Someone visits your website looking for a provider. Maybe they need a therapist who takes their insurance. Maybe they're searching for a certified instructor in their time zone, or a physician within 20 miles. A provider directory lets them search, filter, and find the right person without emailing you.
This guide walks through building one on WordPress with EmbedDirectory. Works with Gutenberg, Classic Editor, Elementor, Divi, whatever setup you're on.
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Fields That Matter for Provider Directories
What you include in each profile depends on your organization. A mental health practice has different needs than a coaching network or a healthcare system with 300 physicians. But the bones are the same.
Start here:
- Name and photo. A headshot next to a name changes how people browse. They'll scroll past text-only cards but stop when they see a face
- Specialty or service type as tags. Think about what your visitors would type. A therapy practice would list "Anxiety," "ADHD," "Trauma." A wellness directory, something like "Breathwork" or "Vocal coaching." Use whatever language your clients actually search in
- Location: city and state at minimum, full address if you're adding a map
- Insurance or credentials (set up as tags). Insurance is the top filter for healthcare directories. For non-clinical providers, certification level or years of experience can serve the same role
- Contact or booking link as a button pointing to an intake form, scheduling page, or profile
Other fields that earn their spot depending on your directory: Telehealth or virtual availability as a toggle. Languages spoken for directories covering multilingual areas. Age groups or specialization for providers who serve distinct populations. Bio as a textarea for the listing card, with the full version on the detail page.
Configure everything in Listing Fields. Add, reorder, or remove fields whenever you need to. Existing data stays intact.
One organization building a coaching directory needed visitors to sort "by location and time zone, gender, education, specialty, languages, number of years experience, and certifications." Another wanted providers "searchable by skin condition and location." Different industries, same principle: start with the fields visitors will actually filter on.
Getting Providers Into the Directory
You probably already have this information somewhere.
If it's in a spreadsheet or you can pull an export from whatever system you use, that's the fastest path. Drop the file into Import, match columns to your fields, and everything flows in. Works fine even with a large roster.
Building from scratch? Add profiles one at a time in Manage Listings. Two minutes per listing once your fields are configured.
You can also let providers create their own profiles. Hook up JotForm, Typeform, or Tally and new submissions land in your review queue. You approve before anything goes live.
Configuring Search and Filters
Head to Widget Settings.
Search bar on name and location is the starting point. Add a dropdown for specialty or service type. If your directory includes insurance information, that gets its own dropdown. Telehealth or virtual availability works well as a simple toggle.
How many filters depends on the size of your directory. Twenty providers at a group practice? Search and one dropdown is plenty. A network with 150+ across a region? That's where insurance, availability, and location filters start making a difference.
On layout: grid with photos is the stronger choice when your directory has headshots. People browse a grid of cards more naturally than a long scrolling list. If photos aren't central to your directory, list view is fine.
Adding It to WordPress
Copy your embed code from Embed and paste it into your page. No plugin to install, same process as embedding a YouTube video or a Google Map.
In the Block Editor, add a Custom HTML block (hit +, search for it), paste the code, and publish. The Classic Editor works too: switch to the Text tab, paste, click Update.
Most page builders have their own version of an HTML widget. In Elementor it's called "HTML," in Divi it's the "Code" module, and WPBakery calls it "Raw HTML." Block themes with the Full Site Editor work the same way.
Since the directory loads from EmbedDirectory's servers, it won't conflict with caching plugins (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache) or security setups like Wordfence.
Give the directory its own page. "Find a Provider," "Our Team," "Provider Directory" — whatever language makes sense for your visitors. Put it in your main navigation so people don't have to dig.
Set the page to a full-width template. Directories get cramped in sidebar layouts, especially once filters are active on mobile. Most themes and page builders have this option in the page settings.
Map View for Multi-Location Directories
If your providers are spread across a city, region, or country, a map gives visitors a way to find someone nearby.
Enable it in Map Settings. You'll need a free Mapbox token. Set the map to "left" if your page has room for it, or "top" for narrower content areas.
Directories where everyone works from one office or sees clients virtually don't need a map. It just takes up space.
Need help making the directory match your WordPress theme? Send a link to hello@embeddirectory.com.