updates
This plugin now checks GitHub releases for updates using the repository URL in its Update URI header.
To publish an update that WordPress can install:
- Bump the plugin version in
running-banner.phpandblocks/running-banner/block.json - Create a Git tag that matches the version, such as
v1.0.3 - Publish a GitHub Release for that tag
- GitHub Actions will build and attach
running-banner.zipautomatically
The workflow validates that the release tag matches the plugin and block versions before uploading the ZIP.
If you hit GitHub API rate limits, define RUNNING_BANNER_GITHUB_TOKEN in wp-config.php or filter it with running_banner_github_token.
Block Usage
Add the Running Banner block from the block inserter, then configure:
- Repeated text
- Items per track
- Animation speed
- Optional image
- Image alt text
- Font size
- Font weight
- Font style
- Font family
- Text color
- Background color
Shortcode Usage
Basic example:
[running-banner label="Latest" repeatCount="8" speed="18"]
Example with image and styles:
[running-banner label="News" imageUrl="https://example.com/icon.png" imageAlt="News icon" repeatCount="10" speed="20" textColor="#ffffff" backgroundColor="#111111" fontFamily="Space Grotesk" fontSize="18" fontWeight="700" fontStyle="italic"]
Shortcode Attributes
labelimageIdimageUrlimageAltrepeatCountspeedtextColorbackgroundColorfontFamilyfontSizefontWeightfontStyletextTransform
Notes
repeatCountis limited to values between2and20speedis limited to values between8and60fontSizeis limited to values between12and48fontStylesupportsnormalanditalictextTransformsupportsnone,uppercase,lowercase, andcapitalize- The plugin includes a curated built-in Google Fonts list for the editor control
Files
running-banner.php- plugin bootstrap, block registration, shortcode renderingblocks/running-banner/block.json- block metadatablocks/running-banner/editor.js- editor UI and preview behaviorassets/banner.css- front-end and editor styling