How to Configure Article Layout and Display Settings in Joomla 6 (Step-by-Step Guide)

What you'll need	Details
Joomla version	6.0 or later (steps also apply to the 6.1.x series)
Access level	Super User or Administrator
Time needed	About 15 minutes
Also useful	At least one category with a few published articles to test changes on

Joomla separates "what layout an article uses" from "what information shows on that layout." This guide walks through both — the three-tier override system (Global → Category → Menu Item), the built-in layout types, image fields, and how to build a custom Alternative Layout when the defaults aren't enough. Menu paths below match the standard Joomla 6 administrator backend.

Step 1: Understand the Three Article Layout Types

Before changing any display setting, know which layout is rendering the page you're editing — each one behaves differently:

Layout	What it shows	Typical use
Single Article	One full article, no listing	Standalone pages, landing pages
Category Blog	Multiple articles, intro text + optional lead article	Blog-style homepages, news sections
Category List	Compact list, usually title + date/author only	Archives, documentation indexes

These are assigned when you create a menu item under Menus → [Your Menu] → New, by choosing a Menu Item Type such as "Category Blog" or "Category List." A single article can also be pulled directly into a menu item as "Single Article."

Step 2: Set Global Display Options

Go to Content → Articles → Options. This is the site-wide default: anything you set here applies everywhere unless a category or menu item overrides it. On the Article tab you'll find the toggles that matter most for AEO/GEO-friendly pages:

• Show Title / Linked Titles — whether the title displays and whether it links to the full article
• Show Author, Show Create Date, Show Modified Date, Show Publish Date — the trust signals AI answer engines look for
• Show Category, Show Parent Category — with an option to link each to its own listing page
• Show Hits — the article's view count
• Show Tags, Show Navigation, Show Icons (Print/Email as icons vs. text)

Step 3: Override Settings at the Category Level

Go to Content → Categories, open the category you want to adjust, and click its Options tab. Anything set here overrides the Global defaults for articles in that category only.

This is useful when, for example, a "Reviews" category needs Show Hits and Show Category visible for social proof, while a "Legal" or "About" category should hide author and hit count entirely.

Step 4: Override Settings at the Menu Item Level

This is the most specific — and most commonly used — override. Go to Menus → [Your Menu], open the menu item (for example, a "Blog" or "Category List" item), and open its Options tab.

Every field here defaults to Use Global. Common overrides at this level include:

• Number of leading articles / intro articles / columns (Category Blog only)
• Position of the article info block (above or below the content)
• Per-field toggles: Show Title, Show Author, Show Category, Show Hits, Show Tags — each can also be set to Use Article Settings, which lets individual articles override even the menu item

Step 5: Set Intro Image and Full Article Image

Open any article and go to its Images and Links tab. Two image fields control what shows where:

• Intro Image — appears in Category Blog and Category List views
• Full Article Image — appears only in the Single Article view

You can also set Link A/B/C here for optional extra links under the article (for example, a "Download" or "Live Demo" button) without editing template files.

Step 6: Build a Custom Alternative Layout (Optional, for Developers)

When toggles aren't enough — for example, a landing page that needs a completely different HTML structure — Joomla lets you assign a custom PHP layout per article without touching core files:

1. Copy components/com_content/tmpl/article/default.php into your active template's override folder: templates/[your-template]/html/com_content/article/
2. Rename the copy, e.g. landing.php
3. Edit the markup inside that file however you need
4. Open the article, go to its Options tab, and select the new file under Alternative Layout

Because the override lives inside your template folder, Joomla core updates never overwrite it — this is the safe, upgrade-proof way to customize article markup.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Global, Category, and Menu Item options in Joomla 6?

They form a priority chain: Global (Content → Articles → Options) sets the site-wide default, Category options override it for one category, and Menu Item options override both for one specific page. Whichever level is set most specifically wins.

Why doesn't changing "Show Author" in the menu item work?

The field is likely set to "Use Article Settings" instead of "Show" or "Hide." That setting pulls from the individual article's own Options tab, not the menu item, so check there first.

Where do I set the image that appears in the article listing?

Open the article, go to Images and Links, and set the Intro Image field. It appears in Category Blog and List views; the Full Article Image field is for the single-article view only.

Will an Alternative Layout survive a Joomla core update?

Yes. Because it's stored inside your template's override folder rather than the core component folder, Joomla updates don't touch or overwrite it.

Can two articles in the same category show different information?

Yes — set the relevant field (Show Author, Show Hits, etc.) to "Use Article Settings" at the menu item level, then configure each article's own Options tab individually.

🧯 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Editing the wrong tier. Changing Global Options when a Menu Item override is already set to a fixed value (not "Use Global") will have no visible effect.
• Confusing Intro Image with Full Article Image. Uploading only one and expecting it to appear in both blog and single views.
• Placing custom layouts in the component folder instead of the template override folder — they'll get wiped on the next core update.
• Forgetting that "Use Article Settings" needs a value set on the article itself — otherwise it silently falls back to Global.

➡️ What's Next

Once your layout and display settings are in place, review how your template's category and article overrides interact with these settings — especially if you're running a heavily customized Cassiopeia child template.

✅ Last verified on Joomla 6.1.x — August 2026