get_query_template() │ WP 1.5.0

Retrieve path to a template

Used to quickly retrieve the path of a template without including the file extension. It will also check the parent theme, if the file exists, with the use of locate_template(). Allows for more generic template location without the use of the other get_*_template() functions.

Uses: locate_template()

Used By: get_page_template()

1 time — 0.000085 sec (very fast) | 50000 times — 0.49 sec (very fast)

Return

String. Full path to template file.

Usage

get_query_template( $type, $templates );

$type(string) (required): Filename without extension.
$templates(string[]): An optional list of template candidates.
Default: array()

Examples

#1 What the function outputs

echo get_query_template( 'category' );
// get: /home/public_html/wp-content/themes/theme-name/category.php

// you can specify a custom name and if there is such a file
// in the parent/child theme, the function will return its path:
echo get_query_template( 'foo' );
// get: /home/public_html/wp-content/themes/theme-name/foo.php

#2 Connect the 404 template file

if ( get_query_template( '404' ) ) {
	include( get_query_template( '404' ) );
}

// the same can be written like this:
if ( get_404_template() ) {
	include( get_404_template() );
}

#3 Let's try to get one of the template files

By specifying the second parameter, we simultaneously use the locate_template() function and specify the type of the resulting file to which plugins can connect through a filter:

echo get_query_template( 'category', [ 'mycat.php', 'mycat2.php' ] );

/* we get:
/home/public_html/wp-content/themes/theme-name/mycat.php
if there is no such file, the file 'mycat2.php' will be checked
/home/public_html/wp-content/themes/theme-name/mycat2.php
*/

Changelog

Since 1.5.0

Introduced.

Code of `get_query_template() get query template` ^{WP 5.9.3}

wp-includes/template.php

function get_query_template( $type, $templates = array() ) {
	$type = preg_replace( '|[^a-z0-9-]+|', '', $type );

	if ( empty( $templates ) ) {
		$templates = array( "{$type}.php" );
	}

	/**
	 * Filters the list of template filenames that are searched for when retrieving a template to use.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook name, `$type`, refers to the filename -- minus the file
	 * extension and any non-alphanumeric characters delimiting words -- of the file to load.
	 * The last element in the array should always be the fallback template for this query type.
	 *
	 * Possible hook names include:
	 *
	 *  - `404_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `archive_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `attachment_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `author_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `category_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `date_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `embed_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `frontpage_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `home_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `index_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `page_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `paged_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `privacypolicy_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `search_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `single_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `singular_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `tag_template_hierarchy`
	 *  - `taxonomy_template_hierarchy`
	 *
	 * @since 4.7.0
	 *
	 * @param string[] $templates A list of template candidates, in descending order of priority.
	 */
	$templates = apply_filters( "{$type}_template_hierarchy", $templates );

	$template = locate_template( $templates );

	$template = locate_block_template( $template, $type, $templates );

	/**
	 * Filters the path of the queried template by type.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook name, `$type`, refers to the filename -- minus the file
	 * extension and any non-alphanumeric characters delimiting words -- of the file to load.
	 * This hook also applies to various types of files loaded as part of the Template Hierarchy.
	 *
	 * Possible hook names include:
	 *
	 *  - `404_template`
	 *  - `archive_template`
	 *  - `attachment_template`
	 *  - `author_template`
	 *  - `category_template`
	 *  - `date_template`
	 *  - `embed_template`
	 *  - `frontpage_template`
	 *  - `home_template`
	 *  - `index_template`
	 *  - `page_template`
	 *  - `paged_template`
	 *  - `privacypolicy_template`
	 *  - `search_template`
	 *  - `single_template`
	 *  - `singular_template`
	 *  - `tag_template`
	 *  - `taxonomy_template`
	 *
	 * @since 1.5.0
	 * @since 4.8.0 The `$type` and `$templates` parameters were added.
	 *
	 * @param string   $template  Path to the template. See locate_template().
	 * @param string   $type      Sanitized filename without extension.
	 * @param string[] $templates A list of template candidates, in descending order of priority.
	 */
	return apply_filters( "{$type}_template", $template, $type, $templates );
}

get_query_template() │ WP 1.5.0

Hooks from the function