This Is How to Re-order Custom Post Categories in WordPress
As a WordPress user, you know the importance of having a well-organized content structure. One key aspect of this is the ability to control the order of your custom post categories. Whether you're running an e-commerce store, a news website, or a blog, being able to prioritize specific categories can significantly improve the user experience and make it easier for your audience to find the content they're looking for.
However, re-ordering custom post categories in WordPress isn't always straightforward. The default WordPress taxonomy management tools don't always provide the level of control and flexibility that users need. That's where this guide comes in.
In this article, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of re-ordering your custom post categories, ensuring your content is always displayed in the optimal order. By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of how to take control of your category organization and provide your users with a more intuitive and visually appealing browsing experience.
Understanding Custom Post Categories and Taxonomies in WordPress
Before we dive into the re-ordering process, it's essential to understand the basics of custom post categories and taxonomies in WordPress.
In WordPress, custom post types are a powerful feature that allows you to create and manage content beyond the standard "Post" and "Page" post types. These custom post types can be associated with custom taxonomies, which are essentially custom categories or tags that you can use to organize and filter your content.
For example, if you have an e-commerce store selling various products, you might create a custom post type called "Products" and associate it with a custom taxonomy called "Product Categories." This would allow you to group your products into different categories, such as "Clothing," "Electronics," or "Home Decor."
The default WordPress taxonomy management tools allow you to create, edit, and delete these custom taxonomy terms. However, they don't provide an easy way to re-order the terms, which is where the problem arises.
The Challenge of Re-ordering Custom Post Categories
By default, WordPress displays custom taxonomy terms in the order they were created, which may not always be the most user-friendly or visually appealing arrangement. This can be particularly problematic if you have a large number of categories or if you want to highlight specific categories above others.
For example, let's say you have an online store that sells various products, and you want to feature your "Bestsellers" category at the top of the list, followed by "New Arrivals," and then the rest of your product categories. With the default WordPress taxonomy management tools, you'd have to manually reorder the terms every time you add a new category, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.
This is where the need for a more robust custom post category re-ordering solution becomes apparent. By addressing this challenge, you can ensure that your content is always displayed in the optimal order, providing your users with a seamless and intuitive browsing experience.
Step-by-Step Guide to Re-ordering Custom Post Categories
Now that we've covered the background, let's dive into the step-by-step process of re-ordering your custom post categories in WordPress.
Step 1: Create a Custom Taxonomy for Your Post Type
If you haven't already, the first step is to create a custom taxonomy for your post type. This can be done by adding the following code to your WordPress theme's functions.php
file or in a custom plugin:
function my_custom_taxonomy() {
$labels = array(
'name' => _x( 'Product Categories', 'taxonomy general name', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'singular_name' => _x( 'Product Category', 'taxonomy singular name', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'search_items' => __( 'Search Product Categories', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'all_items' => __( 'All Product Categories', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'parent_item' => __( 'Parent Product Category', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'parent_item_colon' => __( 'Parent Product Category:', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'edit_item' => __( 'Edit Product Category', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'update_item' => __( 'Update Product Category', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'add_new_item' => __( 'Add New Product Category', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'new_item_name' => __( 'New Product Category Name', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
'menu_name' => __( 'Product Categories', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ),
);
$args = array(
'hierarchical' => true,
'labels' => $labels,
'show_ui' => true,
'show_admin_column' => true,
'query_var' => true,
'rewrite' => array( 'slug' => 'product-category' ),
);
register_taxonomy( 'product-category', array( 'product' ), $args );
}
add_action( 'init', 'my_custom_taxonomy' );
This code creates a custom taxonomy called "Product Categories" that can be associated with a custom post type called "Product." You can modify the labels and arguments to match your specific requirements.
Step 2: Display the Custom Post Categories
Now that you've created the custom taxonomy, you can display the category terms for each post. Place the following code inside the loop for your custom post type:
<?php $terms = get_the_terms(get_the_ID(),'product-category' ); ?>
<?php foreach( $terms as $term): ?><br>
<span class="text-category">Category: <?php echo $term->name; ?></span>
<?php endforeach; ?>
This code retrieves the custom taxonomy terms associated with the current post and displays them as a list of category names.
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Step 3: Install and Activate the Custom Post Type Order Plugin
To re-order your custom post categories, we'll be using the "Custom Post Type Order" plugin. This plugin provides an intuitive interface for organizing your custom post types and taxonomies, including the ability to easily re-order your custom categories.
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for "Custom Post Type Order" and click "Install Now" and then "Activate."
Step 4: Re-order Your Custom Post Categories
- After activating the Custom Post Type Order plugin, go to Settings > Custom Post Type Order.
- Under the "Taxonomies" tab, you should see your custom taxonomy ("Product Categories" in our example).
- Click on the taxonomy to expand the list of terms.
- Drag and drop the terms to re-order them as desired.
- Click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page to apply the new order.
Now, whenever you display your custom post categories, they will be shown in the order you've specified using the Custom Post Type Order plugin.
Step 5: Verify the Re-ordered Custom Post Categories
To ensure that the re-ordered custom post categories are being displayed correctly, go to your custom post type archive page or single post page and check the order of the category terms. They should now be displayed in the order you specified in the Custom Post Type Order plugin.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of re-ordering custom post categories in WordPress is a valuable skill that can significantly improve the user experience and organization of your website's content. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can now easily sort and prioritize your custom taxonomy terms, ensuring your visitors can quickly find the content they're looking for.
Remember, the Custom Post Type Order plugin is just one of the many tools available to help you manage your WordPress content. Depending on your specific needs, you may also want to explore other plugins or custom code solutions to further enhance your website's content organization and navigation.
For more tips and strategies on optimizing your WordPress website, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Flowpoint uses AI-powered analytics to help you identify technical, UX, and content-related issues that may be impacting your website's conversion rates, and provides tailored recommendations to improve your overall online performance.