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Template Tags

By · Reviewed & last updated · Part of WordPress Tutorial

Template tags are PHP functions you call in theme files to print content from the current post or query. the_title(), the_content(), the_permalink(), wp_nav_menu() — they make WP themes feel like a templating language.

The most-used tags + safe rendering

EXAMPLE
<?php
// 1) Inside the Loop — current post
?>
<article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class(); ?>>
    <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>

    <p class="meta">
        Posted <?php the_time('F j, Y'); ?> by <?php the_author(); ?>
        in <?php the_category(', '); ?>
    </p>

    <?php if (has_post_thumbnail()) : ?>
        <?php the_post_thumbnail('medium_large'); ?>
    <?php endif; ?>

    <div class="entry-content">
        <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
    </div>

    <p><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">Read more</a></p>
</article>

<?php
// 2) The Get-variants — return instead of print
$title = get_the_title();           // string
$url   = get_permalink();           // string
$id    = get_the_ID();              // int
$cats  = get_the_category();        // array of WP_Term
$thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail_url(null, 'large');
?>

<!-- 3) Conditional tags — what page is this? -->
<?php
if (is_home())         { /* blog index */ }
if (is_front_page())   { /* set static front page */ }
if (is_single())       { /* single post */ }
if (is_page('about'))  { /* the About page */ }
if (is_archive())      { /* archives */ }
if (is_category('news')) { /* News category archive */ }
if (is_singular('product')) { /* single CPT */ }
if (is_user_logged_in()) { /* logged-in */ }
?>

<!-- 4) Navigation -->
<?php
wp_nav_menu([
    'theme_location' => 'primary',
    'container'      => 'nav',
    'menu_class'     => 'main-nav',
    'depth'          => 2,
]);
?>

<!-- 5) Comments -->
<?php
if (comments_open() || get_comments_number()) {
    comments_template();
}
?>

<!-- 6) Body class + head/foot hooks (DO NOT FORGET) -->
<body <?php body_class(); ?>>
    <?php wp_body_open(); ?>
    <?php // …content… ?>
    <?php wp_footer(); ?>
</body>

<!-- 7) Safe-output for unknown text/HTML -->
<?php echo esc_html($title); ?>             <!-- text -->
<?php echo esc_attr($css_class); ?>         <!-- attribute -->
<?php echo esc_url($url); ?>                <!-- href/src -->
<?php echo wp_kses_post($rich_html); ?>     <!-- limited HTML allowed -->

Why it matters

the_* prints; get_the_* returns. Mixing them up is the #1 source of double-output and weird stripped tags in custom themes — pick the right half of the pair.

Tip: Tweak the snippet with Try it Yourself », then sit the quiz at the bottom of the page.

Example

Example
the_title()
the_content()
the_excerpt()
the_permalink()
the_post_thumbnail()
get_the_date()
Try it Yourself »

Discussion

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