How to use posts_orderby filter in WordPress

posts_orderby filter

Filters the ORDER BY clause of the query.

To use posts_orderby filter, first you have to register it using add_filter. You can write this code into functions.php of your activated theme or in a custom WordPress Plugin.

We at WePlugins always prefer to create a custom WordPress Plugin while using hooks so nothing breaks when you update your WordPress Theme in the future.

In the below live example, we have defined a function modify_posts_orderby_defaults which takes 2 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter posts_orderby is the name of the hook, The second parameter modify_posts_orderby_defaults is the name of the function which needs to be called, the third parameter is the priority of calling the hook if the same hook is used multiple times and the last parameter is the number of arguments (if any) to be passed in the registered function.

Sometimes, you have to remove a registered hook so you can use remove_filter to remove posts_orderby filter.

Parameters

Below are the 2 parameters required to use this hook.

• $orderby : (string) The ORDER BY clause of the query.
• $query : (WP_Query) The WP_Query instance (passed by reference).

Live Example

Example 1: Modify Orderby Clause Based on Custom Votes

This example shows how to modify the ORDER BY clause based on custom user votes.

add_filter('posts_orderby', 'edit_posts_orderby');
add_filter('posts_join_paged','edit_posts_join_paged');
function edit_posts_join_paged($join_paged_statement) {
    $join_paged_statement = "LEFT JOIN wp_gdsr_data_article gdsra ON gdsra.post_id = wp_posts.ID";
    return $join_paged_statement;   
}
function edit_posts_orderby($orderby_statement) {
    $orderby_statement = "(gdsra.user_votes_total_sum/gdsra.user_votes_count) DESC";
    return $orderby_statement;
}

Example 2: Basic Usage of posts_orderby Filter

Below is an example of how you can use this hook to update the ORDER BY clause according to your website requirements.

function modify_posts_orderby_defaults($orderby, $query) { 
    // Update the $orderby variable according to your website requirements and return this variable.
    // You can modify the $orderby variable conditionally too if you want.
    return $orderby; 
}
// add the filter
add_filter( "posts_orderby", "modify_posts_orderby_defaults", 10, 2 );

Example 3: Removing a Hook Callback

To remove a hook callback, use the example below. Make sure to provide the same callback function name, priority, and number of arguments while removing the hook callback.

remove_filter( "posts_orderby", "modify_posts_orderby_defaults", 10, 2 );

Contact Us

If you’re having any trouble using this hook, please contact our WordPress Development Team and we’d be happy to assist you.