How to use posts_pre_query filter in WordPress

posts_pre_query filter

This filter lets you change the posts that WordPress shows by default. Every time you open a page in WordPress, it runs a default query to fetch a set of posts. For instance, on the homepage, it fetches the latest posts, and on archive pages, it pulls posts from a specific month, category, or tags. The posts_pre_query filter allows you to tweak these default behaviors and customize how WordPress displays posts according to your preferences.

To use posts_pre_query 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 weplugins_modify_posts_pre_query_defaults which takes 2 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter posts_pre_query is the name of the hook, The second parameter weplugins_modify_posts_pre_query_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 the posts_pre_query filter.

Parameters

Below are the 2 parameters required to use this hook.

• $posts: (WP_Post[]|int[]|null) Return an array of post data to short-circuit WP’s query, or null to allow WP to run its normal queries.
• $query: (WP_Query) The WP_Query instance (passed by reference).

Live Examples

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

Example 1: Showcase Only Custom Post Types on Homepage

This example demonstrates how to tweak the query to display only custom post types on the homepage.

    function weplugins_customize_homepage_query($query) {
        if (is_home() && $query->is_main_query()) {
            $query->set('post_type', array('your_custom_post_type'));
        }
    }
    add_action('posts_pre_query', 'weplugins_customize_homepage_query');
    

Example 2: Exclude a Category from Archive Page

This example shows how to exclude a specific category from the archive page.

    function weplugins_exclude_category_from_archive($query) {
        if ($query->is_archive() && $query->is_main_query()) {
            $query->set('cat', '-5'); // Replace 5 with the ID of the category you want to exclude
        }
    }
    add_action('posts_pre_query', 'weplugins_exclude_category_from_archive');
    

Example 3: Filter Posts Based on User Role

This example filters posts displayed in the admin area based on the user role.

    function weplugins_filter_posts_by_user_role($query) {
        if (is_admin() && $query->is_main_query()) {
            global $current_user;
            $user_roles = $current_user->roles;
            
            // Show only specific post types based on user role
            if (in_array('editor', $user_roles)) {
                $query->set('post_type', array('your_custom_post_type'));
            }
        }
    }
    add_action('posts_pre_query', 'weplugins_filter_posts_by_user_role');
    

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_filter("posts_pre_query", "weplugins_modify_posts_pre_query_defaults", 10, 2);
    

Please make sure to provide the same callback function name, priority, and number of arguments while removing the hook callback.

Contact Us

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