Template hierarchy in Wordpress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the WordPress template hierarchy?

The WordPress template hierarchy is the system WordPress uses to decide which template file to use to display a page. It checks files in a specific order from most specific to most general.

beginner

Which template file does WordPress use to display a single blog post?

WordPress first looks for single-{post-type}.php (like single-post.php), then single.php, and if none exist, it falls back to index.php.

intermediate

Order the template files WordPress checks for a category archive page.

WordPress checks category-{slug}.php, then category-{id}.php, then category.php, and finally archive.php before using index.php.

intermediate

What template file does WordPress use for the homepage if a static front page is set?

If a static front page is set, WordPress uses front-page.php first. If that doesn't exist, it uses the template file of the selected page (usually page.php), then index.php.

beginner

Why is understanding the template hierarchy important for WordPress theme development?

It helps developers know where to put template files to control how different pages look, ensuring the site displays content correctly and efficiently.

Which template file does WordPress use first for a single post of type 'post'?

A page.php

B single.php

C index.php

D single-post.php

WordPress first looks for single-{post-type}.php, so for a post type 'post', it looks for single-post.php first.

If WordPress cannot find category-{slug}.php or category-{id}.php, which template does it use next for a category archive?

A category.php

B archive.php

C index.php

D single.php

After category-{slug}.php and category-{id}.php, WordPress uses category.php before falling back to archive.php or index.php.

What template file is used for the homepage if no static front page is set?

A front-page.php

B home.php

C index.php

D page.php

If no static front page is set, WordPress uses home.php to display the blog posts index.

Which template file is the ultimate fallback in the WordPress template hierarchy?

A archive.php

B 404.php

C index.php

D front-page.php

index.php is the last fallback template WordPress uses if no other specific template matches.

For a custom post type archive, which template file does WordPress look for first?

A archive-{post-type}.php

B archive.php

C single-{post-type}.php

D index.php

WordPress looks for archive-{post-type}.php first for custom post type archives.

Explain how WordPress decides which template file to use when displaying a page.

Think about how WordPress checks for files from the most specific to the most general.

Describe the template files WordPress uses for category archive pages and their order.

Remember the naming pattern and fallback sequence for category templates.

Practice

1. Which template file does WordPress use first when displaying a single blog post?

easy

A. archive.php

B. page.php

C. index.php

D. single-{post-type}.php

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand single post template priority

   WordPress first looks for single-{post-type}.php to display a single post of a custom or default post type.

2. Step 2: Recognize fallback templates

   If that file is missing, WordPress falls back to single.php or index.php, but the first choice is single-{post-type}.php.

3. Final Answer:

   single-{post-type}.php -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Single post uses single-{post-type}.php first [OK]

Hint: Single posts use single-{post-type}.php first [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing page.php with single post template
• Thinking archive.php is for single posts
• Assuming index.php is always used first

2. Which of the following is the correct template file name to display a category archive for category with slug 'news'?

easy

A. news.php

B. category-news.php

C. category.php

D. archive-news.php

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify category archive template naming

   WordPress uses category-{slug}.php to display a specific category archive page.

2. Step 2: Match slug to template

   For category slug 'news', the template file is category-news.php.

3. Final Answer:

   category-news.php -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Category archives use category-{slug}.php [OK]

Hint: Category archives use category-{slug}.php [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using archive-news.php which is invalid
• Confusing category.php as specific slug template
• Naming file as news.php which is not recognized

3. Given the following files in a theme: page-about.php, page.php, and index.php. Which template will WordPress use to display the About page?

medium

A. page-about.php

B. page.php

C. index.php

D. It will show a 404 error

Solution

1. Step 1: Check for page-specific template

   WordPress looks for page-{slug}.php first for pages, so page-about.php matches the About page slug.

2. Step 2: Understand fallback order

   If page-about.php exists, WordPress uses it before falling back to page.php or index.php.

3. Final Answer:

   page-about.php -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Page slug template overrides generic page.php [OK]

Hint: Page slug templates like page-about.php have priority [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing page.php ignoring slug-specific template
• Assuming index.php is used first
• Thinking About page shows 404 without template

4. You created a template file named single-post.php but WordPress still uses single.php to display posts. What is the likely problem?

medium

A. The file name should be single-post.php but WordPress uses single-{post-type}.php where {post-type} is the actual post type slug

B. The correct file name is single-post.php but it must be in a subfolder

C. The file should be named single.php for posts

D. WordPress does not support single-post.php templates

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand post type template naming

   WordPress uses single-{post-type}.php where {post-type} matches the post type slug exactly.

2. Step 2: Check post type slug for 'post'

   The default post type slug is 'post', so single-post.php is correct if the post type is 'post'. But if the post type is custom or named differently, the file name must match exactly.

3. Step 3: Identify common mistake

   If WordPress ignores single-post.php, it may be because the post type slug is not 'post' or the file is misplaced.

4. Final Answer:

   File name must match actual post type slug in single-{post-type}.php -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Template file must match post type slug exactly [OK]

Hint: Match single-{post-type}.php exactly to post type slug [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming single-post.php always works for posts
• Thinking file must be in a subfolder
• Believing WordPress ignores single-{post-type}.php files

5. You want to create a custom template for the tag archive page of the tag with slug 'featured'. Which template file name should you create to follow WordPress template hierarchy?

hard

A. archive-featured.php

B. tag.php

C. tag-featured.php

D. taxonomy-featured.php

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify tag archive template naming

   WordPress uses tag-{slug}.php for tag archive pages with specific slugs.

2. Step 2: Match slug to template file

   For the tag slug 'featured', the correct template file is tag-featured.php.

3. Step 3: Understand fallback templates

   If tag-featured.php is missing, WordPress falls back to tag.php or archive.php.

4. Final Answer:

   tag-featured.php -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Tag archives use tag-{slug}.php [OK]

Hint: Tag archives use tag-{slug}.php for custom tags [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using archive-featured.php which is invalid
• Confusing taxonomy-featured.php with tag template
• Assuming tag.php is always used for all tags