What Are Directorist Integrations, Exactly?

Not the same thing as an extension — and the distinction matters.

It’s easy to conflate “integrations” with “extensions,” since both expand what Directorist can do. The difference is what they’re expanding into. An extension adds a new capability to Directorist itself (booking, pricing plans, advanced search). An integration connects Directorist to a separate, already-popular plugin or tool you may already be running — Mailchimp, BuddyPress, Elementor — so the two work together cleanly instead of clashing or requiring manual workarounds.

Directorist is technically compatible with hundreds of WordPress plugins out of the box simply because it follows WordPress coding standards. But the integrations covered on this page are different: these are the specific plugins Directorist’s own team has custom developed extra functionality and styling for, then tested thoroughly, rather than just relying on generic compatibility.

Officially Tested Integrations at a Glance

The plugins Directorist has specifically built and verified compatibility for.

This is the current roster of integrations that have gone through custom development and dedicated testing by the Directorist team. Each one solves a different problem you’ll likely run into as your directory grows beyond a simple listing page.

Page Builder Integrations: Designing Your Directory Visually

For anyone who wants full design control without writing custom templates.

Two of Directorist’s most practically useful integrations are with Elementor and Oxygen Builder, and they solve the same underlying problem from different angles: Directorist’s default front-end works fine out of the box, but most directory owners eventually want a more customized look without hiring a developer.

The Elementor integration is the more broadly relevant of the two simply because Elementor itself is one of the most widely used page builders in the WordPress ecosystem. With 16 ready-made widgets, you can drop search bars, listing grids, category displays, and submission forms anywhere on any page, then style them visually using Elementor’s own design controls rather than touching code.

Oxygen Builder serves a similar purpose for a more developer-leaning audience that prefers Oxygen’s more granular, code-adjacent design approach. If you’re already building the rest of your site in Oxygen, this integration keeps your directory pages visually and structurally consistent with everything else.

Community Integrations: Turning a Directory Into a Network

For directories where listing owners and visitors should interact with each other, not just browse.

BuddyPress and BuddyBoss occupy a specific niche use case: directories that want to function partly as a social network. Picture a professional directory where members have full profiles, can follow each other, post updates, and join groups — not just static listing pages.

This matters most for membership-driven directories: alumni networks, professional associations, or niche communities where the relationships between members are as valuable as the listings themselves. If your directory is closer to a pure transactional marketplace (buy, sell, book), you likely don’t need this layer. If it’s closer to a community hub where ongoing engagement and member identity matter, this is one of the more underrated integrations on the list.

Marketing & Commerce Integrations

Keeping leads warm and revenue flowing once the directory itself is built.

Mailchimp and WooCommerce Subscription both address the same long-term concern from different directions: a directory’s value compounds over time only if you can re-engage the people already in it. Mailchimp solves this for communication — every new listing owner or registered user automatically becomes part of an email audience you can market to. WooCommerce Subscription solves it for revenue — recurring billing tied to your existing WooCommerce setup means your directory’s income doesn’t require building separate billing logic from scratch.

Used together, these two integrations mean a directory owner can run promotional email campaigns to past visitors while simultaneously collecting recurring subscription revenue from active listings — the combination that turns a one-time launch into an actual ongoing business.

Beyond the Official List: General WordPress Compatibility

What happens with everything not on this page.

It’s worth being precise about what Directorist actually claims here, since it’s easy to misread. The officially tested integrations are the ones that have received custom development work and dedicated testing. Outside of that list, Directorist states it works with any WordPress plugin or theme built according to WordPress coding standards — which, practically, covers the overwhelming majority of plugins on the market, including SEO tools, caching plugins, security plugins, and most general-purpose themes.

The distinction is about depth of integration, not whether something will function at all. A non-listed SEO plugin will almost certainly work fine alongside Directorist. An officially tested integration like Elementor or Mailchimp goes further, with specific styling and functionality built so the two tools feel native to each other rather than just coexisting.

Which Integrations Should You Actually Set Up?

A practical starting point by what your directory is trying to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay extra for these integrations?

No. Like Directorist’s extensions, the officially tested integrations are included as part of your plan rather than sold separately. Your plan tier is based on number of sites, not which integrations you activate.

What’s the actual difference between an integration and an extension?

An extension adds new functionality to Directorist itself, such as booking or pricing plans. An integration connects Directorist to a separate, already-existing plugin like Mailchimp or Elementor so the two work together with dedicated styling and functionality rather than just generic compatibility.

Will Directorist work with plugins that aren’t on this official list?

In most cases, yes. Directorist is built to WordPress coding standards, so it’s broadly compatible with the vast majority of well-built WordPress plugins and themes even without official custom integration work.

Which page builder integration should I choose, Elementor or Oxygen?

If you’re not already committed to a specific builder, Elementor is the more accessible starting point thanks to its larger user base and the 16 ready-made Directorist widgets. Oxygen Builder makes more sense if your site is already being built in Oxygen or you prefer its more code-adjacent design approach.

Is the Bertha.ai integration available yet?

Not as of this writing — it’s listed as coming soon. Worth checking back on if AI-assisted content writing for listings is something you’re planning around.

Final Word: Are These Integrations Worth Setting Up?

The integration list is shorter than the extension catalog, but it covers the connections that matter most for turning a directory from an isolated plugin into a properly connected part of your wider WordPress site. Page builder support removes the design ceiling, community integrations open the door to membership-driven models, and the marketing and commerce integrations make sure leads and revenue don’t fall through the cracks once your directory starts growing.

None of these require separate purchases, and none require custom development to set up. If any of the use cases above match what you’re building, connecting the relevant integration is a low-effort, already-included way to make your directory feel like a complete, cohesive product rather than a plugin running in isolation.